As a seventh-generation Midcoast Mainer, a resident of Rockport for 17 years, and someone who walks through the village almost daily, I want to support the best option for a vibrant library to meet the current and future needs of our community and our visitors.

The local contention about the physical location of the library concerns me.  An elected Library Committee and a dedicated steering committee spent months of volunteer time researching every option.  They concluded that the condition of the existing building, as well as ongoing, serious issues with adequate space and parking, mandate new construction.  These issues, as documented by experienced builders and engineers,  include excessive moisture and rot, a failing heating system, issues with the exterior foundation, ledge and drainage, and ADA noncompliance.  

Children, in particular, have been affected by the current restraints on programming, physical space and parking.

A citizens’ group appears to disregard the work of these committees while presenting an agenda based more on sentiment than on factual findings. 

I ask true “friends of Rockport”  to remember that “the library we all love” is not a building or a specific location or even a collection of books. The library I love represents a community which seeks to be informed, connected, accessible to all and open to change.  Please vote YES on 8 and 9.

Marti Stone lives in Rockport.