GOVERNMENT WASTE: Sarasota County, Florida’s $7.7 Million White Elephant

Sarasota County, FL is replacing its 30-year old Gulf Gate library with a new 27,000 square foot facility. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, “One of the challenges, the architects and builders learned, was coming up with a design that kept the much-appreciated ‘coziness’ of the old library while greatly expanding its size and offerings. The designers said they are confident they have been able to achieve that, at least in part by how bookstores like Barnes & Noble and coffee shops like Starbucks are able to bring cozy to large spaces.” [Emphasis added]

But wait, there is a Barnes & Nobel complete with coffee shop and NOOK store less than a half of a mile from this new facility. But it gets worse.

Within a one mile radius of this new $7.7 million dollar county library are two other brand new libraries. The Sarasota County School Board has within the past year opened newly built libraries at Riverview High School and the Sarasota County Technical Institute, which has its own cafe. Sarasota County has a total on nine libraries, each of which is within a short distance of a Sarasota school district library and multiple privately owned book stores.

sarasota county commissioners

Sarasota County Commissioners Robinson, Mason and Hines (L to R). Commissioners Barbetta and Patterson are not in the photo.

Question: Why can’t the Sarasota County library system and Sarasota County School Board get together and provide library services without such costly duplication?

Both government entities will find reasons why not. However, for taxpayers it makes no sense to have brand new public libraries in such close proximity to one another, all paid for by Sarasota County taxpayers.

According to Jeremy Greenfield from Forbes in 2013, “Hardcover book sales in the U.S. are up over 10% through the first eight months of 2013, according to the latest numbers from the Association of American Publishers. At the same time, adult ebook sales are only up 4.8%; all U.S. ebook sales, including children’s and religious ebooks, are down about 5%.” So people are buying more books, many online. So why spend this kind of money expanding a library with the intent of competing with public sector entities like Book-A-Million and Barnes & Noble.

Former Florida State Senator Mike Bennett notes, “I fought for years in the legislature that we should have every new library request to be incorporated into the public school system.  Students are comfortable going to the school campus.  I believe that if they are comfortable going there perhaps they would also go there to study, check out books, do research, have access to computers after school hours.  They have lots of parking for others to use the facilities.  I agree, this is a waste of money.”

Why waste money by building the Gulf Gate library in such close proximity to other adult libraries? Answer: Because the Sarasota County Commission can, it is government and always knows what is best for us, no matter what the price.

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