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ASS:_— <br />JUL 1986 <br />BOOK 65 F,, 1-9190 <br />preser'r.'.. ...tc:-r_; ; nd promoting the beau^ .:. r .,�sou:r:cs and <br />gccnd r ri .rr^.n .'.1: rr I n) "C'.12 � and Indian <br />� <br />s, BOARD CGU.,,j Y ti <br />�. x SOMMrssror"EP.n. FL aW July 23, 1986 <br />Honorable Members of the <br />Board of County Commissioners <br />1840 25th Street <br />Vero Beach, FL 32960 <br />DISTRIBUTION LIST <br />Commissioners <br />Administrator <br />Attorney <br />Personnel <br />Public \works <br />Community Dev. <br />Utilities ------ — <br />Finance —� <br />Other <br />RE: Library Expansion and Bond Issue <br />Dear Commissioners: <br />In that -our letter of July 2nd to Pat Lyons was a private letter <br />made public, we wish to address these matters in more detail to the <br />full Board of Commissioners and to the public at large. <br />We reiterate our support of library expansion of facilities and <br />services. ' <br />We are opposed to a commitment to spend $5.9 million dollars of <br />taxpayers' monies, on the the basis of the proposal and <br />recommendations of consultant Cecil Beach. There being no other <br />apparent specific plan of action, we can only conclude the Beach <br />report comprises the only basis of these expenditures. While we <br />advocate expansion of library facilities and services, proceeding on <br />the Beach recommendations would be tantamount to merely throwing. <br />dollars at the situation... and that approach won't fly in our <br />community of astute and informed persons, regardless of the <br />referendum unfortunately scheduled for September 2nd. <br />For example, you will note the Beach report calls for the purchase <br />of 2.5 books based on the year -2000 population of 140,000, the total <br />proposed inventory would be 350,000 books ... an increase of 446%. It <br />is questionable as to whether any person or persons would know how <br />to purchase an average of 19,000 books per year for the next 14 <br />years, and do so in a manner closely aligned with the needs of <br />various community segments. <br />We propose the formation of a LIBRARY TASK FORCE, clearly identified <br />as a FORCE that would be a good, solid hardworking group delving <br />into every major aspect of library operation. Important areas that <br />need to be addressed are: <br />1- Evaluation in depth of present local library facilities -in <br />schools and at the Community College, in order to determine how <br />student needs are being met, and where there are opportunities <br />for improvements; <br />2- Analysis of the reading material and habits of the various <br />population segments, for instance, elderly people read a lot of <br />fiction,,travel, gardening, etc, whereas students obviously need <br />other material. <br />28 <br />