To the editor:
Lynnfield needs to repair its library. Now.
The proposed renovations to the library now under discussion are essential to keeping the library safe and functional for all residents and others in our community.
If you have been to or seen any of the presentations about the current building’s shortcomings, then you know that there are spots in the library where the flooring bounces when you walk across it. You know that handicapped folks can’t reasonably gain access to the building without help. Especially concerning in light of the south Lynnfield fire, you know that the building’s sprinkler system is incomplete. All of these things are potential lawsuits which would cost many times more than the current repairs are projected to cost.
We cannot do without a library; it is not expendable. Without a library in town, all residents will lose borrowing privileges with every other library in the state. We need library privileges to borrow books, movies, and the things that most libraries now stock such as electronic equipment. Right now, our building needs reinvestment to remain safe.
For years, library repairs have been placed on the back burner to fund other pressing demands of the town’s infrastructure.
Library privileges are essential, as is a healthy building. What’s more, the proposed improvements will expand the children’s room and meeting space for greater use, among other benefits. The repairs will bring us up to code and improve the library’s ability to serve everyone.
Please vote at the next town meeting in November to approve the library renovation.
Sincerely,
Karin M. Round
Mary Beth Janakas
