From Connie Maxson
Creston
Last September I was invited to join the library board. At that time, I was not convinced that the move to Lincoln School was the right decision. I have been a school superintendent in a district with old school buildings, and they can be a challenge when considering them for a remodeling project.
In order to be fair to the library board’s decision to move the library, I studied the history of the current building and the engineering reports of Lincoln building. The current library is not adequate for the needs of this community nor is adding an addition to that building. While the Lincoln building needs significant work to make it the type of facility we can be proud of, it is realistic and doable. We are working hard to raise the necessary funds through local donations and the support of grant programs outside of Creston.
I respect the concerns about traffic and parking; however, those things can be addressed by working with the city and the school to be sure children and patrons of the library can all be safe.
The planned move will offer us the opportunity to expand our space and programming. Partnerships with businesses, community organizations and the school will allow us to support the activities that make Creston a good place to live and raise our families. Improving literacy is very important to the library board and with this planned move, we will have the space that will allow students and families to use the library as a support system to improve literacy.
The Creston Area Library and Cultural Center is a place that supports our entire community.