A short time ago, I read that discussion had begun again about the fate of Medford’s Pinelands Branch of the county library system.
Foolishly, I thought that our council members had realized the importance of this oldest branch of the system, both to our town and to our surrounding neighbors during a previous challenge over utility bills.
What was, many years ago, an abandoned bus station had become, by dint of hard work by volunteers, a small but most valuable addition to the cultural life of our town.
Just as a shopping mall needs an anchor store, so does our business district on Main Street needs a focal point to attract people.
Visit the library any morning and you will see dozens of parents and their children, families from Southampton, Tabernacle, and Shamong, as well as Medford, who have come to take advantage of the programs offered by our branch. And many of these same people stay to shop!
As far as the argument that paying for the upkeep of the building amounts to double taxation, the taxes that are assessed by the county pay for staffing, computers, books, programming, and DVDs, all free to members. And by the way, I suggest our mayor check the accuracy of the numbers he gave for the Library Commission’s (all volunteers) budget and expenditures.
Medford owns the building that the Pinelands Branch is in, and normally, the owner pays for the upkeep of the property, not the tenant.
Marlene Lieber
