Itís good to see the community getting invested in the future of their library.
At an information session last week, local politicians and interested members of the public heard some ideas on what a new library might look like, and more importantly, where it might be.
Nobody is contesting the need for a new library, which is progress in itself. The Alice B. Donahue Library, while a touchstone of the community, is showing its age, and its size hampers any plans of expansion.
With the need for a new and improved library comes the aforementioned uncertainty of where to put it. To date, there seem to be two prevailing opinions.
The first is to leave it where it is, or at least in the same general area; the downtown core. Proponents of this plan point out that itís important for the library to be immediately accessible to as many people as possible, and that it will draw foot traffic into the downtown core, especially if its combined with or nearby a revamped performing arts and entertainment facility.
Others argue the library should become a part of the Athabasca Regional Multiplex. This would continue the development of the Multiplex as a recreational ëone-stop shopí, though some feel it is too far out of the way to be convenient.
No decision on a location is forthcoming, but for now itís good to see so many people interested in the fate of the library. Such facilities are key learning centres for all that belong in the forefront.
