Written by A Renton Citizen and frequent reader has suggested that I should get a discussion started about the future of Renton Libraries; do you think we should join the King County system, or show we remain independent.
A recent article on the Renton Reporter gave the background on this issue. In short, we commissioned a new Master Plan, to help us figure out the future of the libraries. In particular, this issue becomes important because our city has been growing so much, and if Fairwood decides to annex it becomes even more urgent….Fairwood includes a King County Library.
The Renton Reporter article quoted a council member as saying that the Renton Council initially prefers to stay independent, but there are some council members that have not really formed an opinion on this issue yet. If anything, I am probably leaning toward joining the King County System. I would be very interested in this option if we could get King County to build a new Library in our downtown. Seattle Water utility and the Department of Fisheries have shown some interest in a Salmon/rivers education facility in the past…. maybe our existing library over the river could be converted for this use. Or maybe it could become a new event center.
Most of us have not really decided what we should do with our library system.
So we would love to get your input on this.
Although I have huge sentimental attachment to the Library downtown from my childhood. I do like your idea about a fish hatchery!
No!
If you want a multimedia meeting rooms with touch screen computers hooked up to high speed internet access housed in a grand building – then you’ll like the King County “Library” System.
If you wand a place of learning that houses lots of written knowledge – then you’ll want to keep the Renton Library independent.
The library of Alexandria didn’t have internet access.
The stacks at Trinity Collage aren’t light and airy.
The Library of Congress doesn’t have murals of the “Life Cycle of the Salmon.”
If you want to be entertained then you’ll love the King County system, if you want to become literate then enjoy the Renton Library and her large collection of books while you can.
Re: No!
I beg to differ. I used the RPL for the first few years I lived in Renton and chafed at the difficulty in locating the books I wanted to read (I don’t do much with popular novels). The beauty of the KCLS is the ability to search their catalog online, find what you want, and have it sent to the library of your choice to be held for your pickup. A large library system has so many more resources to get more books and more everything–just the number of databases and online subscriptions KCLS has access to have been tremendously helpful to refer my students to as they work on projects that require far more information than a simple ProQuest search will turn up.
So yes, I would like to see Renton join the KCLS despite the apparent expense (a family member talked to someone involved with the libraries and found out it would be quite expensive). And as an occasional volunteer naturalist, I’d love to see the library become an interpretive center.
Re: No!
Yep.. King County’s Library System will always dwarf our system – but dollar for dollar I’m sure we have more books. KCLS wastes a lot of money on ‘non-book’ stuff. If we ramped up spending to match KCLS – I’m sure we’d come out ahead.
If you want a massive catalog to chose from check out http://www.bookswim.com/ – it’s kinda like Netflix for books.
Re: No!
Except… if people use those non-book resources, is it really a waste? Libraries bring information and knowledge to people, and that can take many forms. Visit the UW Libraries next time you get a chance–the Suzzallo Library tour is great and free–and see how they’re delivering information.
Just food for thought, perhaps from one generation to another. 🙂
Re: No!
It’s not a waste, but generally new technology has less “bang for the buck.”
Every ten years, historically, there’s been a *NEW TECHNOLOGY* that tried to make the written word obsolete:
Let’s look at education:
In the 50’s there were slides.
In the 60’s there were slides with audio.
In the 70’s there were Super 8 films
in the 80’s there were TV and VCR’s * (my generation)
In the 90’s there were PC’s
In the 2000’s there was the Internet
It’s not that there’s nothing wrong with the technology – it’s just that because the technology is new, it’s very expensive and drains the resources for the more mundane and useful.
$8000 buys you eight internet terminals.
$8000 buys you this: 1000 of the best books written.
True… you could get a lot of that library for free in the internet at Project Gutenberg. But take a look at the internet use at the Renton library – due to it’s nature, it’s more entertainment than education.
I can remember the day when I tried to return a KC book to a Renton library. No chance, they say. I can think of only one good reason: the inventory that would become available, whether they’re in that library or not.
New building
I agree that the KCLS is big on fancy buildings and technologies, but that seems to be the trend with all large library systems these days. I think nice facilities encourage more people to use the library, and a lot of people do not have high-speed Internet access at home. That said, I admire the Renton library’s success as an independent library, and I think it serves our community quite well. However, as our city grows, we will the expand both the main library and build satellite libraries. As much as I think the library-over-a-river concept is fun, it’s not particularly practical, especially with regard to future expansion. I’d like to see a new library building constructed downtown some day. I think it’d be a great idea to turn the existing library building into a environmental education center. We’d add a new attraction to the city, and it would make great use of a unique building.
Of course, the voters will need to approve any grand library construction plans.
P.S.: The old City Hall building next to the library (home of the Renton Reporter) gets my vote as the ugliest building in town. It’s a nightmare of hideous ’60s architecture and materials, especially the aluminum exterior. I wonder if it could be refaced with glass or stone?
Re: New building
and to answer the question: I’d like for us to join the KCLS, mostly for the the greater selection of books it would provide.