NEW LIBRARY RECEIVES SUPORT AT TOWN MEETING
Questionnaires completed at the conclusion of last week’s community meeting organized by the Public Life Foundation indicate overwhelming support to build a new Daviess County Public Library among those who participated.
Approximately 50 citizens attended the program on July 8th at Kentucky Wesleyan College. Forty-three participants completed questionnaires following a power point summary prepared and presented by the foundation and hour-long small group discussions that occurred subsequently.
The questionnaire results were as follows:
The Daviess County Public Library is a vital institution: 88 percent strongly agree; 12 percent agree.
The public library reflects the importance our community places on education: 79 percent strongly agree; 21 percent agree.
The public library is adequate as it is: 51 percent disagree; 35 percent strongly disagree; 12 percent neutral; 2 percent strongly agree.
The public library expansion is needed and justified: 67 percent strongly agree; 29 percent agree; 5 percent neutral.
Visibility is important for the library. A Frederica Street location would be an ideal one: 58 percent strongly agree; 40 percent agree; 2 percent neutral.
Inadequate parking has been a problem at the library: 67 percent strongly agree; 23 percent agree; 8 percent neutral; 3 percent strongly disagree.
The public library should renovate or expand at its current location: 43 percent strongly disagree; 16 percent disagree; 10 percent neutral; 5 percent strongly disagree; 3 percent agree.
The public library should build one or more branches instead of expanding at a new location: 63 percent strongly disagree; 28 percent disagree; 7 percent neutral; 2 percent agree.
Library priorities should be on electronic information rather than collections: 46 percent disagree; 23 percent strongly disagree; 21 percent neutral; 5 percent agree; 5 percent strongly agree.
People who use the library should pay an extra fee to use it: 65 strongly disagree; 19 percent disagree; 14 percent neutral; 2 percent agree.
Supporters of a new library should be expected to raise private funds to cover a significant portion of the facility expansion plans: 53 percent strongly disagree; 19 percent disagree; 16 percent neutral; 4 percent agree; 7 percent strongly agree.
I support the 1.5 percent tax increase proposed by the public library trustees: 65 percent strongly agree; 33 percent agree; 2 percent neutral.
Sixty-three percent of the questionnaires were completed by women; 37 percent by men. Ninety percent have a college degree; five percent have some college education; 5 percent have a high school diploma. Fifty-five percent were between the ages of 45-64; 24 percent were 65 or older; 17 percent were between the ages of 30-44; 5 percent were between the ages of 18-29.
“Clearly this was not a scientific sample, but it was a good faith effort to reach out and involve a healthy cross-section of our community. All were invited and welcomed. All had an opportunity to see the facts, options, pros and cons independently and objectively presented. The voices of all were valued. And when the participants were asked to come to judgment on the library proposal, it was an informed judgment,” said Rodney Berry, president of the Public Life Foundation.
“Whenever possible, whenever our community is faced with an important decision or choice, we would be well-served to engage in this kind of exercise. It is a community building experience rather than a divisive one,” he said.
For more information, contact Rodney Berry at 685-2652 or rodney.berry@plfo.org.