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Viewpoints

Library
By Larry Jackson

 

August 23, 2010
Monday

My head is spinning from the library controversy.  Ketchikan has fell into the bi-polar psychosis talking past each other like a bad family argument. So I don't believe my letter will sway anyone, but I would like to  add a couple of things and I hope they don't add to others "righteous" rage. 

First off, I will use the library wherever it is built and be grateful we have such a wonderful staff and facility.  I do wonder if, as in many choices, we aren't under achieving. Being the practical and responsible citizens we all are, we don't want some big fancy overpriced public boon doggle, so we demurely listen to consultants who size the library for a future population and on an on.  I think we have the option to show ourselves and the close to 1 million visitors a year that we can build a library that is unforgettable. Let's show off some stunning architecture with a broad sweeping view of the harbor and put knowledge and a obviously important structure front and center in our city.  Let's not put our light under a bushel, and our library and staff are a candle in the misty darkness of this rain forest.   Let's build the antithesis of the state building ( a god awful cold war era architecture that I shudder to look at).  Yes and let's spend some money on it! 

I envision a large glass wall like the new Seattle airport, just imagine!  And think of 5 or 6 large spruce trees that hold a reading room up off the floor like a tree fort!  As a child you would beg to go to the library just to go to the reading room!   A swinging bridge to the play ground!  A vehicular, similar to Cape Fox, shaped like a old ore cart, canoe, plane, flower....?  Let's have some fun with this project. 

So that said, I'm sure the anti government people are groaning at the dollars signs so I will leave this with one final thought for the folks so vehemently opposed to leaving the library downtown, where was your proposition against Grant Street when it was selected so many years ago?  If you were for it then, could you still possibly be for it now?

With much affection... and stuff the parking!

Larry Jackson
Ketchikan, AK

 

Received August , 2010 - Published August 23, 2010

 

 

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