Canfield & Company: Multnomah County wants $400 million from you!

Multnomah County doesn't need another mega-library

Do we really need another monument to the 19th century  by building another mega-library in east Multnomah county? Didn't Multnomah county learn anything from the failures of Barnes & Noble, Blockbuster video, and Radio Shack?

First, some kudos to our current library system: They have the all traditional media you know and love . You can reserve any books, DVD's and more from any of Multnomah County library's branches, and they will truck it to the library branch, most convenient for you, where you can pick it up, free!

Second, the internet. Our libraries have internet access on computers in the libraries. You can surf for free! The libraries also have free Wi-Fi if you bring your device to the library.

Next: most of our libraries have meeting space for  special programming such as seminars, teach-ins, kids storytelling, reading groups, neighbor groups, playtime, or whatever. Mostly for free!

Given all the ultra awesome stuff our libraries already provide, what would be the value added by building another mega-sized gigantic brick and mortar library in east county? Why spend mega millions to build another mega-sized library? This is 19th century thinking. Brick and mortar is dying away.  The "cloud"  is the future for libraries.

Why spend hundreds of millions of the tax dollars it would take to build another mega-library? Why spend millions of dollars annually in salary, benefits etc for the hundreds of new employees that would be required to staff another mega-library??

Instead, why not spend just a few million bucks (or hit up Bezos, Zuckerberg, Musk etc. for a "donation") and buy tens of thousands of tablets, laptops, and other awesome devices that people could check out from their closest library, just like people now check out books!

Give library patrons hands-on device training at their local branch when they "check out" their device! Just like how the Apple stores and Xfinity stores do it now! Why not add an option for Wi-Fi at a minimal cost. Better yet, people could access free Wi-Fi at the thousands of coffee shops, stores,schools etc people use now.

Multnomah County leaders need less Jurassic park thinking and more Buzz Lightyear creativity. We don't need to go back to the stone age by building a dinosaur of a temple to the past- a mega library. We need to go to "infinity...and beyond!!" by investing in modern technology, for all!

"I comprehend the hock of themselves is to coin this a wonderful 21st century Multnomah County library branch"

I wish I could take credit for the following article on library.musiced.net. Probably computer generated. But if not, it's still hilarious! Here's the complete text of the post:

Commissioners won’t budge on to the skin mall library site

“We contain a rightness best here.”
Commissioner Jeff Cogen, who said he initially backed the Discovery Block area help of care of of the interchange hew down help of put an end to year, agreed.
“All things being commensurate, I would’ve supported” a freestanding library, he said. “But all things are not commensurate. There isn’t such a subject as a pre-eminent describe here.”
Mayor Kight, who drummed up Troutdale City Council stomach at an difficulty appointment Tuesday, March 31, said he was enable to filch out like a light down in the consequence of the provisions appointment. He indicated, how, that he’s content to emigrate on to the next side in getting the library established. “Hopefully, residents discretion come away strings it to the the gen that there’s a oodles of shortcomings to this identified with area.

“They’re affluent to deliver in a library,” he said. A oodles of people discretion be enable to filch out like a light down that it’s clearly in Wood Village, on the western uptight of Troutdale. But at the pointless of the interval, I reckon people discretion masterpiece the library.”
He praised his comrade councilors to safeguard rallying to intent concerns help of care of of the provisions.
“The other urban department councilors, who I deliberating did a breathtaking affair, made completely compelling arguments in getting Troutdale more entangled with in the attitude steadfastness,” he said.
One affect that alone came to the council’s concentration this week is that Regency Centers - holder of Cherry Park Marketplace - has deliver the plaza up to safeguard bargain-priced.

Anchored during a Safeway supermarket, Cherry Park Marketplace also houses a Hollywood Video franchise, a US Bank branch and El Tapatio Restaurant. Along with the center’s contradictory facts of occupancy, it makes Kight less than carefree with the site’s long-term viability.
“That branch of the ransack mall is distressed,” he said. “(The owners) call for to call this means. A 20-year sublease with the county makes it a much more marketable commodity.”
Mike Sublett, with Multnomah County Facilities and Property Management, countered the personification that the center being to safeguard bargain-priced creates a concealed confound anent a protect sublease. I’m confident they’re popping their champagne corks.

He said the site’s 10-year sublease with three five-year options represents a longer hock than other developers offered.
“It does not smash us negatively,” he said, noting that the neat Albina library branch in Northeast Portland is in a shopping center that’s been bought and sold. “We’ve had branches where the means changed hands, and it was masked to us.
With siting questions contemporary resolved, he said he and comrade county officials look help of care of to cooperating with Troutdale leaders to intent the library concept toward facts in fact. It’s a well-written sublease.”
The library at Cherry Park could be operational during at daybreak 2010, Sublett said.
“I comprehend the hock of themselves is to coin this a wonderful 21st century Multnomah County library branch,” he said.

Multnomah County Commission Approves Cherry Park Library Site

The vote was unanimous. Read the agenda item here.

Another Public Meeting re: Troutdale Library Sites

Here we go again! Multnomah County will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, November 24 at the Troutdale City Conference Center, located at 233 S. Buxton Ave. The purpose of the meeting will be to solicit input on potential sites for a proposed Troutdale branch of Multnomah County Library.

Troutdale Mayor's $800K Library Welfare Deal: No Support

After extensive discussions at last night's City Council executive session, the proposed $800,000 city incentive to rescue a proposed Multnomah County Library branch in downtown Troutdale is dead. I can't disclose details of the proposal or the executive session discussion. However, I can say that there was insufficient support on the City Council to pursue the matter any further.

Troutdale Library: Secret Deal To Close The Deal?

I learned today from non-city sources that behind the scenes discussions have taken place between City of Troutdale officials, developers, and Multnomah County that propose the use of City of Troutdale taxpayer funds as a "sweetener" in order to keep alive the proposed new Multnomah County Library site at the "Marino Block" in downtown Troutdale. The amount of the requested taxpayer-provided "sweetener" was estimated at $800k-$1 million.by several non-city sources I talked to. I was able to confirm that private discussions did take place earlier this week after talking on the phone with Troutdale City Administrator John Anderson late this afternoon. There is a city council executive session scheduled for next week. The details of the secret discussions will then be discussed. .

This is disturbing on many levels. Any secret discussions regarding the use of Troutdale tax dollars without the knowledge or consent of the city council are unacceptable and inappropriate. The city isn't the one responsible for libraries. Multnomah County is. We have no business providing tax dollars toward the siting of a Multnomah County library. And the city should not be involved in influencing or determining library site selection winners and losers via tax dollar "sweeteners" to one developer. It goes without saying that the city CANNOT afford to saddle itself with additional debt of $800k-$1 million dollars at this time.

I have two goals for the executive session next week- one, to kill the deal. Two- to get everyone to agree to make the actual details of the discussions public knowledge. There's no room in Troutdale for this kind of back door dealing.