Library

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="044785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Speaking Out</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Speaking Out"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Speaking Out"><U><B><IMG SRC="03b0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>   </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>     </B><A HREF="id46.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Offsite Contamination"><U><B><IMG SRC="02f0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Charity Expose"><U><B><IMG SRC="0300e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="045d2b03.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Library</I></div> <div> <B>Dec. 02, 2011</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Hang onto your wallets Severn taxpayers Ron Stevens is stirring</B></div> <div>       Looks like the lucky people of Coldwater/Severn Twnshp. are going to get a taste of a Ron Stevens public spending project. Ron has been very quiet and I had been wondering how long before he was back at what he did so well (Not) for taxpayers of Orillia. You know, projects that always went bad (for taxpayers) as they ended up costing an arm and a leg (taxpayers appendages of course) </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Sept. 29, 2010</B></div> <div> <B> As promised here is a reprint of my findings regarding the operating / benfit costs for the library.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>How Much Does it Cost to Operate the Library????</B></div> <div>      Yesterday I decided to look into the operating cost of the library. I couldn't find any information on the library web-site nor on the  cities'. So I sent an e-mail to the treasurer who sent me off copies of the library budget for 2002 to 2007. I have attached this pdf file for your convenience.  <a href="HTMLobj-1883/Library_Statements.pdf"><u>Library_Statements.pdf</u> </a>  </div> <div> In David Rowe's impassioned appeal It's Time to be Selfish Orillia making his case for spending $26,000,000 for the new library. David furnished us with some statistics which I questioned as to value and have now made my inquiries. Here is what David wrote about statistics.</div> <div> Consider the figures of the last 10 years of library service: </div> <div> * more than 2.6 million books and recordings borrowed </div> <div> * almost 92,000 people attending our programs </div> <div> * nearly 25,000 library users registered </div> <div> * more than 400,000 computer uses counted </div> <div> * more than 300,000 requests for information </div> <div> * nearly two million physical visits to the library. </div> <div> I totaled the statements that Bob Ripley supplied for six years 2001 to 2007 and then projected backward for the first 4 years of the ten David is speaking of for a total operating cost of $12,849,185.</div> <div> So let's take the last item on David's list (nearly 2,000,000 visits). As this represents everyone on the items above this one, it's very easy to see what it costs for each visit. It's easy to see that every time someone walked into the library it cost $6.42. Is that good value for the community??? If you look at the first line of David's list (more than 2.6 million books and recordings borrowed then  cost per item borrowed comes to $$4.94 each. Is that good value??? </div> <div>      I don't know nor do I want to judge. Anytime I have used the library I was grateful for it being there. But should we really be building a <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$26,000,000</B></FONT> facility when other communities double our size are building wonderful facilities for half that. I myself have never felt claustrophobic, crowded or uncomfortable in the present library. I have found the information I was looking for and had excellent help from volunteers and staff. I have visited the library in the morning and afternoon during the week and on weekends. I have never felt that the facility or service was inadequate. But then that just maybe me. </div> <div>      For those who are so passionate and feel that we need a new luxury library I ask you to think about this. If you take an extra <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$13,000,000</B></FONT> plus the additional operating costs it can only be done with putting the community back into huge debt. When all the other users of facilities come to get their wants met, you won't be able to say no we can't afford it. There are people lined up with their hands out and <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>30,000</B></FONT> people simply can't afford to fill all wants without going bankrupt. Anyway if this library is built the present operating costs can only increase. Today we spend <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$1,495,695</B></FONT> per year for operating a 20,000 sq. ft. facility. My research says that new facility operating costs on average increase by a minimum of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>28%</B></FONT>. That will add an additional burden of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$418,794</B></FONT> if we can be average. That will result in total operating cost of <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$1,914,489</B></FONT> annually. That does not include any finance charges and believe me money will have to be borrowed and additional taxes collected. You see it's not just about a building but what it costs to operate year in and year out.</div> <div>      Will people flock by the thousands to the library because it's new?  Will people use the library more. I don't think so.  