Public asks board for larger library
By Steve Herring
Published in News on July 6, 2016 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Josephine Simmons, 8, stands on her tiptoes to speak into the microphone at the Wayne County Board of Commissioners' meeting Tuesday. She asked them to consider building a new, larger library in the northern part of Wayne County.
Josephine Simmons, 8, had to stand on her tiptoes to reach the podium microphone, while Lydia Walker, 5, had to be held up by her mother, Anna, in order to use it.
But both had the same plea for Wayne County commissioners -- build a new and larger central library in northern Wayne County.
Josephine and Lydia were among a group of more than 20 library supporters, about half of whom were children, who attended Tuesday's Wayne County commissioners meeting. Most of the speakers calling for the new library also were children.
Commissioners even deviated from their established public comment policy to allow library supporters to comment.
Commissioner Ray Mayo, who has voiced support for a new library, told his fellow commissioners that several people had arrived late and had been unaware of the need to sign up in order to speak during the board's public comments section.
However, Chairman Joe Daughtery was hesitant to deviate from the policy.
Shortly after the public comment section had ended though, Mayo made a motion to allow the library supporters to speak with the understanding it was a one-time waiver of the policy and that all comments had to be on the central library.
The motion was unanimously approved.
"Despite what some of us have heard, even from elected officials, the citizens are the ones who make the decisions, not the elected officials," Mayo said. "We cannot make a decision as elected officials and a commission board unless we hear from the public."
During an April planning session County Manager George Wood told the board that progress on a central library has been hampered by Fremont's and Pikeville's inability to agree on a location.
"Hello," Lydia said. "My name is Lydia Walker. I am 5 years old. I just want to read and would like more choices for my level at a new library. I love the summer reading program and would like a bigger space to have it at the library.
"Thank you very much."
Josephine said her sister, Isabella, likes to ready the "Harry Potter" books a lot.
"She has read over a day, a whole 24 hours," she said. "I would like to have a new library because she inspired me. I want a new library because my two older sisters like to read and my mom, Sarah Simmons, loves to read, too.
"I would like a new library so I can start having a habit to read. I would like say I want a new library."
Mrs. Simmons said her family is military and when they moved to the Princeton area had been excited to learn that there was a library in Pikeville -- up until she saw it.
"Seriously? How do people live in a community without a library?" she said.
Most of the speakers said the existing facilities are too cramped and operate on a confusing alternating schedule.
"As a teacher I understand the important role that the library plays in the lives of our children," Ginger Winders said. "The enrichment that a library can provide to their lives is beyond measure. The present set-up that we have now in Fremont and in Pikeville is not conducive to encouraging life-long learning and through the program such as storytime and the summer reading program, which I might add there were about 80 kids there this past Thursday."
Neither facility is large enough to handle the programs that currently have to be held in the Pikeville Community Center, she said.
A new facility would benefit the entire community, provide longer hours of operation and a safer parking lot, Ms. Winders said.
Mrs. Walker of Patetown Road and daughters Lydia, 5, Ava, 10, and Emma, 15, all spoke.
"The library has been a huge part of my family's life," Mrs. Walker said. "We were involved in the Mount Olive library. We love the library for information that we can gain from it. It gives my children help for their schooling. They are homeschooled, and we use the library a lot.
"My children are very avid readers. I think a new library would help our community and be able to promote literacy better to a larger group of people. Our community would benefit from a larger space and a facility that has a steady schedule."
Mrs. Walker said she has seen what such a facility has done for Mount Olive.
"I would like a new library for the following reasons," Ava said. "If we get a new library, we will have more book choices than we have now. I love to read, and there are so many books out there that I have not read, and I am sure I would benefit from reading them.
"I have been to the library in Mount Olive and every time I go, I come home with so many new books that I had never even heard of."
Not only would the new library give residents the chance to have new books, it would also give them a library open all of the time so that hey will be able to check out new books, she said.
Emma, said she, too, would like a new library in northern Wayne County in order to expand the book selection.
"Right now, our book selection reflects the limited space that we have," she said. "If we had a new library we could have the space for so many new and wonderful books. A new larger space would also allow for places to sit and enjoy books -- small reading nooks. We would also have a larger children's area for storytime and other programs. Right now at the Pikeville library which we attend storytime each week, there is a very large number of children, but there is not very much space for storytime.
"Also we could hold summer reading programs at the library. I really enjoy the summer reading programs and I help volunteer with some of the other teenagers. If we could hold the summer reading programs at the library, we wouldn't have to find another venue. In conclusion, I would like a new library because it would enhance or community. It would give so much more space and opportunity to our literature enjoyment."
Oliver Thomas, 10, said he attends storytime and reading club, summer reading program for more than five years at the library.
"My love of reading is encouraged every time I step into the library," he said. "Reading is a gift for which I am so happy to have received. I would ask that you would consider building a new library. It would be a great benefit to me and so many like me. I love learning, and I know that a new library would be an environment in which I would be encouraged not only by the books, but by the opportunities offered there.
Former Goldsboro police officer Lindsay Ham said the library also is used by many older people in the county.
Ham said he is writing a book and the libraries have been an "integral" part of that process, he said.
"But with the hours set up like they are through, with the Fremont library open particular hours and the Pikeville library opened particular hours, it is really not conducive to work."