Comments on: Meridian Library Good For Boise

By: The old guy

The old guy — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 03:01:50 +0000

The library cooperation already in place could well serve as a model for city-county government. If we really want to save the tax-paying public some money and any excessive over-lap of services we could abolish either the county or the city governments and have only one. And, while we’re at it, let’s reduce the number of counties.

Counties were formed a long time ago based on how long it would take a “resonable person” to get to the local seat of government. With modern roads, transportation and electronic communication those distances mean very little today, so let’s dump the outdated and out-moded system and get something more streamlined and cost effective.

By: Treva

Treva — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 04:18:21 +0000

I see that the “Lynx Consortium” seems to have already solved the library shortage, apparently without apparent governmental assistance. If I want a particular book I can check my library in Eagle. If that book is not in stock the folks there will order it for me and advise by email when it has arrived. I can then put a hold on it for a certain number of days until I can check it out. The library will also email me two days before my books are due back to remind me to return them or renew my loan.

Sure beats the old 8th & Washington system !! (Actually I loved that library.) The library folks seem to have a life of their own and are doing well, although I guess that more physical buildings are needed from time to time and have to be paid for through taxes. The library system in this country is one of the most wonderful and under appreciated resources we have developed. Tell your local librarian how much you love her/him.

By: osprey

osprey — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 02:07:49 +0000

Ada County already has one too many single purpose government entities, so I propose a swap where we give the cities back their roads and the Ada County Highway District can take over the libraries.

By: Joe Moran

Joe Moran — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 23:33:26 +0000

Pooling the library resources of all the cities and communities in Ada county so that a patron that lives in Boise can use their borrowers card anywhere is a great idea! We don’t need more libraries; we need more cooperation between the bureaucrats in all of Ada county in using already existing libraries to their maximum potential.

Instead, what we have had for too long, is a system where each seperate City in the county wants to establish their own bureaucratic fiefdoms. That winds up costing the taxpayer and depriving them of resources they should be able to use. The same system of multi-use libraries available to all Citizens in the county could,and should, be applied to many other city services to all residents of Ada county… a real tax saving step and a great way to use already existing resources to the max!