Downtown Revitalization and the Public Library: A Partnership That Makes Sense

    The thriving library situated in a thriving town is an ideal that many consider an excellent return on their investment. To revitalize a town, organizers often use the public library as their anchor. A better downtown is a better Presque Isle and that benefits us all. Because libraries are the “people’s university” or the “heart of the community” or even considered the “living room” of a town, it is often a starting point and a meeting place for area organizations, non-profits, and even businesses seeking information on neutral ground. People value their towns, their passive green spaces, their Main Streets, their very way of life in rural America, and having a public library within walking distance of Main Street, an asset worthy of notice.     Libraries are not just about the books. Libraries were once considered a cultural amenity exclusively. As the library is used by more and more people for reasons that extend beyond a fiction book, it is understood to be an essential service. Economic and community development studies are popular tools today for libraries to show their value, but for downtown revitalization projects and organizers across the country, it is realized that the public library situated nearby a downtown is an intricate part of what marketers call “trip chaining.” Trip chaining is a term that means simply if you go to one place, you are likely to visit something else.
    We see this everyday at the library as we direct patrons to Main Street or other parts of town, answer reference questions about our city for our virtual patrons, and the bricks and mortar portion of what we do often have historical and architectural integrity that exemplifies a rural lifestyle.
    Moreover:
    • Libraries positively impact property values in the minds of citizens according to a recent study by the Pennsylvania State Library.
    • The traffic in the library (nearly 26,000 uses of our computers each year) often migrates from the library to Main Street. Businesses benefit from programs and information services as a result.
    • Libraries improve the employment skills of its citizens – the very same people that may work in businesses within the community.
    “A community in which everyone has access to computers and the Internet is better in countless ways. Its members have more opportunities to let their creativity blossom, to see new ideas come to fruition, and to join together in efforts to make the places they live better.” (Keeping Your Community Connected, published by the U.S. Libraries Initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).
    Partnering is an essential part of a downtown strategy and often, public libraries and revitalization projects share the same goals.
    Doesn’t this partnership make sense to you?
    We welcome your thoughts and opinions. It’s your city. We need your input in order to make it better. You can e-mail us at pidrc@yahoo.com or write us at: The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee, 411 Main St., Presque Isle, Maine 04769.
    For more information about the PIDRC, e-mail us at pidrc@yahoo.com or call Sandy Gauvin (764-0876), Cathy Beaulieu at Wilder’s Jewelry Store (764-0309), or Patty LeBlanc (769-7731), or you can contact us at the address listed above.
    We meet at the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce on the Houlton Road at 7:30 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Please join in our efforts to help our wonderful city.
The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee is
an ad hoc committee of the Presque Isle City Council