Letter: Jones Library – Don’t Let The Cart Pull The Horse
Directions to the Woodbury Room, Jones Library. Photo: Art Keene
Editor’s note: This letter appeared previously in The Amherst Bulletin
In the same issue of the Amherst Bulletin (Dec. 25), the op-ed page is devoted to three discussions of the Jones Library expansion plan which, whether for or against, certainly rests on the library becoming more of a “community center,” providing spaces for many social, educational, recreational, and civic needs.
Yet, we learn from a page two article that the Bangs Community Center is seeking ways to use empty space on its upper floor because the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program and the Center for New Americans have left the building. Wrong sort of space in the right place?
So, our community center has space that could be used for several of the activities the Jones Library claims it needs to expand to fulfill. It would seem that the organization that has eloquent spokespeople will get the funding to become all things for all people. Is there no town committee, council, or planning office responsible for evaluating our needs and considering all current resources so as to provide realistic future planning for the town’s centrally located community center and the town’s centrally located library? If the Bangs Center is not now an exciting and interesting place for social and recreational activities, what would it take to make it more attractive? Could the upper floor be used for internet access, ESL classrooms, and other needed services?
Since when must libraries become hubs for meetings, social, and recreational activities?
I’m disappointed that our Jones Library has not taken the initiative to connect us readily with free book downloads during the pandemic. The library has our email addresses, but we have not been actively offered the kind of library services that would be of great value during our isolation. Yet, the library is requesting resources to become the town community center.
Amherst is host to three colleges with auditorium spaces, libraries, classrooms and galleries that might be available to us. We have a downtown library and a community center. Perhaps we should spend our money on creative and exciting programming that uses the facilities that exist or could be enhanced to meet our needs. Let’s evaluate all of our resources and their potential before we allocate funding to the institution with the most eloquent voice. Please, don’t let the cart pull the horse, because no one is writing op-eds for the horse.
Anne Burton
Anne Burton is a resident of Amherst
Good point, Anne. And in addition to space at the Bangs Center, there will also be an 82,000sf elementary school building available for other town uses once a consolidated school building is constructed and ready for occupancy (fall 2025 or later). It’s yet to be determined whether it will be Wildwood or Fort River that will be vacated, but that is 82,000sf that would provide sufficient space for a teen room/center, community center, senior center, early childhood education center (not just preschool but 0-3yrs support too), ESL programming, or other purposes, along with extensive recreational space on the property for outdoor pursuits. The Jones library does not need to be all things for all people.
One other thing that is on my mind: If the Jones expansion was to go ahead, would the Trustees commit to funding staffing (and maintenance) at the two branch libraries in perpetuity? Their hours need expanded, not cut. Or is their plan to funnel all their resources into an expanded Jones Library and leave the branches without support…
How might such a decision (set of decissions) be made?
Will it be “the same ol, same ol”? “Yes”, No doubt. Doing the
same thing will not ‘get it”. Something new may/might…
Untill solid citizen participation cooalesses it will continue.
Need use of the “C” words here (and the rest of the alphabet)
Collaboration, not competetion; community / not us, them; &
now / not ‘whenever’. From above entries we can see there are
others ofa like mind. Find more neighbors and see what could work.
Chad Fuller
Thanks for speaking up for public process, Chad, and for recalling Anne Burton’s thoughtful letter.
The Library has shown that they can lead a robust outreach effort. Their invitation to the community this past spring to share ideas for shaping the the project’s final schematic design was energetic and meticulous. However, by that point changes to programming and building size were off the table.
Had the library leaders only put as much effort into listening to the public and building consensus on what the MLBC grant proposal should look like back in 2016, we’d be in a much better place today.