NEW 50 MILLION DOLLAR LIBRARY OR...

Artists rendition of Charleston's new library

WALL-MART SUPERCENTER: 194,000 SQUARE FEET = 3.5 MILLION DOLLARS

KANAWHA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY: 149,000 SQUARE FEET = 50 MILLION DOLLARS

NOW... CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

I love libraries.  I grew up within 3 blocks of the main library in Charleston, in the old Capitol Annex building across the street from Stone & Thomas.  I visited the library often,  as it was the internet of it's day for me.  I think libraries are important today,  but as they DO compete with the internet, a palace is no longer needed to house them.  All you need is a large enough building without frills and fountains.

The "powers that be" now want to build a 40 or 50 million dollar library in the center of town,  which will remove much valuable property from the tax books on Broad Street.  I'm not sure how much more precious flat land can be consumed by government and charities in downtown Charleston but if you look around closely,  I'll bet at least 40% of downtown now belongs to one or the other.  That means no taxes paid.  These same people however want to raise YOUR taxes in order to pay for these palaces.

The new library needs two things:  A large enough building to house books and other "necessities",  and parking.   What it doesn't need is some huge expensive "art form" to house what a very utilitarian building can just as easily do for less than half the price.  Now...  having said that,   let's look at another troubling aspect of the current library system here in town:

HAS THE LIBRARY TURNED INTO A DAYTIME HOMELESS SHELTER?

Well... somewhat yes.  I visit the library once a week and I see the same homeless people sleeping or thumbing through magazines.  Sometimes they're on the computers playing video games.  Of course,  it's not only the homeless that are abusing the computers.  Every time I've visited the library,  I witness about half the computer users trying to connect with local women on "Myspace" or other message board type websites that include pornographic images.  (Myspace has many such images each day until the moderators remove them)  This by the way, is why you NEVER allow your children to use their home computer unsupervised.  The people I saw contacting local girls and women on-line at the library were some of the most creepy prison-bound thugs I've ever witnessed.

I watched the guy on the left checking out and writing to, the local girls on "Myspace" for a long
time, while the guy on the right was looking at soft porn. (you can see it on his screen)

Others are playing video games and otherwise entertaining themselves as though the library was a video arcade.  To my way of thinking,  this is NOT what a library is for.  Your tax dollars and mine were not supposed to be taken from us under the threat of prison,  just to provide the homeless and pervert/weirdo's with a place to flop all day and aggravate people on the internet.  And the very idea of building a 40 to 50 million dollar palace,  only steps away from half the homeless shelters in town is one of the most dimwitted projects in recent history.  If you think people are abusing this system now,  just wait until the new doors open!   Be aware that I have no problem with ANYONE.. right down to the filthiest street urchin using the library in the PROPER MANNER and for all the RIGHT REASONS!  But the library is NOT a daytime flop house and it's NOT a video arcade for those with nothing to do but kill time on MY DIME!

I witnessed these two guys playing Solitaire.  Video arcade or place of learning?

So yes,  I AM bitter with this project for several reasons.  If we need a bigger library. BUILD IT.  But build an "adequate" library  and not a palace!  Then,  place some rules (if possible) to keep the place from becoming a daytime homeless shelter and deadbeat hangout.

More people playing video games on my dime.

Always keep in mind that when I went to the library as a kid,  they had HALF the room and almost TWICE the population in the county as they have now.  So here we are,  with a much smaller population and a larger library.. AND THE INTERNET,  (which many people use INSTEAD of libraries....)   and now we want to build this palace? It simply doesn't make sense fiscally or otherwise.  In my humble opinion, it's simply to help prop-up the Clay Center.  And that's not good enough reason to spend 50 million of the taxpayers dollars.

Fresh off the bus,  these "patrons" hurry to the restrooms to wash-up in the sinks and rinse out a few things

And now.. this from the Daily Mail:

Library or day care?

Officials cope with horde of after-school students

Libraries are normally places where people can go to borrow a book, read the newspaper,
study or maybe even check their e-mail.

But there seems to be another function of the library. Some people view it as a sort
of day care center.

Both the Kanawha County Public Library and the South Charleston Public Library see
about 20 middle-school and elementary-school age kids come in each day after they are
dismissed from classes. They usually stay until about 5 when their parents are off work,
librarians say.

The practice could be a risky way for children to pass their after-school time, Jennifer
Soule, director at the South Charleston Public Library, said.

"They're here at their own risk because we do not have the staff or the responsibility
to care for them," she said.

Library staff keeps in mind that children have been confined to a desk all day. Library
workers try to be sympathetic to their sometimes rambunctious behavior.

"We do have some kids who come in after school, but they are not a problem. They are
pretty well-behaved. Every now and then they may get a little rowdy," said Terri McDougal,
head of children's services at Kanawha County Public Library. "I try to stress to my staff
that they may be a little rowdy because they have been in school all day."

To keep children occupied, both the Kanawha County Public Library and the South Charleston
Public Library try to occasionally have programs.

During finals week, the Kanawha County Public Library had a study break and through the
last week of school before winter break, it provided snacks for kids to eat and gingerbread
house materials.

Still, it would be much safer if children did not make the trip to the library unaccompanied,
library workers say. "Parents do that at their own risk," Soule said.

"It's kind of a risky business."

Ok... there's the first warning.  We're looking at a lawsuit waiting to happen,  and guess who pays for it?  That's right,  YOU!

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