New Library

Just can't believe this got approved. What on earth would persuade a senator to vote for this. Oh. Yeah. Actually, I *can* believe this got approved.

I don't think roads and buildings should be named for living people or recently dead ones...

new library in STT when they can even open the on in christiansted on saturdays?? does not seem right.

Money talks. Someone got some bucks for this monster. But they can't even finish the road in front of K mart that has caused traffic jams for the last three months.,

billd

I can't believe this either. How dare them build a library in order to encourage the community to read??? I'm astonished and this is an abomination!!!
:@)

I can't believe this either. How dare them build a library in order to encourage the community to read??? I'm astonished and this is an abomination!!!
:@)

The vast bulk of people in the USVI generally do not read books - and if they are educated and willing to read, they use the Internet now. I remember being disheartened by the shortage of books on STT in the 1980s - the only real place to get a book in the 1980s was the Dockside Bookstore in Havensight, which had a pretty crappy selection - of which I still have quite a few books I bought from them.

Note: I do not read books anymore myself, despite having a fairly decent library of hundreds of books, quite a few of which I have read two, three or more times (more times for the computer technical manuals, like my favorite book, Encyclopedia of Networking). I get my reading from the Internet now, too.

I should add: the money should be invested in Internet infrastructure for the people of the USVI, seeing as how screwed all the Prosser owned companies are and incapable of providing this necessary utility.

I should add: the money should be invested in Internet infrastructure for the people of the USVI, seeing as how screwed all the Prosser owned companies are and incapable of providing this necessary utility.

I agree, the internet is a library bigger than any other and this is where investment should be made. Physical libraries should be tranformed into places where one can access the global library called the internet. Books and research unique to the VI should be digitized, cataloged, and placed on the internet for the whole world to access. IMO this is a better use of resources han building a library with physical books these days. Hopefully this is in the plans too.

Sean

hmmm...so I guess they don't build libraries nowadays with internet access for the public:S .....smh

Wait one minute. Not all people and children have access to the Internet. Should they be deprived of literature since they're are poor. Oh and excuse me I happen to like to cuddle up with a book and not a kindle or my computer 🙁

Wait one minute. Not all people and children have access to the Internet. Should they be deprived of literature since they're are poor. Oh and excuse me I happen to like to cuddle up with a book and not a kindle or my computer 🙁

According to these folks, Virgin Islanders don't read and it would be a waste of money. How dare those senators spend taxpayer money on something that would be beneficial to locals?!?! *-)

I guess the money would be better spent on Diageo and the other EDC companies. :S

Wait one minute. Not all people and children have access to the Internet. Should they be deprived of literature since they're are poor. Oh and excuse me I happen to like to cuddle up with a book and not a kindle or my computer 🙁

Think of it this way; do you still enjoy, or try to make an attempt to, cuddle up with a nice LP playing? It's really no different than the change from live music -> LPs -> 8-track -> cassette -> CD -> MP3.

There will always be a place for physical books, but in today's world (and thinking ahead), it's not cost effective to build, and maintain libraries solely for the purpose of housing these physical books. You're much better off, in the long run, using that money to build out your digital infrastructure. And if internet is that much of a problem, you can build "libraries" for the sole purpose of giving people free access to research / read online. Maybe even rent out Kindles? That's an thought (hell, a very good one!).

Think ahead. That's all these people are doing. Thinking long term.

Wait one minute. Not all people and children have access to the Internet. Should they be deprived of literature since they're are poor. Oh and excuse me I happen to like to cuddle up with a book and not a kindle or my computer 🙁

According to these folks, Virgin Islanders don't read and it would be a waste of money. How dare those senators spend taxpayer money on something that would be beneficial to locals?!?! *-)

I guess the money would be better spent on Diageo and the other EDC companies. :S

So having a library is more important than having wide spread free to low cost Internet access?

I like libraries, and am all for keeping the ones we have - but Internet access is far more important these days. For those that don't have computers, well I'm sure businesses and residents in the USVI trash many computers every year that are perfectly capable of Internet access.

FYI....modern day libraries do provide FREE INTERNET ACCESS!

And to just say...."well I'm sure businesses and residents in the USVI trash many computers every year that are perfectly capable of Internet access".....is an IGNORANT statement, but I'll play along with you for the moment.

Are you going to help residents pay for the added costs of WAPA electricity in which they're already struggling to pay and the added costs of internet access. Just because you can afford these luxuries it does not mean that everyone else can and that's why someplace like a library is important.

Modern day libraries serve much more of a purpose than just a place to find books. It's a place for the community to find helpful services, programs, internet access, physically challenged services and I could go on and on.

Furthermore, I would rather see Virgin Islands youths in a library doing something constructive, rather than roaming the streets and getting into trouble!

