Agenda - 01-23-2007-9d - Laserfiche WebLink

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3a district. Thus, if the county's Central Li brary functions are indeed to be moved out of town, w e propose the following: John Delconte finished reading the I etter from this point. That a full service Neighborhood Library be created to replace the Central Library, and that such a facility include a full complement of books, newspapers, magazines, computer terminals, a community meeting room, and other amenities necessary to serve the county's adults and children in downtown Hillsborough. That an Orange County Heritage Center be established alongside the Neighborhood Library in which documents, maps, photographs, and other items relevant to the history of Hillsborough and Orange County can be brought together under one roof in a centralized, state-of-the-art facility. We believe it is essential that these two facilities be co-located in the current Central Library building. This structure, a much-loved former school, has occupied a commanding presence in the townscape since 1922. It is the very essence of civic architecture, and one of the landmarks that gives Hillsborough such a powerful sense of pl ace. If the needs of Orange County require tha t the Central Library be relocated to a suburban site, establishing a Neighborhood Library and Heritage Center would both ease the I oss to our community and assure that providing f or Orange County's continued growth does not end up imperiling the town where it all began: Sincerely, Thomas J. Campanella John Delconte Mary Ann Peter . Holly Reid Rachel Royce Cathleen Turner John Delconte said that he came across H illsborough in the late-90's and was immediately attracted to its centrality, cohesiveness, and compactness. He felt that this community was such a jewel that he has worked on several committees and boards to preserve, and if possible, to improve its vitality. For example, he currently serves on an economic development task force to improve the .quality of li fe in the County. One of the priorities is t o work to improve urban vitality by keeping a full functi oning library in the center of the highest population center in the northern par t of the County. He said that the current library is a downtown meeting space that serves as the soul of the County, a centralized full functioning library space; and an urban center where all walk s of life can come together. He said that moving the library to an affluent suburb would result i n a net decrease in services to the people that need it most. Commissioner Gordon asked staff to run cost figures for the recomm endations of the task force and the potential sources of revenue. Commissioner Halkiotis suggested putting this on the upcoming agenda for the discussion of space needs. He agrees with the recommended size of a central library. He said that they have known for a long time that they do not pay as much attention to delivery of library services in Orange County as they should. He also thinks the County should have discussions