EDITORIAL: The future of the Free Library

University and library officials should work together to find a new location once and for all. The issue was last discussed in 1990 when, in the face of $500,000 worth of repairs for the building on the southeast corner of 40th and Walnut streets, the University administration proposed building a new facility for the library. Plans for the eight-story complex to be erected catty-corner to the original site included a 750-car parking garage and new headquarters for the University Police Department and the University Mail Service. Due largely to opposition from community members, that plan as stated never came to fruition and the library stayed put for the time being. But when the library closed two years ago to allow for installation of computer wiring, on-site electricians discovered $4 million in water damage and deemed the building's foundation structurally unsound -- forcing an extended shut-down. University officials admirably lent a helping hand, agreeing to rent for $1 per year space at 3927 Walnut Street as a temporary location. Additionally, they offered to work with library official to find a new permanent site. Several library officials and community residents are still rallying behind a return to their old home, where the library's been since 1905. But such a move is just not feasible. Resuscitating the building was estimated at between $500,000 and $3.8 million. That's money that the city doesn't have, and it's more than the University should feel obligated to spend. Moreover, while there once may have been historical value to the former Victorian mansion donated by Andrew Carnegie, its importance was vastly diminished when 1959 renovations turned it into the institution-like metal and glass structure it is today. That's not to say that Penn officials shouldn't live up to their promise to help the Free Library find a new site. The library is an essential community resource. And although the University doesn't necessarily have to go as far as purchasing a new location for it, as the most powerful and resource-rich institution in the area, Penn should certainly play a role in helping to secure the library's future.