Keep the Moses Lake library relevant

Photos and old news clippings on the Moses Lake Public Library Foundation's website show how important the facility is to the community.

The library serves as a gathering spot for readers and provides activities and reading programs for children.

Reading groups and students completing homework assignments benefit from the library. Books and other resources open a whole new world for children and adults alike. For adults, reading is great way to stay mentally alert and continue lifelong learning.

Reading helps growing kids develop their memory, pronunciation and comprehension skills, and expands their knowledge base on a range of topics.

The library means a lot to youth, especially in the summer when they have more time on their hands. In turn, a popular summer reading program is offered to encourage reading.

Many of us can remember the delight of tracking the number of books we read during the summer reading program, which keeps kids reading and sharpening their skills during non-school months.

The library also offers a computer lab for its card-carrying members. It is safe to say some people even taught themselves how to use a computer at the library, judging from the news headline "Teach yourself how to use a computer at the library."

A public library helps people of many income levels access books, computers, newspapers, magazines and journals. For job seekers, libraries offer print and online resources to glean tips and leads from and learn more about the businesses in our area. These free resources are valuable, considering finances are likely tight for the unemployed.

Families with children benefit from the library, as it provides a wide variety of books for young readers.

"There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the free public library, this republic of letters, which neither rank, office, nor wealth receive the slightest consideration," said philanthropist Andrew Carnagie.  

But the Moses Lake library needs your help to stay relevant in the community. The facility was built more about 40 years ago, when Moses Lake had only 8,000 residents. At the time, the library was just what the community needed in terms of size and offerings.

Today the town's population has increased to 22,000 residents. It means both the needs and size of the library and the community have grown significantly. With the population growth, bilingual resources are in demand for Moses Lake's growing Russian and Latino populations.

More children's reading activities were added over the years, resulting in a higher demand for space in the library's main level. This area is also where patrons read, use computers, check out books and study.

Other needs include restrooms for families and disabled people and a glass walled space for children's programs.

There is also a strain on the building's capacity, according to story about the library in Monday's Columbia Basin Herald.

The foundation figures between $7 million and $9 million is needed to expand and upgrade the library.

The organization's first major fundraiser "Book a night with the library" is set for 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, at the Moses Lake Civic Center.  Wine sampling and dancing are featured.

For more information, visit www.mlplf.org. Tickets can be bought at Andrew's Hallmark Shop, at 102 W. Third Ave., or Art Garden, at 104 W. Third Ave., in Moses Lake.

We encourage you to attend and support the foundation's efforts. We believe it is important to support the library for users today and in the future.

Staying current with the public's needs means the library remains relevant to the people it was built for.

- Editorial board