Public Libraries
I'm mainly an advocate for branch libraries; however, some in the community have said that now is not the time for such branches because the city isn't large enough. I respectfully disagree and I think our city should be shooting for a higher standard. Because of the "economically challenging times" it would be difficult to do now, but it should be the city's long-term goal to have branches. We should begin exploring the option of a library on the waterfront.
Libraries are not just a means for distributing books. They nurture community as well our minds. They serve as places for people to meet, to socialize, and to hold events and gatherings; they help to bind us together as a community and to give us a collective identity. Building community is one of the top priorities of the people of Bellingham, and it should be a top priority of the City as well.
It is for this reason that I am a strong advocate of more branch libraries for Bellingham. Bellingham has outgrown its existing library facilities, and for that we ought to be proud. An enlarged and improved main library cannot be the full solution, however. Ironically, an enlarged main library may not strengthen our community, but erode it. One main library, twice its current size, virtually guarantees that every trip to the library will be a cross-town car ride. This is exactly the opposite of the neighborhood-centered vision that Bellingham has for itself.