Monday, June 30, 2008

John Szabo - Public Library System Director

Less than a month ago, the leadership of the Fulton County Commission voted to amend it's Library Master Plan. So that now, instead of providing funding for the expected cost of repairs and general maintenance of the existing infrastructure, they want to instead build a very expensive new Central Branch...and abandon the existing Central Branch all together. This has all come about in a very short period of time.

Yet now that it public knowledge that the future of the Central Branch is in question. We need to know what the Director of the Library System believes to be in the best interest of the public.
After all, this is a public institution. So the publics' voice should be heard. This can't just be a hurried and hushed, a one sided debate? Thus, where does the Director of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System stand on all this?

Well? Click here to read his opinion...

...an opinion that was published just a few days ago in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. It's a glowing, well-penned piece that highlights out all the pros and omits many of the cons. Nonetheless, I admire and respect Mr. Szabo for having the courage to be so forthright in his desires. Yet, one still has to wonder if he fully comprehends all sides of the issues. Like, what about the costs, costs that just might sink the entire plan? And again, why build something we don't really need. And too, why are we in such a rush? Don't we need more than a month to decide on something this big and important? Mr Szabo, on an issue that has become one of the library system's most important issues of all times, now more than ever, we really need your guidance.