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EDITORIAL: Libraries are community hubs

Our articles about the City of Airdrie's new library and multi-use facility project always seem to elicit the same type of comments on our Facebook page.
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Our articles about the City of Airdrie's new library and multi-use facility project always seem to elicit the same type of comments on our Facebook page.

Some readers call the $65 million project a waste of money, arguing there's no reason to even have libraries anymore since "everything is online." Others point out Airdrie doesn't need a new library, but rather, a hospital. 

We'd like to offer a response to these kinds of comments. 

First of all, our newsroom absolutely agrees that Airdrie needs a hospital. It's the number-one thing lacking from the city at the moment. But a hospital does not fall under the municipal government's jurisdiction. That's up to the provincial government. All the City (and Airdrie's City councillors) can do from their end is advocate  for this much-needed infrastructure to the Alberta government. A library, rather, falls under municipal control. 

Secondly, we disagree with the argument that libraries are no longer necessary because "everything is online." Libraries are community hubs that provide crucial programming and services, often subsidized at no cost to users. 

Libraries are way more than just buildings that house books. For low-income individuals, libraries may be the only place they can access free internet or printing services, receive help crafting a cover letter/resume, or tutoring services. Check out the submitted 'Library Link' articles posted every Saturday morning AirdrieToday.com to see everything Airdrie's library provides.

And Airdrie very much needs a bigger library. The current facility is one of the most utilized branches in the entire Marigold System, and is woefully under-sized for a city of more than 70,000 people. Airdrie's current library is what you'd expect to see in a community the size of Didsbury or Coaldale, not Alberta's fifth most populous municipality. 

Lastly, we'd like to point out that, yes, Airdrie's library/multi-use facility project has ballooned in cost since it was first initiated. But the project is an important one for the City, as it'll be a catalyst for the revitalization of Airdrie's downtown in the coming decades. 

 


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