Library plans

Armed with information from a consultant's report, officials of the Cape Girardeau Public Library now must consider the best way to expand the library building on Clark Avenue to better serve patrons.

While the consultant offered just about everything anyone could want in a public library, library employees and board members are aware that the cost probably exceeds what the community can afford.

The existing library was built and equipped in 1980 for more than $1 million. The expansion proposed by the consultant would about double the space and cost more than $2 million.

More than anything, the library is cramped. And now that computers are such an integral part of our daily lives, the library needs more space for computer work stations, said the consultant, Bob Smith of Medina, Ohio.

One suggestion made by the consultant that wouldn't cost all that much is for the library to do a better job of publicizing its services and what it has to offer. Libraries these days are much more than book-lending institutions. In addition to computers, libraries now offer other media for distribution such as videos, DVDs and music.

And, thanks to the popularity of bookstores, libraries are offering such amenities as cafes and coffee shops. All of those shifts in emphasis were addressed by the consultant.

It will be interesting to see which of the consultant's ideas are integrated into a final plan that will, no doubt, require voter approval of a funding source. A good plan that meets the expectations of today's library patrons will be important.