Council voted 5-1-1 Tuesday night on the first reading. Councilwoman Anna Hale voted against it and Councilwoman Suzi Rubin abstained from the vote and discussion.
Hale said while she has “a passion for the city of Monroe, and I don’t want to hinder the growth of the city,” she has long had “personal and strong feelings” against the library system being in the city. Rubin abstained due to her involvement with the Monroe Lending Library and attempt to have the two library systems to collaborate.
Two weeks ago, MidPointe System Library Director Anita Carroll made an “educational and teaching” presentation to council. Tuesday, the board had the first of two readings supporting the idea. City Manager Bill Brock said staff supports the library’s efforts to open a branch at the former Monroe IGA at 601 S. Main St.
“The potential of bringing a public library branch to that site I think would help redevelopment in the area,” Brock said. “Looking at that site and looking at the development of the city itself, we believe a location of a branch at that IGA site would be one of the better uses that could go in there as a reuse for that site.”
The MidPointe Library board doesn’t meet until Aug. 21, which a decision could be made on whether a Monroe branch would be built. The library, whose main branch is in Middletown, has branches in West Chester Twp. and Trenton.
A concern some council members had was the affect a MidPointe library branch would have on the Monroe Lending Library. Brock and Carroll said both could co-exist in Monroe.
“They both have their own niche,” Brock said. “The Lending Library has a very distinct group that will we believe will continue to use the library, even with the location of the public library here in town. The public library brings a different type of service to the city.”
Before her vote, Councilwoman Lori Stillman said she’s “a little bit conflicted” in granting her full support for the MidPointe branch.
“I am loyal to my Lending Library, but I do see how this is a benefit for the city and the community and the children in the community,” she said.
She says there could be “a great partnership” between MidPointe, Monroe and the Lending Library.
While MidPointe Library System does not need City Council’s blessing to open a branch, Carroll said “we don’t want to move into a city where we are not wanted.” Approval of a resolution of support she said “certainly would be factored into our consideration.”
Carroll said it’s not certain if the library board will make a decision next month, but “it will definitely be discussed.” Council will meet on Aug. 14 and is scheduled to consider the second reading of the resolution.
“Depending on that outcome will be what my board will talk about on Aug. 21,” Carroll said. “We think it’s needed, we think it’s really great location.”
Carroll said the building would be not expensive to convert the former grocery store, which closed on Oct. 31, 2009, into a library.
The library system recieved a $500,000 donation from the estate of Doris J. Rothwell, a Middletown resident who died in April 2010 at 81 years old. The donation was for the sole purpose of bringing a branch into Monroe, Carroll said, and that money cannot be used for anything else.
If a library isn’t built, that donation would simply sit in perpetuity, Carroll said.
A recent survey conducted by the library system showed the lion’s share of the MidPointe’s patrons go to the West Chester Twp. branch. Carroll believes Monroe’s population is large enough to support a library.
Staff Writer Rick McCrabb contributed to this story.
About the Author
