In 2004 Iowa City expanded its 47,000 square foot library to 81,276 square feet, not 100,000 as stated by the Ames Tribune in its Sept. 20, 2009 editorial, “Library site comes with a caveat”.

Last week the Ames Library Board of Trustees voted to move from Ames’ 48,000 square foot library and build a new 94,000 square foot library, 15 percent larger than Iowa City’s.

The service population of the Iowa City Public Library is about 84,000 people while that of the Ames Public Library is close to 67,000 people, 20 percent smaller than Iowa City’s.

The Iowa City Public Library circulated 1.53 million items in FY2009 while the Ames Public Library circulated 1.39 million, 9 percent fewer.

Why — when the service population of Ames Public Library is 20 percent smaller than Iowa City’s and its circulation 9 percent less — does Ames need a public library that is 15 percent larger than Iowa City’s?

Unfortunately, the general public was not involved in the discussions of library space needs. Those discussions were held in 2007, before the public forums began.

Holly Fuchs

ISU Alum