(Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection - Letter to the Editor)

Anyone who knows me can tell you one thing: I love the Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library. From the joy of getting my hands on a new novel from a favorite author to the peace and quiet of having a workspace that isn’t my home, I have gotten a lot out of our library system over the years. One of my favorite memories as a parent is when I took my stepson to get his first-ever library card at our small, but mighty, branch in Williamstown. He and I have been to many Summer Reading Program events thanks to the magic made by people like Charley at the Emerson branch and Lisa at our home base on West 5th Street. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience with your kids, or maybe you’ve been to a sewing or crafts or board game night yourself. If you haven’t already taken advantage of their free events for adults, I highly recommend you check out their offerings.

All of this to say, I will be gladly and enthusiastically voting “YES” on the library levy on May 12. For the unaffiliated, you should know that this is not a new tax. It is a renewal of a current one. As with the current levy, a home valued at $180,000 would pay $11.66 per year, or $10.37 if they have Homestead Exemptions. That is less than a dollar a month for all of those incredible programs I mentioned, plus all the other services the library provides to the public. That includes things like free WiFi connectivity for mobile devices, access to public computers, complimentary meeting space use for community groups and clubs, and the lowest-cost printing services in town. Personally, I love using Libby to get free e-book loans on my Kindle through our local library.

The proposed millage will be the same as the rates in the existing five-year levy that expires as of July 1, 2028. The new levy would take effect then, when the current levy expires. The levy will raise $680,292 a year for each year of the five-year term. So what will those funds be used to pay for? Things like the bond to build the library in South Parkersburg, renovation of the main floor at the library on Emerson Avenue, general operation of the public libraries, and (most exciting of all for me, personally) for a new library in Williamstown. In Williamstown, the old library at the former elementary school will become a new modern facility of about 5,000 square feet. You can learn more about it at the library’s website at parkwoodlib.com/levy.

The new levy over its five-year term will raise about $3.4 million and is 36% of the library budget — the biggest part of it, in fact. Adoption requires 60% plus 1 of the vote. Be a friend of the library and vote YES for the levy on May 12.

Meryl Clark

Williamstown