They'll build it, but will you be there?

"If you build it, they will come."

That, of course, was the catch phrase from 1989's "Field of Dreams," starring Kevin Costner. It was spoken by a disembodied voice encouraging an Iowa corn farmer to plow over his crops and build a baseball diamond.

In the movie, Costner does it, the voice is right, and we all get to watch Shoeless Joe Jackson and the 1919 Chicago "Black Sox" play ball.

Since the movie, the phrase has been used by people everywhere who dare to dream big. Kooks and visionaries alike.

It's a great way to say, "I know I'm a starry-eyed dreamer, but trust me, this is going to work out."

In recent months it was co-opted by Cape Girardeau Public Library director Betty Martin making her pitch for an $8.9 million library expansion project.

She hoped to convince people that though the library had just north of 18,000 borrowers in 2005 (hardly a whopping total compared to libraries in similarly sized towns), a newer, "destination library" would bring folks back to the world of books and microfiche.

And it worked, people agreed. The tax passed 1,249 to 1,130.

So this morning the question is, "Will they really come?"

The "destination library" is sure to have some slick features to draw out those who think books are annoying and obsolete.

Scads of computers, a drive-up window, a colorful children's area, ample public meeting space and a coffee bar will all give users a lot to do other than read. Cape Girardeau is definitely amping up the coolness quotient of its library, but will it be enough?

When the doors first open there will be a rush of people to check it out. They'll "ooh" and "ahh" at the design, they'll sip lattes and they'll browse the books displayed cover-out, Barnes & Noble-style.

But being cool and slick is not good enough for the library long term. People are too finicky, too rushed, too glued to the TV.

So in conjunction with Martin's slogan, I'd like to propose my own designed to spur library usership: You paid for it, you might as well use it.

This is a slightly different but very American way to look at things. Maybe more than any other country on Earth, we love to get our money's worth.

And with the library tax we can. We've just got to use the new facility.

On average the Cape Girardeau homeowner will pay $71 to fund the library annually during the next 20 years. So whether you voted for it or not (and 94 percent of you did not vote or voted no), you're still on the hook.

You might as well try to make it worth your while. Spend some time among the bookworms; you just might like it.

A recent study by Dr. Bruce Domazlicky of Southeast Missouri State University found the library gives more than $3 in benefits for every dollar in cost. That means if the community pumps $9 million into the building they should expect to get more than $27 million in benefits. That's money saved on book purchases, magazine subscriptions, audio books and DVDs.

If you're in the district, you have no choice but to spend the money now. What you've got to ask yourself now is, "Why not be one of the people using it?"

TJ Greaney is a staff reporter for the Southeast Missourian.