I am well aware of the cost of the new Jones Library, and that there are many in our community who have their concerns. I would like to offer this anecdote from a recent morning. With Jan. 20 being a Teacher Preparation Day, I needed to find something for my 3-year-old daughter to do. And thankfully, the Jones Library, in its temporary location, delivered! Over the next hour and a half, I watched as she constructed a railroad worthy of the Union Pacific; practiced equestrian skills on a rocking horse; populated a dollhouse; constructed a village for pandas that would put Frank Gehry to shame; and oh yes … read a few books. All of these activities were available to her, free of charge, in the Jones Library. And she was not the only child taking advantage of it.
I do not disregard the concerns many have about the Jones Library’s cost. But to me, the cost of a non-functional library in our community is far more severe. Even in its temporary location, the Jones Library is more than books. It’s a resource for all of us, regardless of age.
Tim Anderson
Amherst