I will be surprised if this letter is published in the paper edition of the News-Times. It is more likely to be hidden in the Internet version of the paper. During our 10 years in Oak Harbor, I have made extensive use of the library: two or three times a week. I browse the local collection at the library and the total collection on the Internet. I use the books, DVD’s and music CD’s.

I was amazed when the News-Times strongly supported the new library to be built on a miserable, steep site in Old Town which the owner has unsuccessfully tried to sell for at least 10 years and probably much longer. The new library will cost taxpayers at least twice as much to build on the proposed site than near the Senior Center, where the city already owns the property and where a parking lot already exists.

The only change necessary in the site near the senior center is to move three children’s ball fields — pretty cheap indeed. Hardly a reason to not build a new library there. Or not to create equivalent ball fields elsewhere in the city.

I won’t speculate on the motives of the Library Site Board except to say that they certainly weren’t concerned on doing the best job for the residents of Oak Harbor.

I would note that if the same money were spent for building on the site near the Senior Center, the citizens of Oak Harbor would get a much superior library to that presently proposed.

Consequently, I strongly suggest that the citizens of Oak Harbor defeat the proposed tax increase to build the inferior and very expensive new library on a very poor site in Old Town.

John Q. Adams

Oak Harbor