Today’s report in the Journal Star about the 2015 Vision pillars isn’t too surprising. I was one of the anonymous folks who showed up at their meeting, listened to their presentation, and filled out their survey before departing for the evening (which was a frankly somewhat confusing “survey” as Mr. Wilson noted previously). I also ranked completion of the Antelope Valley projects and the Research Corridor highly, and it seemed like a number of people in my small group had similar sentiments, so I am not stunned that they were the most supported pillars among the meetings’ participants.
One wonders, however, why the proposed Arts and Humanities Center received the lowest support. I’m just as much a fan of the arts and humanities as anyone else, but here is one reason why I ranked it low on my survey: I think Lincoln should invest in its main library before building a whole new center devoted to the arts and humanities. I realize that it is unfair to equate an arts and humanities center with a library, and certainly the vision for the former is more expansive than that of a new library. But it seems to me that resources are better spent on improving the main library - which definitely needs to be improved - instead of leaving it as the neglected wreck that it currently is and then pour money into a new arts center. If they are going to push on with the arts and humanities center plan, at the very least I would think they should integrate the two into the same structure.
Can anyone here tell me why the main library here in Lincoln has been neglected for so long? No offense to its employees or the patrons there, but it has the atmosphere of the bar scene from Star Wars: its dark, crowded, and generally not a pleasing place to stay for longer than 30 minutes. Contrast that with Gere or Eisely, which are brightly lit, comfortable places where one can spend an entire weekend afternoon at. I realize there are some legitimate obstacles that impede development of an expanded downtown branch. Parking would be one obvious issue. But isn’t parking a wider downtown issue in general? One can’t help but come to the cynical conclusion that the reason the main branch has been neglected for so long is because it’s a neighborhood with a low income client base. After all, the students use the UNL library, and all the downtown office workers are in and out during the day. I realize that is not a fair and entirely accurate depiction, but it makes one wonder. I hope that as future visions of Lincoln continue to develop, the main library won’t be left behind.
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I have often wondered about the downtown library- Lincoln seems like the type of city that would be all about having a snazzy centerpiece downtown library, yet they don’t. A library could even be combined with a humanities and arts center- it’s been done before in other cities with great success.
Every time I hear people talk about Bennett Martin, they do so with a certain embarrassment. Is that how we want our city to be seen? Many people do look at the library system when they’re looking at places to live - what does Bennett Martin say about our city to prospective new employers and employees?
A little creativity could go a long way here- if the structure is sound, some cosmetic improvements and a little rethinking of space would go a LONG way towards improving Bennett Martin’s image. But it seems like if it’s not a “tear it down and start over” solution, it’s no good. And the tear it down and start over solutions all cost too much to ever get approved, so where does that leave us?
I think it’s reasonable to associate the library system with a new arts and humanities center. I suppose with inter-library loan and all that jazz, you have essentially the same services at Bennett Martin that you do anywhere else. It would be nice to at least give it a little facelift. I don’t think asking for a new coat of paint or carpeting is out of line.
I agree completely. If they are going to do an arts and humanities center, I hope they consider an integrated structure that would have a new main branch, and possibly a place for the Y too. Leaving it as is and then pumping money into a humanities center down the road would be a poor decision.
The first day I walked into Bennett Martin I was shocked at how dismal the atmosphere is there. You are right. It sends a bad message.
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