Anyone who appreciates libraries must be looking kindly on the goal of Jan Forrest, a member of the Slippery Rock Community Library Building Committee. It's Forrest's intent to create a new library capable of serving everyone from ages 9 months to 90 years.

Those who might be thinking that libraries are obsolete, as a result of the Internet, should think again. Despite the Internet, libraries, including the one here in Butler, are experiencing healthy use.

And, the new library envisioned for Slippery Rock, whenever it opens its doors, is destined to have the same kind of experience.

The current library, which opened in June 2005 at Slippery Rock Community Park, usually serves 40 to 60 people a day in a facility of just 283 square feet.

What Forrest and other members of her committee envision, along with the library's board of directors, is a library of about 2,000 square feet. The bigger facility would provide more space for the approximately 3,500 books that the library currently houses, plus new book and periodicals acquisitions, as well as space for children and adult programming.

Said Michael Conlon, treasurer of the Friends of the Library: "We want a library big enough for the community and a place where the library will be visible and affordable. We would like to have several Internet kiosks where people can come in and use the Internet as well."

Having such access will encourage more people to visit the library and use its various other resources, including the Web.

While there already are three potential sites for the new library, the building committee is right in allocating extra time to explore all other potential sites before making a selection.

"We are asking people if they know of a vacant piece of property that an owner might be willing to sell to us in the borough, or donate, or give to us at a discount that would be at least an acre and allow room for expansion," Forrest said.

Meanwhile, the committee has raised approximately $80,000 for the new library, thanks in part to an anonymous donor. The committee's goal is about $250,000.

It is the committee's intent to select a site by the end of this year, providing a window of time for the community as a whole to rally on behalf of the project.

"It's amazing how much we manage to accomplish in that tiny space (current library) . . . every day that we are open," Forrest said.

If the project evolves as envisioned, the new library no doubt will attract significantly more visitors to make use of its expanded offerings.

Now and for the future, serving those nine months to 90 years old isn't an outlandish objective for a library like the one envisioned.

Slippery Rock is fortunate to have people with the energy and determination to guide the project from the planning stage to a pillar of service and education — as well as a place for relaxation — for the community.

— J.R.K.