Concord New Hampshire Editorial Board Challenges Community to Love and Value Its Library

Library inspiration. (Concord Monitor editorial, 3/29/2011)

Excerpt:   There are folks in Concord who don't believe the city needs a new library. They argue that libraries are 20th-century relics, that their tax dollars could be better spent, that the Green Street facility suits us just fine, thank you.

To them we'd offer this challenge: Take a drive to Portsmouth, check out the lovely and spacious city library there and think hard about what sort of future you want for Concord.

The Portsmouth library, which opened several years back, is large - 38,000 square feet - and sunny. On a recent afternoon, it was full of colorful children's artwork and buzzing with activity.

In Portsmouth there is ample room to display the library's books, DVDs and periodicals. The reference area is bright and open. There is a room just for teenagers, a cafe, a sun room and a private story-time area. There are private rooms available for tutoring sessions or group work. There is a special collections room for local historians and several rooms for residents and community groups to hold meetings.