Calgarians have a one-time opportunity to build a new central library, a symbol of Calgary's commitment to information, ideas, knowledge, and growth.

Calgary outgrew the present central library by the mid 1970's. The current library is:

• built for a city population of 400,000
• overcrowded and severely short of space to support growing collections and an expanding branch system
• unable to meet the needs of a modern library (new technologies, services, programs, collection specialties)
• structurally unable to carry book loads on all floors
• architecturally undistinguished and unwelcoming
• expensive to operate and energy inefficient
• unable to meet current building code and standards of accessibility
• in need of major and costly upgrades and lifecycle maintenance

Due to the age and design of the current structure, the central library cannot be expanded or renovated in a cost-effective manner.

As the city continues to grow and demands on the Library increase, the serious lack of space and shortcomings of the current central library building are impacting costs and service quality in the building and throughout the system. A new, much larger central library is needed to prevent a significant erosion of service to all Calgarians.

Do we need a new library in this electronic information age? Definitely. New technologies have not replaced books or libraries, but instead, have given them a thrilling new dimension. In fact, in our knowledge-based society where literacy skills, lifelong learning and access to the broadest range of information are essential, libraries are more popular and more necessary than ever.

Both books and technology are important, and Libraries are the only place where both are freely available for everyone. Libraries provide individuals and communities with the discovery tools and materials on every subject from all perspectives in a full range of formats and languages, and preserve our heritage by collecting and archiving older titles. Best of all, Libraries are both high-tech and high-touch. Library staff provide personalized assistance and training so that all citizens can thrive in the digital age.