Whether the city should consider a new location for its library should not be the question. Rather, the question should be where will it be located.

Usage of the Albert Lea library &045; annual circulation is 417,035 compared to Owatonna, which has an annual circulation of 368,749 &045; indicates the 11,000-square-foot space is no longer adequate. (Owatonna’s building is more than double that size at 25,500 square feet.)

Libraries are an investment in the community. There is value to having a library that meets the needs of the people who use it. And no one questions the value of reading, particularly in encouraging young people to check out a book.

The question is which option &045; renovating an existing building or building new &045; will be the best value.

Of course, a possible location then becomes a real issue. The city evaluated six locations on the basis of size, orientation, access, construction logistics and cost and a site on Broadway was deemed the best option at this time.

Given the city likely won’t make any decisions until a new city manager is on board, they should keep looking.

The biggest draw back to the Broadway location is there is no room to expand. The cost &045; the least expensive of the potential sites at $5.6 million &045; is certainly appealing. But if residents will be looking at relocation in 10 years because the library has outgrown its

building &045; a real possibility given the present trend &045; then cost should not be the most important factor. How much will a new building cost 10 years down the road?

That’s not to say the council should ignore cost as a factor in deciding where to locate a new library. But they must be willing to look to the future.

The wisest choice right now is to worry less about locating the library near the lake and more about anticipating the future needs of those using the library.