The Renton Library is iconic, something to be admired, but it is not “anachronistic” because of its location. It is located in a community center area: Liberty Park/play park, ballfields, tennis courts, a Skate Board Park, on the Cedar River Trail that goes to the Renton Community Center, the swimming pool and beyond.

The published Renton Public Library Master Plan Study 2008-2013 reports that the library is a sound, 22,362-square-foot building built in 1966. It needs updated wiring. On page 53 of this same report the conclusion was to “Remodel and re-design the two existing libraries.”  That conclusion was made based on all the data contained within the report. A 15,000-square-foot building would not begin to offer the space we now have with our current downtown library.

The downtown library is a state-of-the-art library! We have computers for patron use, children, catalog searching, self check-out/check-in. How much more state-of-the-art do you want?  All this along with great stacks for browsing, reading areas and so much more.

A KCLS Board of Trustees member told me at the March 29 board meeting that moving the downtown library was not the idea of KCLS and that KCLS will not be financially involved. This tells us that the City Council has arbitrarily chosen another plan from the one stated in the published Master Plan Study.

The shooting incident at the Metro Transit Center this week-end confirms the risk factor involved in that area.

Phyllis Forister

Renton