I did wonder why they put it so far down on the strip. It seemed kind of located in a no man's land.

If you're going to demand public input on site selection (what's next, a transparent process for contract bids?), what's the point of having a PBA in the first place? PBA was created to allow the City and County governments to operate outside the stifling demands and legal niceties of the public trust.

Would you have these gentlemen renege on their handshake deals? Would you put electrostatic filters in their smoke-filled rooms? A little more respect for the sanctity of our quasi-governmental organizations please.

Putting it in the Five Points area would have made more sense, even if it was by some school libraries. Adults who did not have cars could have used it.

I'm not convinced it's a bad location either, just that the process stinks.

And you're right: at the current level of funding we have no business building new branches and really need to close some. The book budget has been cut from 1.8 million to 400k over over the last 5 years and illiterate rednecks on County Commission (a simple majority) aren't going to vote any more money there soon. Larry's all for trimming back so we can have a few books, but the Count won't allow it.

Its interesting that the Sentinel is reporting on this 4 years after the fact. They have done well as of late on public affairs as far as Knox Co., but that's after years of neglect and just printing press releases, which they seem to still do as far as UT issues and presidential candidates.

what bbeanster just said. Oh. My. What to do? It is truly a first. I need to make sure that never happens again.

Wouldn't that bus ride require a transfer (Five Points to new library)? Unless I don't know the location of Five Points.

Much more fun to ride the bus to downtown, with a destination that includes the library and more.

No good deed goes unpunished. See library selection lawsuit.

Seems to me this is a good location and use of an existing building. The owner is a Ragsdale friend, golfing buddy. Hard to believe his connection was not known. But, that doesn't make it a wrong decision, just one which could have used a bit more transparency.

I'm with Betty on this one. Although Bizgirl is sort of right, if one takes the 90 A/B bus that runs down MLK, theres either a transfer or a hike for the last couple blocks. However, two bus lines do run right by the new branch (as opposed to one down MLK): the 31 line on Magnolia and 33, which runs down Bethel, Ben Hur and Wilson in the five points area - actually the more residential parts as opposed to #90's run down MLK. 33 also services the KCDC developments at McCalla and Harriet Tubman better than 90A/B.

#31, since it's a main line route, also runs more frequently and with longer hours (how late are the branch libraries open, anyway?)

I've never ridden #90, but based on my own experience on the #30 Washington Ave. bus, Five Points is probably less than ten minutes from Lawson McGhee via 90 A/B (the route's more direct since #30 detours up the hill with stops in Townview).

I'm also stunned...stunned...to see that Zimbabwe was the spokesman for the Five Points Village Library Committee...

that a joke? "Cynthia Finch Conference Room" Obviously, I haven't visited this branch since I attended the ribbon cutting. That day I did not notice the name on the Conference Room. However, the ribbon cutting was during the election and we had a Presser with Senate candidate Corker and Senator Alexander at Holston Middle within an hour of the ribbon cuttting, so I was not able to stay long.

As a kid I visited the Burlington Branch library that was on McCalla (now MLK) and the Carter Branch library that was first in an old historic house next to the Carter Community pool and then the trailer on Asheville Highway. Great memories of a summer at the pool and the library.

And yes, Tamara I remember the Book Mobile and it would be good P.R. to have a couple today. Nearly every community has a branch. Even tough I would like to see a Bluegrass Branch and for the record I do not own any property in Bluegrass to sell for the location.

want the Book Mobile implemented solely on the notion of Good PR either.

I think your suggestion (Book Mobile) is a good one and that it would be a good compliment to the current library system.

Fuel cost would not be a factor for me as I am sure we all could find a Knox County initative that is more costly than fuel.

Certainly the Book Mobile would be a good compliment to the library system, Friends of the Public Library and the Mayor's Read with Me program.

When I was a young one (years ago in Knox County) there was a RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) program that provided free books several times a year to each student. I am sure it was a federal funded program and now we have the Imagination Library.

However, I credit the Public library and Knox County school system for helping to create a love of reading that I still have today.

And when branches close, the likely targets will be those closest to the downtown library - Sequoyah, Murphy, South Knoxville, North Knoxville.

Even if if the county was wallowing in money and budget woes weren't an issue, the Sequoyah branch needs to be shut down. It's totally superfluous.

the grant dollars that are currently going to non profit's?

I will offer additional ideas with where to obtain the dollars. No new revenue through increased taxes. (wheel or property)

Non-profits like Great Schools?

I've never seen bike one or child in there that wasn't with a parent.

When we were house hunting I found Sequoyah Hills to not be very bike or pedestrian friendly except for the boulevard.

My bet is if they get rid of a library it will be the SoKno branch at Woodlawn. Not that I think they should be SoKno always seems like an orphan child left to fend for itself.

a valid suggestion. How much would Book Mobile cost? Cut Great Schools $500,000.00 wouldn't hurt the program at all. Then maybe the Great Schools Board could start raising the funds they were supposed to be doing for the last 7 years.

By the way, on behalf of the Board I accepted the first $10,000.00 to go into the foundation. Dr. Mark McNaughton (sp?)gave the first $10,000.00. That foundation was consolidated into the entity Great Schools in 2004 and I made the motion to merge the two. However, the Great Schools administrator and Board have been reluctant in raising funds to continue the program. It is time for the Great Schools to come off the government roll and do what it is supposed to do.

As a Board member I supported the idea of hiring a grant writer. That has never been accomplished. It is government work after all. The government does not like a private sector business approach.

Just for the record, the school board funded a grant-writing position for the first time in FY 06-07. The person hired is named Carol Wilson and apparently she's been effective. We expect to get a status report soon on what she's accomplished this first year.

A good grant writer can win grants that cover her salary several times over. I'd like to see the Great Schools Partnership fund initiatives primarily through private grants. It's valuable to have an incubator of new ideas, and if they work, we would try to incorporate them into the regular publicly-funded budget. Simultaneously we should constantly evaluate programs and stop doing those that aren't as effective.

Indya Kincannon

Thanks for the clarification, I am pleased that the Board hired a grant writer. I obviously missed one item of news from the Board.

Thanks for your service.

How about a book mobile from the public library bringing requests to a designated community center or church in the transportation challenged areas on a weekly basis?

That has happened in small Appalachian communities for years.

I'd rather my taxes paid for a bookmobile than lunches at Regas for our county workers.