Time is now for library expansion

A town can be judged by many criteria, the most important being the safety and security of its citizens. Here in St. Charles our police and fire departments, our city officials, and our city maintenance teams pretty much take care of that first important criterion. Next, an excellent educational system is key and we certainly enjoy that. Finally, we can speak of the need for available leisure activities.

Here in St. Charles we have it all a wonderful park district, multiple venues for dining and other entertainment and, finally, a good library. The St. Charles Public Library.

We do have a good library; anyone who has visited and used its facilities would agree. It is not, however, anywhere near as good as it could be and, more importantly, will no longer be adequate to meet need the needs of our population.

Is money tight right now? Of course it is. But consider the pros of passing a referendum in this economy. First, interest rates are at historic lows. Second, labor and construction costs are down. Third, the rate increase is such a small amount per household approximately $2.24 per month per $100,000 of assessed evaluation for such a huge value returned.

Personally, I find the library gives me the biggest bang for my buck. I tend to have no fewer than five books checked out at any given time.

I urge all of you to join me this November in support of the referendum that will keep our library and its resources moving into this millennium and meeting the needs of all its citizens.

Kathleen Brens

Retired District 303 teacher

St. Charles