New Maitland library is worth paying for

Thank you for reporting on Maitland’s library referendum (“Crowded rooms. Computers in the hall. Should Maitland spend $19 million for a new library?” Feb. 21).

Of course, my answer to the headline is yes.

As the story pointed out, the current building is bursting at the seams. The children’s section basically is little more than a ripped-out aisle space shoved up against the back wall of the building. There’s no computer lab, no tech nooks for students or entrepreneurs, no dedicated programming space for seniors. It’s so crowded, some staff have been moved to an upstairs storage area.

The building does not meet modern safety codes. The aisles do not meet ADA requirements and neither do the bathrooms, hindering access for our disabled residents.

Any major renovation would be expensive, shut down the library for (?) years, and leave us with even less room because of space sacrificed to meet modern building codes. And so, after that major investment, we’d still be left with an inadequate building and inadequate parking.

This referendum wasn’t done on a whim, it was done to meet a demand.

Despite its challenges, the library is almost back to its pre-pandemic visits of 100,000 per year (in a city of 20,000.) It’s the personal service patrons get from a library owned and operated by the residents of Maitland for the residents of Maitland since the 19th century.

Let’s keep this treasured tradition going into the 22nd century by voting for Maitland’s library on March 19th.

Bryan Stewart Maitland

Bryan Stewart is the chairman of Vote FOR Maitland’s Library.