To the editor:
Lynnfield needs to repair its library. Now.
The proposed renovations to the library now under discussion are essential to keeping it safe and functional for all residents and others in our community.
If you have attended 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 people with disabilities cannot reasonably gain access to the building without help. Especially concerning, in light of the South Lynnfield fire, is that the building’s sprinkler system is incomplete. All of these issues present potential lawsuits, which would cost many times more than the current repairs are projected to cost.
Did you know that if we do not fund the library according to state guidelines, all residents will lose borrowing privileges with every other library in the state? You won’t be able to shrug your shoulders and borrow from Reading or Wakefield. Ask residents in Saugus how that worked out for them in years past. You need a library card to borrow books, movies, and the list of items that most libraries now stock, such as electronic equipment.
Library privileges are essential, as is a healthy library. 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
