I had a tour of the Warsaw Community Public Library this week.

It is really quite an impressive facility.

Even more impressive is the fact that it was a true community effort that pulled it together.

Those who have been around awhile will remember that it has been a rocky road for the library over the past several years.

There was a proposal back in 1992 for the library to move to the fairgrounds.

But the local Taxpayers Action Network petitioned against it. They thought the price tag was too high.

The TAN group won. They were successful in the remonstrance against the library's fairgrounds building plan.

The debate caused a bit of a rift in the community. There were those who thought the library should move out of the aging Carnegie building.

Others thought the library should stay downtown and renovate the existing facility.

In the end, the stay-downtown crowd won and the library is here to stay.

The controversy was not without a price, however. Anytime you delay a project - whatever the project - the costs go up.

Back when the fairgrounds plan was proposed, the cost was estimated at $3.6 million. The cost of the current project will come in at just around $5.8 million.

(It is interesting to note that the main reason TAN opposed the library project in the first place was because it was too costly.)

But now that the dust is beginning to settle, we can see the new library for the asset to the community that it truly is.

Frankly, I'm glad the library stayed downtown. I think it belongs right where it is.

It is accessible. It is available. And when it is completed and fully operational by the end of summer, it will be state-of-the-art. Features will include a computer lab, public meeting rooms and an expanded children's section.

I was really impressed with the children's section.

Everybody should take their kids to the new library to see it when it opens.

A giant mural graces the walls and there is a big turtle kids climb around on. There is a boat that kids can sit in and read. There's a puppet stage.

It reminded me of my childhood. I remember my mom taking me to the library.

They had a neat children's section, too. I looked forward to those trips.

I think that's what will happen at our local library. If a kid goes in there, he'll get hooked. He'll want to go back.

It's just a cool place to be.

Wouldn't it be great if more kids spent more time in the library instead of the video arcade?

That potential is here now because of the new library. It is a resource that the community should tap into.

After all, the community is paying for it. The community should take advantage.

And really, when you consider the cost to the taxpayer, the library is a pretty good deal.

At 36 cents per hundred of assessed valuation, the rate to fund the new library boils down to less than $10 per month for a taxpayer in an average home.

The library project was funded by more than just tax dollars. Businesses and individuals in the community pitched in with financial support.

The net effect is that Warsaw now has a top-notch library - something the whole community can be proud of.

So give the folks at the library a little time. While the new part of the library is open for business, the old Carnegie part that houses the children's section is not finished quite yet.

Construction is ongoing and will be completed in June. The library will close for a week to get orgainized. Landscaping will take place right after that, with the parking lot being completed in time for a September grand opening.

When the library is complete, make sure you check it out - and be sure to bring the kids or grandkids along with you. [[In-content Ad]]