Furthermore, I would rather see Virgin Islands youths in a library doing something constructive, rather than roaming the streets and getting into trouble!

Unrealistic. You sound like a grumpy old man. Kids have energy that needs to be expelled by some means. You're better off with a good sport/recreational facility than a library if that's the case.

*Edit; and yes, kids *can* expel energy playing video games, too. Video games can raise the heart rate, thus burning energy. Video game tournaments are a *great* way to connect with youth today to get them learning (through games), burn energy (high reaction games), and keep them out of trouble (you're too busy at home practicing for the next tourny!).

I would have thought libraries would be one of the world's least controversial subjects. Wow. 😮

I would have thought libraries would be one of the world's least controversial subjects. Wow. 😮

(tu)

FYI....modern day libraries do provide FREE INTERNET ACCESS!

And to just say...."well I'm sure businesses and residents in the USVI trash many computers every year that are perfectly capable of Internet access".....is an IGNORANT statement, but I'll play along with you for the moment.

Ignorant? Heh, back in 2001 I decided to throw away my collection of computers - I rented a commercial size dumpster and filled it to overflowing. Even with just pre-2001 technology, quite a few of those computers were working and capable of being on the internet, which many of them had been.

As far as power, *looks at the status of his UPS* this fairly new and powerful machine that I am using bounces from 200w up to 250w usage, while in use, usually standing at 198w. That is the equivalent of a bright outdoor lamp.

As far as "the added costs of internet access", that is the whole point of my post - it should be government built and subsidized so it is cheap for the people who really need it. I am not saying it should be blazing fast and cheap, but to those who would qualify I could see it as being a reasonable speed and free.

"Modern day libraries serve much more of a purpose than just a place to find books. It's a place for the community to find helpful services, programs, internet access, physically challenged services and I could go on and on."

Of course you are right about this. I'm just saying, that at this point, it would make much more sense to invest the money in Internet infrastructure.

What I am saying here can be illustrated by these, and I sure other, projects:

One Laptop per Child

Internet archive opens 1.6m free ebooks for kids for the One Laptop per Child program

Well this is good:

Public Computer Centers Next Up For Broadband Push

FTA:

"In 2010, the territory was awarded four major grants through the federal economic stimulus program – the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) – totaling approximately $70 million to implement a core fiber ring network on all four islands, the renovation or construction of public computer centers (PCC's), and the training of V.I. residents for educational and economic development."

"All in all, there will be 51 centers by the time this part of the project wraps in June 2013. Francis said 70 percent of the centers have to be up by June 2012."

Senators Back eBook Trial

FTA:

"The V.I. Senate Committee on Education, Youth and Culture approved two bills Friday - one to start a pilot program using electronic books in the classroom and one to appropriate funding for additional summer employment opportunities for students."

I really do like having a physical paper book to read, but this (computers and the Internet) is where society is going...

Being on STX I get all my reading material at the Animal Rescue flea market and Closet-to-Closet, some good stuff, too.

I had to laugh when noOne said "The vast bulk of people in the USVI generally do not read books "! But if one is a reader or researcher public libraries are a good deal, especially for inter-library loan services. As a reference librarian for 20+ years I will say Google was my first reference resource. The only catch is the world is a lot bigger than what we see on Google.

The only catch is the world is a lot bigger than what we see on Google.

And it won't be for much longer.

Yeah... I hate earthquakes!

FYI....modern day libraries do provide FREE INTERNET ACCESS!

And to just say...."well I'm sure businesses and residents in the USVI trash many computers every year that are perfectly capable of Internet access".....is an IGNORANT statement, but I'll play along with you for the moment.

Are you going to help residents pay for the added costs of WAPA electricity in which they're already struggling to pay and the added costs of internet access. Just because you can afford these luxuries it does not mean that everyone else can and that's why someplace like a library is important.

Modern day libraries serve much more of a purpose than just a place to find books. It's a place for the community to find helpful services, programs, internet access, physically challenged services and I could go on and on.

Furthermore, I would rather see Virgin Islands youths in a library doing something constructive, rather than roaming the streets and getting into trouble!

thank you.

Sign of the times:

For the first time, online readership and advertising revenue in the United States has surpassed that of print newspapers

FTA:

“The migration to the Web is accelerating,” said Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism.

Edit: from the comments I gleaned from the article:

jayhawk88 Quote 2011-03-14 02:06:59 PM

I'm not a manager and never want to be, but this is one time I really wish I'd had been in the management council meeting, listening to them describe their oh-so-clever plans for secure news delivery, just so at some point I could have piped up with "You do know they have the internet on computers now, right? You realize that every one of these people has access to every piece of news on the planet right from their desk?"