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The Beautiful, Functional Heart

As a young adult who grew up in Madison, I love the Scranton Library: what it looks like, what it stands for, what it once was. However, in its current state, I don’t want to spend any significant time there. The facilities don’t suit my needs, and the libraries of surrounding towns are superior.

I have many fond childhood memories of visiting the Scranton Library, but over the years its functionality has steadily declined. As a medical student at UConn, I regularly need to get work done when I return to Madison. Over winter break I drove 30 minutes daily to study at the Guilford library, and each time I wished that I could just walk from my house to the Scranton Library for a comparable study experience. It’s hard to choose local when, compared to Madison, other libraries are larger, better lit, more comfortable, and less crumbly on the inside.

Luckily for our town, the proposed library expansion looks spacious, well laid out, and very modern. It’s even supposed to have a café, which (though bad for Starbucks) is huge for me. If the referendum passes, I’m certain that I would spend more time at the Madison library, and as a result more money at local restaurants and shops. Having seen many other college/graduate school students from Madison at the Guilford library over the past few years, I know that I’m not alone in this sentiment.

This is why I will be voting “Yes” in the referendum on Tuesday, Feb. 7 to dedicate town money toward renovating the library. I believe that these expansions will allow the Scranton Library to reach its full potential as the beautiful, functional heart of our town center that it can and should be. I encourage your readers to do the same.

Emily Wilkins

Madison