Скачать или смотреть Thomas Branigan Memorial Library Holds Public Forum

(LAS CRUCES) --

Alice Anderson moved to Las Cruces in 1978.

The very next year, a new Branigan Memorial Library opened its doors.

She's here today to voice her opposition to changes made to the magazines and newspapers.

"I want them to keep their magazines I want them to keep their books I want them to buy more books"

She's concerned the library will move to more and more e-books, but she's also concerned about the magazines and newspapers move to the second floor.

They used to be on the first floor near the children's section.

In the children's section if the library, there are some creative places to read and you can imagine it's hard to get kids to use their library voices in a room like this.

Because of the noise, library staff decided to move them upstairs.

Lynette Schurdevin is the library's administrator.

"We closed the library for two days...the staff came in...so it was staff time that we paid for...and, of course the cleaning supplies."

Another reason for the move was to accommodate shipping books. The receiving bay was moved to allow deliveries of about 400 books a week.

As for the e-books, Schurdevin tells me only about 5 percent of the library's patrons use the electronic versions right now.

"That trend could go up, but we'll continue to maintain hardcover books...don't see them going away...I think will always be there in its own way."

The e-books and e-magazines are actually a lot more expensive than the old paper ones.



"So if the latest Sue Grafton is $29.95...the e-book can cost me anywhere between 40 and 60 dollars."

Publishers say they charge more because the electronic books never need replacing.

Sue Fletcher comes to the library to read -- she's also on the Branigan Memorial Library advisory board.

"The old reading room was very large...newspapers were on the opposite wall."

"This building is characterless...the building is just place to house the books. The books are what matter about a library," said Anderson.

"Good to get public input, even if it's after the fact, but I think they made a good choice -- they had to do something," said Fletcher.