You may have heard that there is a contingent of downtown Rockport residents who oppose building a bigger and better library at the Rockport Elementary School (RES) site. They want to keep the library where it is now. To boost their case, they have hopelessly muddled the facts and have attacked the meticulous, transparent process that led to the RES recommendation.

But the debate has also taken a strange twist lately as opponents of moving the library have adopted an odd argument: that Rockport residents oppose a bigger library at the RES site, but also that those residents should not be able to vote on the issue.

Let’s first clarify the facts:

Rockport’s Library is charming and beloved, but it has a problem: It is cramped. Books are stacked on top of shelves; and for every book that is added to the collection, a book has to be thrown out. The 120 visitors a day — 32,000 people per year — share one bathroom. There is one dedicated library parking spot, and it is set aside for the handicapped. There is no group meeting space, no quiet reading area, no manageable work space for librarians, and no storage area for extra chairs and tables.

During an impartial and extensive listening tour conducted last fall to solicit input about the library, Rockport residents praised their librarians but described the library’s physical space as “cramped,” “jammed up,” and “too small.” The results of the listening tour also showed that Rockport residents want more from their library than simply a place to check out books. People are craving a home for books and technology, a gathering space for meetings and presentations, and an inclusive environment for all ages, including young adults.

Those are some of the reasons an independent steering committee has suggested that a new library be built on the empty RES site just a half-mile around the corner. After reviewing eight possible locations including the present site, the committee unanimously recommended the RES site since it provides space a new building with plenty of accessible parking and the option for expansion as the library continues to grow.

The committee endorsed the move because the current building is so cramped, and there is little room for future growth there. The current library is just over 3,000 square feet, but a recent study shows the library’s collection — 32,000 print volumes and 4,000 non-print items (including audio books, DVDs, music CDs, digital downloads, e-readers, musical instruments, and more) — plus space for staff and patrons is already operating as though it were in a building of 6,566 square feet.

The current site could conceivably hold a facility up to 10,000 square feet if built to the limits of its lot. Even that would require the elimination of the precious little outdoor space there now, and parking would still be an issue. More importantly, what about future growth for the community? Attendance at the library has more than doubled over the past 20 years and that trend is expected to continue.

A new facility adjacent to the ball fields on the RES site could live up to Rockport’s needs and aspirations without losing the comfortable, friendly, cozy Maine-style library that residents love. A new library building could also provide a gateway to the harbor and downtown businesses, plus serve as an anchor for an expanded village. It would preserve the playing fields and green space, so valuable to us all, while providing adequate parking and ease of access of West Street for residents of all Rockport neighborhoods.

The Rockport Select Board will soon decide if Rockport residents will have a chance to vote next fall for or against a library on the RES sites. Opponents are planning to attend the July 14 meeting to argue that the public should not get the chance to vote. Isn’t a vote exactly how Rockport residents should be able to voice their opinion? 

I encourage residents to attend the Select Board meeting to help preserve our ability to vote on this important issue. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 14, in the Opera House. A full public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, August 5, also at 7 at the Opera House. See you there!

Kathleen Meil is chairman of the Rockport Library Committee.