Voters approved a referendum to fund an upgrade and expansion of the public library. Education is a top priority for Deerfield citizens, and having a well-stocked and staffed library fits into that mindset.
What if the town could buy a ten-year old, purpose-built building to house all the books? Would it be a better deal for the taxpayers?
Real estate agent Rob Rowe is promoting the sale of the local Borders bookstore that shuttered recently. It's more than the fact that the book shelves are already in place, that the cashier's area could easily be retro-fitted into a check-out desk. It's location, location, location.
And cost.
The bond issue will raise $11.7 million. Borders' former site can be had for $8 million.
What if, it's been postulated, the village of Deerfield bought the building and opened a second location, decreasing the need to expand the existing library? The potential facility would sit at a busy intersection, and offer plenty of parking. The current library offers neither.
Legal issues are complicating what might otherwise be an exercise in cost accounting. The bond was issued for renovations, not a new purchase. In addition, the renovation train has already left the station, with construction management teams being put in place.
It's an issue that the local library board may well consider seriously, however. Moving the library to the former Borders location will make the books more accessible, and it's quite possible that library usage would increase because of visibility. And all that parking.
Will it cost more to run two buildings than one larger one? That's something for the board to consider as they mull over Mr. Rowe's proposal.
You can expect the local merchants to applaud the library's relocation. A public library with lots of foot traffic is better than a shuttered, empty big brick box at the heart of a struggling shopping district in the midst of an economic decline.
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