What's New at the Library

Ground Breaking for New Building

Mar 24th, 2005

Ground Breaking: Liz Malloy, Kathy Taft, Jack Lingafelter, Amber Keernan, Linda Haines, Ted Hiley, Mark Pumphrey and Carole Bartol

Comments by Library Director, Mark Pumphrey:

Thank you all for coming out today to help us launch a new day in public library service for the citizens of Polk County. This main library building will serve the entire county and every resident of the county. It will accommodate comfortably far more library users and provide space for considerably more resources in a variety of formats than we’ve ever had before, including the latest computer technology.

Today we also celebrate the value of the library as a gathering place for the community and the myriad roles fulfilled by the library as place. The library is the hub of the community in ways that resonate far beyond the provision of information. The library is also a cultural center, a forum for democratic debate, an after school meeting center, an engine for economic development, a reflection of the quality of life of our community, a welcoming environment for new residents and a sanctuary of equal opportunity for everyone living in Polk County.

I am passionate about the public library as an institution, because for me, it is a symbol of freedom and equality. Freedom to read and view. Freedom of thought. Freedom of expression. Free and equal access to information and opportunities for learning. As our new slogan at the library says, there are “limitless possibilities @ your library.”

And if you are a resident of Polk County, it is your library. What we will have at the end of this building project is a library that we can all be proud of. There’s a song that sums up how we all can feel today, and it goes like this: “something is stirring, shifting ground … it's just begun. Edges are blurring all around. And yesterday is done. It's our time, breathe it in. Worlds to change and worlds to win. It’s our turn coming through. Our dream coming true.”

On behalf of the library staff and volunteers, I want to thank everyone who has worked on the community fundraising campaign, especially the leadership of the Friends of the Polk County Library. I’d also like to thank the county government leaders, the Library Development Committee and the library board members who have supported the project over the past ten years. I’d like to thank the many individuals, foundations, and groups who have provided generous donations for the project. And finally, I’d like to thank our new neighbors, Isothermal Community College and St. Luke’s Hospital, for the donation of this beautiful site.

Thank you.

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