The key element in any discussion about any public library contemplating changes should be, “What makes a public library the best it can be, not only for the few, but for each and every library user (and even non-users), regardless of age, education, physical limitations, interests, socio-economic status?”

Today’s “Best Practices” libraries, national and state, but more important Knox, Waldo and Lincoln County libraries, dive into the concept of “Lifelong Learning Centers,” recognizing the need to change “how we do libraries” to accommodate the fluent changes in the way information is gathered/disseminated.

Library services are expanded daily to address the demands of ever-morphing societal and economic changes of a dynamic population with a wide array of diverse, changing life needs that cannot be met from other public service or traditional domains. In any given week, if you pick up any local paper, you’ll find each of the libraries in our three-county area offering an incredible array of services and programs to meet these needs. 

Sadly, lost in the rhetoric from the opposition to a new Rockport Library is any consideration about “What is a 2014 Library?” In that light, the opposition totally ignored, in fact refuted/rejected, any input from Rockport’s professional library staff, past and present. This, despite overwhelming evidence of the revolutionary changes in libraries and library services now needed and sought by a diverse populace. In addition, all the well-documented results from years of research/study by our professional library staff was rejected, dismissed as trivial and wrong, and even worse, maligned as “contrived, falsified, etc.” 

But at least the opposition to a new library is consistent in assuming they alone know how to achieve the best possible library for all Rockport residents. In addition to dismissing input from professional library staff, they also dismissed/rejected the well-documented studies, reports, recommendations complied over the past many years by town officials including numerous town managers, elected select boards, elected library committees, representatives from almost every town department and numerous town committees.

And, not to leave anyone out, the opposition dismissed/rejected work/studies done over the years by ordinary citizen volunteer committees representing the wide demographics of Rockport. Not done yet, also dismissed/rejected were years of studies/reports compiled by independent engineers, geologists, architects, builders, library designers, environmental experts, ADA/OSHA experts, Maine/American Library Association consultants, and so many other experts.  

My hope is that Rockport voters will trust the years of work and study done by their friends and neighbors, town officials and so many other professionals and will vote “yes” on Articles 8 and 9 for a new library for Rockport.

Stephanie (Stevie) Kumble lives in Rockport