If the proposed downtown area ever becomes a reality, then that would have been the time to spend the money to build new, but in a more logical location. If the new downtown area is developed per the conception, building the library where it stands doesn’t make sense. I would have assumed you’d want that building to be a show piece of the city and have it located right in the heart of the village. Where it stands today, you wouldn’t be able to walk there from the future downtown.

The thing I find most troubling though is that it appears the current board believes that materials are more important than being open and providing quality service. During the last few board meetings, trustees have pushed the concept of “working within our means.” I agree! So lets work with what we have and make sure that funding is appropriately allocated to staffing so that we can keep the building open and patrons can use the materials that we already have. For me, the most troubling part of being a Sugar Grove Public Library user is pulling into the parking lot of the brand new building, realizing that you are the only car there and that it’s Monday or Friday afternoon hence the library is closed.

During the planning of the new building, the library hired Leo A Daley, a consulting firm specializing in construction of libraries, at great expense to come and work with us to design the new library. Over and over the experts told us that the dynamic of the library has changed from what it used to be and continues to change. Instead of having shelves of books and old ladies in hair buns going around shushing people, the libraries of today are town hubs that facilitate information exchange and community networking powered by knowledgable staff ready, willing and able to answer questions and help patrons. This is why we built a new building with community meeting rooms, study rooms, a cafe, a teen area, computer lab, etc. all fully covered with free flowing WiFi.

I don’t check out books from our library. The library doesn’t have the business and technical books that I read. I have an Amazon Kindle that. But if I didn’t have a Kindle, I could very easily borrow those materials from one of the other libraries in our system. The trained library staff is really good at helping patrons do that! Regardless of how I consume my published content, I still use this Library, I pay taxes that fund this library and from time to time I even volunteer for our library. Why? Because the library is more to me than just a collection of books, it’s all the other value added services that are offered through our facility that keep bringing me back. Once the board’s patron surveys are tabulated, I’m sure we’ll find that I’m not alone.

To the current Sugar Grove Library Board of Trustees I ask of you please do not cut funding from the staff. If anything, allocate MORE funding to the staff so we can be open on Mondays and Friday afternoons.

In closing, I will echo Mr. Hartman’s call to action and encourage everyone to please come to tonight’s meeting and voice your opinion during public comment. If you are unable to attend, you can listen to the meetings at http://www.sugargroveonline.com, download the Events Podcast and send your thoughts to the trustees via email at trustees@sugargrove.lib.il.us.