For more information, visit www.wnc.us/bold.

Jackson County commissioners acquiesced to public opinion last week, deciding to hold a referendum on the location and cost of a new library. The issue has been a hot topic for almost a year, as opponents of a county plan to build a joint-use library with Southwestern Community College butted heads with Jackson County library staff.

Now members of the Build Our Library Downtown (BOLD) group are “cautiously very pleased” about the decision, but realize that while they might have won the battle, the war is far from over.

During the commissioners’ Jan. 13 meeting Jay Coward, a local attorney, beseeched commissioners on behalf of the BOLD organization to step back and re-examine the issue.

“Nothing this significant has been proposed in this county since the courthouse was moved from Webster to Sylva,” Coward said.

The joint library would cost $2 to $3 million less than a new library built closer to downtown, according to Jackson County librarian Michael Cartwright, because Southwestern Community College was going to help pay for the joint library. However, those cost savings have not deterred groups such as BOLD from speaking out against the project. Critics have said that not having a library in downtown Sylva would detract from the sense of community and could harm Main Street merchants.

It was in response to these comments that Buchanan said he was unable to support the joint facility’s $2 million cost.

“That is substantially more than I can support in terms of being such a great deal that you couldn’t pass it up,” Buchanan said.

As a remedy, Buchanan suggested that the matter be put on the ballot in the November 2004 general election. The referendum would be worded to give voters the choice between building a 30,000-square-foot joint-use facility with SCC for $2 million or building a 20,000 square feet facility in downtown for a cost that has yet to be determined. In addition to having no architectural plans for a downtown library, the county also does not own any land suitable for such a facility. Purchasing a tract would be the first order of business.

Buchanan recommended appointing a committee of himself, commissioner Roberta Crawford, county manager Ken Westmoreland, Sylva Mayor Brenda Oliver, another town board representative and town manager Richard McHargue to locate a site. The committee would be open to public input.

“We’re going to be taking all the leads that can be provided,” Buchanan said.

Commissioners unanimously approved Buchanan’s motion, minus the vote of commissioner Eddie Madden who was absent from the meeting.

Reference Point

Following the commissioners’ decision, those on both sides of the issue expressed tentative satisfaction with the outcome.

“I think in general it’s a much better direction than where we were heading before,” said BOLD President Joyce Moore.

For Jackson County librarian Michael Cartwright, a popular vote is the right way to go for two reasons. One, the economic concerns of local merchants must be addressed and two, having a group of elected officials head up the site selection committee removes biases.

But referendum or no referendum, Cartwright said that what the matter really comes down to is trying to define the library’s purpose.

“I just think we’re at odds at what the mission of the library should be,” he said.

Often the library — a downtown fixture for 34 years — is thought of as nothing more than a hangout for women and children.

“Part of the problem is that there’s a great perception that people see this as the place that people go to get recreational reading materials and that women and children go,” Cartwright said. “I am glad we provide those services, but I also realize, as a professional librarian, that what we could do for the general public goes way beyond that.”

Always a champion of the joint venture project, Cartwright said that he wanted to see the best possible library that the county can build, as soon as possible. If that required moving the library out of downtown, so be it.

And as to what would happen to local businesses if the library left: “Nothing,” Cartwright said.

Shop talk

Ronnie Dennis, former owner of Hollifield’s Jewelers, agrees with Cartwright to a certain extent. If the library left downtown, its absence would have some effect on business, but no one would be in danger of being forced to close shop.

“Business will stay here,” Dennis said.

The most noticeable effect would not be in the pocketbook, rather in the sense of community that the library helps facilitate. Even though a new facility could improve the quality and quantity of library services, the inconvenience would not be worth it, Dennis said.

“The library needs to stay right where it is,” he said.

Blackrock Outdoor Company sales associate Emily Fulbright also said that while she wouldn’t go to either a joint facility on Southwestern Community College’s campus or a new downtown facility, the library should stay put.

“It would be better for the downtown area,” said Fulbright, who graduated from Western Carolina University with a degree in communications and marketing. Whenever Fulbright requires library services she said that she simply returns to her alma mater to make use of the facilities there.

Across the street at In Your Ear, the opinions diverge, as recently relocated retailer Chris Weiche said that being a fan of modernization he’s in favor of anything bigger and better.

“I wouldn’t see how it would hurt, if the city’s got the funding, to build a new modern library,” Weiche said.

Weiche didn’t have a preference about where the new facility was built, but said that he didn’t even know that there was a library located downtown. Having lived in the area for only a few months and with plans to go to Western and major in mechanical engineering, the future student had not required library services. If he did, he said he would most likely just visit campus.

However, fellow In Your Ear employee Isaac Deal confessed to being a library aficionado, using the downtown library, SCC library and Western’s library for pleasure reading, Internet services and self-education since he moved here five years ago. Although he would like to see a library remain downtown for the “historical romanticism,” he said he would be willing to drive to SCC if the downtown facility was removed.

“I’ve gotta have a library,” Deal said.

What’s next?

While the county commissioners have decided that they want the people to make the choice as to where their library is located, the state must first decide approve the referendum.

The commissioners have sent a letter to the state inquiring about the referendum, its wording and legality, Buchanan said. Commissioners will hear back from the state within 90 days, and expect the referendum to be approved. The county successfully has held two prior referendums, one relating to the county manager’s position and one relating to staggered terms. This referendum, like the two before it, will be non-binding, meaning that commissioners do not have to act in accordance with its results.

“It is non-binding, but we can use that to gauge what direction we go,” Buchanan said.

Whichever way the cookie crumbles, Southwestern Community College will wind up with a new library, even if it’s just for its own students and somewhere, somehow, Jackson County will wind up with a new library.

Members of BOLD and proponents of the joint venture plan to continue their respective campaigns.

“I am absolutely sure that we will be involved in some way,” Moore said of the site location and planning process.

Meanwhile, Cartwright is working on plans to market library services, informing the public of what the library can do now and what it could do in the future if a joint facility was selected.

But the topic, which has proven near and dear to so many hearts, in the end will most likely come down to a matter of money.

“I do feel that if the dollar amounts were absolutely equal, there would be no question as to what the people would choose,” Moore said.