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the services provided presently are not representative of what the County Commissioners <br />would like to see the citizens have available to them. <br />Rachel Royce is a mother of a three-year old that loves the library. Her son is also bi- <br />lingual (Spanish and English). She said that they were concerned that the county library may <br />be moving because they can walk there. The toddler hour is very important to them to meet <br />other people and to use the library. She said that her son is concerned that the library stays <br />strong. She read a letter on behalf of some concerned citizens as follows: <br />19 October 2004 <br />To the Board of County Commissioners: <br />The matter of relocating the Orange County Central Library out of the county seat in downtown <br />Hillsborough, as has been recently proposed by the Library Task Force, has rightly alarmed <br />many county residents. However, we are not categorically opposed to all plans for county <br />library expansion - or even relocation. <br />Like many of our downtown neighbors and county resident friends, we believe that Orange <br />County's Central Library belongs in the administrative and geographic hub of Orange County - <br />in downtown Hillsborough, the 250 year-old county seat. A library is "the soul of the <br />community" and rightly belongs in the body of the town. The library in Hillsborough has been a <br />centerpiece of the town for decades; relocating it altogether or diminishing it greatly would <br />tarnish the traditional townscape and also erode community vitality. Let us learn from the sad <br />examples of other historic town centers that have suffered the effects of sprawl sapping the life <br />out of them. <br />However, we recognize that the Central Library has expansion needs that may exceed the <br />capacity of the Whitted Center. We are also aware that, should the Whitted Center be <br />upgraded and enlarged for this purpose, it would likely generate significant additional traffic in <br />the historic district. Thus, if the county's Central Library functions are indeed to be moved out <br />of town, we propose the following: <br />John Delconte finished reading the letter from this point. <br />That a full service Neighborhood Library be created to replace the Central Library, and <br />that such a facility include a full complement of books, newspapers, magazines, <br />computer terminals, a community meeting room, and other amenities necessary to <br />serve the county's adults and children in downtown Hillsborough. <br />That an Orange County Heritage Center be established alongside the Neighborhood <br />Library in which documents, maps, photographs, and other items relevant to the history <br />of Hillsborough and Orange County can be brought together under one roof in a <br />centralized, state-of-the-art facility. <br />We believe it is essential that these two facilities be co-located in the current Central Library <br />building. This structure, amuch-loved former school, has occupied a commanding presence in <br />the townscape since 1922. It is the very essence of civic architecture, and one of the <br />landmarks that gives Hillsborough such a powerful sense of place. <br />