I really hope the disappointed Rainbow Road fans of the library will accept the fact that we need a new building desperately and as soon as possible, and in the hub of Ganges.

Why there? As a library volunteer for nearly 14 years, I know there are some background aspects of being on the present site which may not have been noticed by many patrons. Quite often desk staff are presented with $20 bills to pay 20-cent fines, and sometimes there isn’t enough change. A quick trip across the street to the credit union by another worker can rectify that promptly. Staff also may need emergency stationery supplies and it’s great to have Yvonne’s shop close by. Overflow computer users can be directed to her place and to the nearby book store if necessary. 

I’m sure there are many other things which help us, like the coffee shop down the road which can be visited hastily to supply volunteers with a treat for their break (if they get a break).

There are some homeless people who spend quite a bit of time enjoying the library because of its convenience when they’re on foot. At the other end of the spectrum, it’s an easy stroll for the car-less visiting “boat people” to get to McPhillips and pick up e-mail and/or some of the books on sale to take with them when they sail away. Some can also be found sitting outside with their laptops, happy to find Wi-Fi available at all hours on all days.

There could be even more services available in the centrally sited new building.

If this carefully planned, ecologically efficient and exciting design for the new library in the peaceful creekside area is rejected in the referendum, the $4.55 million grant will disappear and it would be years before the decrepit building we have now could be replaced at a probably higher cost. And remember that the Rainbow Road site is far from a cheap and easy one to build on. It is part of a swamp.

Jill Evans,

Salt Spring