There will still be all the other activities which stop people from going there now. There will still only be 7 days in a week and 24 hours in a day. Better facilities yes. Building for the sake of someone's ego no. Like with the MURF the library is an ego build not a what we need build. Egos cost big money because, usually those with them aren't paying the bill out of their own pockets. By the time this project is built I guarantee that operating costs will be <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$1,000,000</B></FONT> more per year than now and will be at least <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0033" FACE="Arial" ><B>$2,500,000</B></FONT> annually incresing by at least 5% each year. If use doesn't increase then the cost of each visit to the library will be $12.50. Is that reasonable??? Can we afford it? As I was watching the news tonight, President Elect Obama was saying how he is aware that libraries all over the US were being shut down because of a lack of funds. But in Orillia we go ahead with buying a library twice the price of what we will need for the next 75 years if ever. With the advent of computers and ever more powerful search engines, the day will come when children will be taken to the library not to use it but as a history lesson of what the old days were like. Except for the digital service which will be heavily used, books will still be around but used less and less and more as a novelty. With wireless Internet and portable computers one will be able to sit in their car or in a restaurant and do their research or read a book on line.</div> <div>      Last week I visited my son up in Sudbury. He took me for a tour of Laurentians' library. It was about 6pm on Saturday night and the library was pretty much deserted. As I walked through their computer section I was surprised at how few machines they had, considering there are about 8,000 students. But as my son pointed out, most of the people attending not only have a computer but most have two. One in their quarters and the portable in their backpacks. That is the future, and that is with today's technology. Imagine where we will be ten years from now. Every room, every apartment on campus is wired and the whole campus is wireless for those laptops.  Just a few months ago there was a news item about children 18 years and under which caught my attention. This item said that 100% of 18 year olds and under are on the Internet. The first generation to be 100% computerized has arrived. Next year every one 19 or younger, the following year 20 and under etc. Will there still be a need for libraries in 10 or 20 years? Specialized ones I'm sure. Just log into any library anywhere in the world and you will find digital services available <A HREF="http://orilliapubliclibrary.ca" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://orilliapubliclibrary.ca"><U>http://orilliapubliclibrary.ca</U></A>. Right now it is some what limited, but in 10 to 20 years everything will be on there and available at the touch of a button no matter where you are. </div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>I Thought a Heritage Library Couldn't be Built?</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="6abbefe0.png" border=0 width="446" height="254" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="6ada3fd0.png" border=0 width="419" height="253" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div>      In the past couple of years we have been told that a heritage library couldn't be built. Well at least not built by the mayor's, city management's and the 7 councillors who voted to proceed with this monstrosity favourite architects. To these people this looks like a good fit with the hundred year old Opera House. To these people this is what heritage represents.  For the sum of <B>$26,000,000</B> we will get this. We were told that period architecture was way more expensive than a fish tank and if we didn't like it, too bad. It looks stupid and takes away more benefit than it ads.</div> <div>      Anyway along comes another town in Simcoe County who not only managed to build a heritage building but actually is building it for a cost of $7.8 million dollars. Now the building is smaller than our Fish Tank by 28% that is true. But then the price is also smaller by not half but by more than 66%. Imagine that. Not only do we find that a heritage looking building can be built with today's technology, but it can be built for less money. Let's have a look at what Collingwood is getting for their .33 cents for which we pay a dollar?</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="6b18ba70.jpg" border=0 width="395" height="423" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Now let's have a look at some other pretty pictures from downtown Collingwood showing off their heritage town center.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="6b067520.jpg" border=0 width="615" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Well I'll be. Just a short hour drive away here is a community located by the water,big time tourist destination and they were able to put their project together without much trouble. Now why do you suppose these people can do it and we can't? Could it be because those in power actually listened to the people? Could it be there is less or no skullduggery by town fathers compared to ours? Folks something is different about Orillia as my research has shown. Collingwood isn't the only community that has been able to achieve a library and for much less than ours. Back in 2008 I wrote about this very subject long before the final decision was made. There was lots of time for councillors to have done their due diligence. But did they? Nope. Full steam ahead and damn the torpedo's. Here is what I wrote back in Nov. 2008. Seems Collingwood listened while our squanderers simply took violin lessons for when Orillia starts burning financially.</div> <div> jim tolnai</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>