Dear Editor:
I am a stay-at-home mom, and a resident of Shrewsbury. I am writing in support of the proposed library expansion project.
I love the library. There is a wide range of programs and books for children. I am a happy and frequent patron, and yet I am not unaware of the problems. There is a serious lack of space in the Children's Room, so much so that when my children were small and in a stroller, I found it difficult to even get there. We had to go down a tiny elevator that barely fit the stroller, let alone the rest of us; then into a hallway with hardly enough room to navigate the stroller; finally into the Children's room where my next problem was where to park the stroller (my only option being in front of the librarian's desk). I would sometimes become frustrated and turn to our neighboring communities. Northborough and Westborough have beautiful children's rooms with wide open spaces, plenty of room for play, and cozy seating.
There is no doubt that Shrewsbury is a great community for families as evidenced by our wonderful schools and the many activities available to children. If we want Shrewsbury to remain attractive, then we need to invest. We have received the promise of an $ 8 million grant. If we do not jump at this opportunity, our tax money will go to make expensive renovations that will leave us with a smaller library than we have today. Some people make the argument that e-books will render libraries obsolete. This seems to me a very glib response. First, the library is about more than just books. Second, real books are not going away in our lifetime. Third, use of the library over the last decade has grown by leaps and bounds, and the advent of the e-book has not changed that situation. Our current library was not designed to accommodate the great demand for library services that we have today.
Please join me in voting “yes” for our library on October 18th.
Elizabeth “Lisa” Powers
