January 14, 2009
Wednesday

Dear SitNews Editor:

Here we go again! For the second time, the Ketchikan City administration is being told that the Old Main School location will likely not work as a site for a new library. Now there is a parking issue. To date, how much public money has been wasted on this scheme? Tax payers have the right to know this information as they always end up paying the bills.

One thing for certain: Ketchikan citizens deserve better leadership from their library administration. Are the persons responsible for this waste being held accountable? Is it time to hire a new library administrator with professional skills to avoid these wasteful blunders? Librarians are not trained to be professional architects, but they should have proper skills to determine general site requirements for locating a library. This training is an essential part of most library school curriculums. Certainly, the folks responsible for locating the library at its current site forty years ago had such skills and training.

Again, we need to ask questions as to why we need to move the public library in the first place? Why not make plans to move the museum instead? Years ago a consultant recommended that the museum be relocated to a site across from the Federal Building and the library remain in the Centennial Building. The reasons were basic. Current architecture of the Centennial Building is a good fit for a library, but not a museum.

Considering the current status of the economy, any additional spending on these schemes should be placed on indefinite hold. Our taxes are high enough without risking more funding on costly adventures and blunders.

Sincerely

Robert D. Warner
Ketchikan, AK

Received January 09, 2009 - Published January 14, 2009

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