In its editorial today, the Coeur d'Alene Press enthusiastically supports a $5 million request, spread over two years, to upgrade 7 area libraries and the Bookmobile:

We can tell you something important about anyone who says nobody uses our public libraries anymore: They haven’t been in one lately. In 2015, 185,078 Community Library Network members came through the doors in Post Falls, Hayden, Rathdrum, Athol, Spirit Lake, Pinehurst and Harrison. That figure doesn’t count patrons of the Coeur d’Alene library, which shares books with the Network but is not financially supported the same way. The truth is, our public libraries are popular. On our many visits to various branches, we have seen that they are particularly popular with the young and the old — two vital but often neglected populations.

As we call on voters to support the Network’s $5 million levy request, which will appear on the May 17 ballot, we respectfully offer an assignment before going to vote. Go to the library closest to you and see for yourself what it has, what it’s missing, and maybe most of all, how dear it is to its patrons. We believe voters will quickly see the value. More here.

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