Library Debate Continued

Plans to renovate and expand the Scarsdale Library are still in discussion and Mayor Jon Mark announced that the Village will hold an additional meeting to review the project on March 7 at 6:00 pm in Village Hall. Residents continued to debate the proposal for a new library at the February 23 meeting of the Scarsdale Board of Trustees with advocates stressing the need for a state of the art library and community space and critics bemoaning the financial implications.

Currently, the project is estimated to cost $19.5 million of which $12 million is to be financed by a bond offering and the remaining $7.5 million from private donations. The campaign committee who is raising the money report that they have $1 million in hand and another $1.5 million committed if the Village agrees to move forward with the financing.

At the February 23 meeting many offered public comments. Max Gruden, the immediate past president of the Overhill Neighborhood Association acknowledged the effort that went into the proposal but said that he asked the 72 homeowners in his association what they thought and only one was for the plan and 32 were against. He said they objected because "the cost was excessive and it's an extravagant use of their pocketbooks." He urged to board to hold a public referendum.

Harvey Barton, a resident of Overhill Road said that he has never "seen the library's resources strained or overcrowded." He said people were using their kindles and Google instead of the library. About the plans he said, "We ought to be given a choice of options rather than be presented with one very costly option." He asked if the financing would be "detrimental to other capital projects," and said, "what will happen if there are cost overruns?"

Speaking in favor of the library, Jeremy Gans said, "I support the library renovation. I like the sense of community. We have many assets but they don't appeal to the community as a whole. Everyone uses the library and it is in need of renovation. It will continue to be a place where people go to learn, study and communicate."

Pam Rubin said, "We need to bring our facilities into the 21st century. We can't just fix it, we need to make 21st century facilities." Speaking of the funds already raised, she said, "$2.5 million is a lot of money and demonstrates a commitment."

Elyse Klayman made the following statement: "In my opinion, an affluent privileged community that values education and civic engagement should have an up-to-date library that serves as an intellectual hub where authors speak, meetings are held, and discussions of the day's issues can take place. By up-to-date, I mean at a minimum, a library that has a sound system that works, reliable wi-fi, accessible bathrooms, places to plug in a laptop, and a roof that doesn't leak.

A quick word here about the price tag for this renovation. It's unfortunate that the $12 million number got traction early on, when estimates were preliminary and many construction details had not yet been worked out. The current $19.5 million number is very much in line with projects of this sort undertaken by other towns in our region. Careful attention has been paid to allow for worst-case scenarios and overruns so that this number is real, and even includes soft costs like new furniture and window shades. Just making necessary repairs on the building, many of which have been postponed because this project was in the offing, will cost some $4 million, give or take. So that means the rest of the renovation comes in at about $15.5 million, $7.5 million of which will be raised privately. The additional work (which, all told, will cost an average Scarsdale household about $167 a year during the ten-year duration of the bond) will allow for opening up the library to bring in the special park-like setting, a revenue-producing coffee bar, flexible program space with state-of-the art technology, a whimsical, fluid children's section with its own program space, and areas designed for collaborative study or for quiet, solitary learning. There are competing budgetary interests, and I realize that others may have different, also valid, plans for spending Village funds. But it seems to me that a vital library goes hand in hand with our excellent school system, which is, after all, Scarsdale's calling card. Bottom line for me: A well-equipped public library is an amenity, yes, but one that represents the embodiment of essential democratic values in a vibrant sophisticated town.

For those who say libraries are dead, that they are outmoded, check out the stats and you'll quickly learn that's simply not true. I recently heard a comedian riffing on the radio: He said, if someone offered to print out the Internet and bring it to you as a book every morning, would you want to read it? No. You wouldn't. We are a town full of thinking people of all ages: Folks who care about knowledge, about public engagement, and about connecting with the world at large. The library embodies and projects our collective respect for human endeavor. It's an acknowledgment of the impulse we all have to tell our stories, relate to one another, and try to make sense of things. It's time we polish this neglected gem in our midst; in fact, many might even say that the attention is...long overdue."

And Felicia Block said, "I've lived on Carman Road for almost 8 years now. In fact, I live in this particular house for several reasons. The first, like many that come to Scarsdale, is because of our wonderful school district. But the next reason is because my house is across the street from Davis Park. I chose my house because of the park. Coming from the city, I was terrified of being alone in a house and isolated. With a park across the street, I knew I would be part of the community. This park was the first community asset that became a part of our family life. And when it came time for the Village to invest in an upgrade to the park equipment, I was honored to be on the Arthur Manor committee that helped with the design. When I presented to the town committee, I explained that this park – one of the only shaded ones in the Village – was more than just a park to the neighbors around it. It is a meeting place for families throughout our Village.

So why do I bring this up now? Because another community asset, so near and dear to the heart of my family is being discussed and is ready for an upgrade and I want to be clear, once again, that this asset, our Library, is more than just a place to take out books, or videos, or DVDs, or touch some trucks, or read to dogs, or listen to guest speakers, or build legos. It is a meeting place for families and people throughout our Village.

For my family, walking into the Children's Room of the Library is like walking into the bar on the set of the TV show Cheers. The Librarians welcome my children by name! Maxwell! Sydney! And in turn, my children HUG them! My children request items for projects, look for suggestions of what to read based on a book they like, or they just talk – making eye contact – about how school is going. In other words, my children have real conversations, with real people, in the real world...and they feel safe.

And now, that my little people – who were 1 ½ and 4 when we moved here – are now in upper elementary school and middle school, the Library needs an upgrade to include more spaces to feel welcomed and for meeting up with friends to work on projects. Two bean bags to the side of the adult room is not a Young Adult area, and I want my children to feel the same affection and comfort in the Library during their tween and teen years as they have as little people.

I speak today in support of the Library plan – but I also speak on behalf of the families throughout the Village that want to make sure there are safe spaces – community spaces – for our families and for our teens and tweens beyond the after school hours in our amazing schools. And for all of our family, I want to make sure we update this special meeting place, especially for those teens and tweens who may be a little too old for a hug from their librarians...but still yearn for it none the less.