To the editor:

I completely agree with your recent “Tale of two libraries” article (Nov. 19). Ever since my first visit to Topeka’s remodeled library, I have wanted a similar community gathering place for Lawrence. Topeka’s library enhanced my vision of what a library could be for a community.

Last year, I organized a statewide meeting at the Topeka library. A friend at the meeting from Wichita said she loved visiting the library so much she was going to bring her family to the library just so they too could enjoy the experience. As Scott Rothschild reported, Topeka’s library truly is a destination point.

An excellent library provides more than access to books, magazines and the Internet. It also serves as a place for the community to come together. The Topeka library has a nice cafe for friends to reconnect and a wonderful assortment of free meeting rooms for community-based organizations. All of this happens in an environment that is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.

As told in the “Tale of two libraries,” a quality library is also good for local economic development. A new expanded library can serve as the heart of our community.

Jerry Jost,

Lawrence