Quote:
Originally Posted by skSK
Big central library is an outdated idea
by Al Maghnieh, The StarPhoenix January 12, 2012 11:15 AM
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by JON KALISH December 10, 2011
I think these considerations need to be made by the Library as it looks at expanding into a new facility. We have a well-used system here in Saskatoon and by incorporating elements such as those mentioned in these articles, we can make even greater investments in the creative capital of our city.
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I agree that it is useful to consider ideas like this, but my fear is that governments at all levels are eager to cut costs at present, and if they can find a way to do so and call it innovation, they are very excited to do so. The "innovative" plan usually gets watttered down during implementation to the point that it essentially equates to a service cut. Case in point, the move to help the mentally ill integrate into society by closing psychiatric hospitals and increasing community mental health funding in the 1970s. The closures happened very quickly, but the ommunity mental health part has never materialized. In the purported interest of providing more modern, eficient and humane mental health services, we essentially reduced mental health services to the point they are now in crisis and we are spending billions on a national study to determine what is wrong. What went wrong is that we thought we could get something for nothing. It will be all to easy to do this with library services ie. cut existing services with the promise of high tech small community branches which will never materialize.
At another level, while libraries, like City Halls, schools, and hospitals, serve a practical purpose, they are also to a large extent symbolic, providing a statement of values (i.e. books/learning are important to us) and inspiration. Trying to be too pragmatic about symbols (i.e. in the case of libraries, focussing soley on their function as collectors and distributers of information) rarely provides a satisfactory outcome, yeilding neither inspiration nor efficiency. Money spent on defining ourselves, even if not practical is not wasted. Otherwise, why do we spend so much money on things like individualized clothes and cars when we could all wear blue coveralls and drive beige sedans much more cheaply.
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As for spelling it was a mistake, I apologize it annoyed you so much you had to take the time to comment about it, but it was an honest mistake. Lastly to defend my statement from a global perspective Midtown is dated. Last time I stepped in there was December. Saskatoon isn't a small town anymore, it is globally connected with people from all corners of the Earth coming to it. Potash and science can only do so much for people, if there is no art, culture, architecture to match or surpass what people have previously experienced people will just make Saskatoon a temporary stop. This is not only my opinion but the opinion of many others, atleast that's what I've been finding in my research on how people actually use space. I don't want to argue but really there isn't anything visually amazing at Midtown that makes me want to just stand and spend time there. Chinook has the time capsule, Eaton Centre has the new UVA art installation and many other malls have visually stimulating elements beyond the colour of the paint, fabric and tiles.
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