Editorial

Measure A is library solution

The question regarding the Cupertino library is not one of a necessity for changes. The dispute is how best to implement these changes.

On March 7, voters will take to the polls for an advisory vote on Measure A, a city proposal for construction of a new library at a cost up to $22 million. Advocates of the plan say a new facility is the best solution. Opponents say the city has not done its homework and should investigate the possibility of remodeling the existing facility. But both sides agree the library in its current incarnation has outlived its usefulness.

Residents need spend but one afternoon in the Torre Avenue facility to see the evidence. Lines of readers old and young waiting patently to borrow materials spiral though the narrow corridors; students and seniors jockey for tables and limited study space; children thirsty for their first taste of literature crowd a cramped conference room that doubles as a storytime area; computer terminals sit wherever space allows; and librarians and volunteers scramble to find adequate shelf space for the towering collection of materials the library houses.

Moreover--and in violation of a cardinal rule of libraries--the facility is loud. The octagonal design and aging walls amplify even the most minute sounds. And as any weekend library patron can attest, the sounds rarely are minute. Securing a quiet reading area on a Saturday at the Cupertino library is like discovering a Silicon Valley business without a dotcom address: possible in theory but not highly likely.

Measure A opponents place the cost of expanding the current library at $12 million. Renovations could be financed by a bond measure, they say, leaving the city's financial reserves virtually in tact.

Supporters, however, say those in favor of expanding and remodeling the library have not calculated the estimated $5 million needed to seismically retrofit the old library building and an additional $1 million for moving the library materials to a temporary home during remodeling. Opponents also have not considered the added costs for rewiring the existing building for efficient computer networking.

When comparing an estimated cost of $17 million for a remodeled facility to an estimated $18 million (minus the $4 million estimate for an underground parking structure) for a new facility, the answer becomes obvious: Sometimes, its best to start over.

An addition to or expansion of the existing library is no more fiscally sound than constructing a new facility. And, as any developer can attest, remodeling projects are notorious for the appearance of "hidden costs."

A remodel of the existing facility in itself would require a "ground-up" approach. The design of the current building is inadequate for the functions demanded of it. To expand a building with an already flawed design is simply foolish. Cupertino residents want a facility they can be proud of, not a ever-expanding, Winchester Mystery House-styled architectural maze.

A yes vote on Measure A will provide the highly literate Cupertino populace with the library it deserves. With the burgeoning economy, the time is right for a new facility.

Even in the Internet age, communities need an efficient, centralized resource of knowledge and information. And, despite its attributes, the Internet is lacking in one major area: human interaction. The Internet can provide information from the farthest reaches of the globe, but it cannot read stories to a child.

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