Deciding the future of Tulsa's Central Library

Tulsa County residents will have a say in the future of Tulsa's Central Library. Do you want a new central library downtown or massive renovations to the current building? <br><br>With the click

Monday, November 10th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa County residents will have a say in the future of Tulsa's Central Library. Do you want a new central library downtown or massive renovations to the current building?

With the click of a mouse, you can decide how you want it to look. News on 6 reporter Patrina Adger takes a look at your choices.

If you ask 6-year-old Kylie Holler what she likes the most about the library. "Um, books and the movies." She visits about once a week. Just as much as 11-year-old Alesha Tindal does. "I like to check out books. I like to read!â€ While her mother Shalonda enjoys all the services the library has to offer, she says the building could definitely be bigger. "Because a lot of people use it - should be bigger- and they should have more computers."

PR manager Shelley Campbell says visitors also want more parking and more books! It's these concerns, which have prompted the library commission to have an online survey for you to determine the library's future.

Folks can log on to www.tulsalibrary.org to find out whether to build a new central library or make renovations to the current building. "With the renovated library we would basically reuse this building, move some of the administration offices out so we can make room for library services, build parking structure because parking is a big problem. And the new building totally new building, totally new place totally new everything."

Campbell says plans to include the improvements in this year's Vision 2025 Plan, fell by the wayside because of timing issues. But after voters approved a one-cent tax increase to fund improvements to various projects, would they be willing to pay more money to fund improvements to central library? Shalonda says she would be more than willing. "I see alot of children here and she's part of the reason that I come. As long as she continues to read, we'll be here."

A new central library would cost about $58-million, compared to $46-million for renovations to the existing building. This is just an opinion poll. You can also go to any of the libraries in Tulsa to voice your opinion.