Planned New Molino Library May Never Open

February 15, 2011

seeplansclick.jpgA library planned for a portion of $2.1 million renovation of the old Molino School may not become a reality.

In May, 2009, commissioners approved the $400,000 purchase of the Old Molino School building from the Escambia County School District. Commissioners have since approved a budget of $2,089,156 from Local Option Sales Tax monies for the renovation project, including $214,580 to DAG Architects to design the renovations.

But the library may never open, NorthEscambia.com has learned, due to inadequate funding for day to day operations. Instead, the county is now considering a “library kiosk” where patrons can check out and return books in an automated fashion.

The challenge is that LOST funds cannot be used to operate the library,” Sonya Daniel, Escambia County public information manager, said.  “A ‘library kiosk’ or a means to offer computerized library services is one option that the BCC talked about during their last workshop on the library.”

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The original plans for the renovation of the Old Molino School called for one section of the 15,600 square foot main building to be converted into a library with both a children’s and adult area, computers and thousands of linear feet of book shelving. The old auditorium is to remain a community auditorium with available seating for 242 people. The rest of the building will include a museum, classrooms and meeting rooms.

Pictured: The front hallway of the old Molino School. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

24 Responses to “Planned New Molino Library May Never Open”

  1. Horrific on February 16th, 2011 8:33 am

    Since they can’t handle it, I don’t know why they don’t allowcate the money
    differently and let the people of MOLINO vote on how the monies to rebuild
    this building are going to be handled.
    What do you want to bet that the money to rebuild this old building could
    actually rebuild ONLY what is to be used for library, and tear out the electric
    and redo that completely so the place doesn’t burn down full of kids, and
    then buy books, computers AND everything else you need for the other
    rooms. IF there are a few extra rooms that don’t need to be used for
    library and the computer rooms how about making them for use for
    womens groups and so forth and rent them out to help pay for plumbing
    and someone to run the place, AND for SECURITY WHICH YOU ARE
    GOING TO NEED MOST OF ALL.

    I still don’t see what is wrong with you ALL volunteering to run the place.
    HOW MANY OF YOU ARE THERE? SO HOW MANY TIMES A YEAR
    WOULD ANY OF YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO SHOW UP AND DO SOMETHING
    FOR YOUR KIDS THAT DON’T INCLUDE HUNTING AND FISHING, OR
    DRINKING AND DRUGS.

  2. bigbill1961 on February 15th, 2011 11:22 pm

    Amen, Horrific.

  3. dick tracy on February 15th, 2011 9:00 pm

    I told ya’ll to begin with, they’d be asking us, the taxpayers, to buy the books. Heck, Es Co can’t afford to buy toilet paper for the schools, how……..can we support this old, delapidated, run down memory? What are you thinking???????

  4. just saying on February 15th, 2011 3:08 pm

    i think they should do this one thing is if u ever looked at the bigger picture they never give the up north part of Florida anything just saying

  5. think it through on February 15th, 2011 11:45 am

    Buy or borrow books yourself. Don”t depend on the government to buy them for you.

  6. Trish on February 15th, 2011 10:59 am

    Go get them Horrific!

  7. Horrific on February 15th, 2011 10:38 am

    TRISH
    Where did you come from. You are absolutely right!
    There ARE Teachers out there who don’t care, but MORE THAN THAT there
    ARE TOO MANY PERMISSIVE PARENTS OUT THERE who just say yes to
    everything and BUY THEM EVERYTHING, AND TEACH THEM NOTHING.

    When my FIRST child went to school I found out that she had to know how
    to print her name.
    So over the summer I went to work.

    By the end of the summer she went to school and when the teacher asked
    them to write their names down, my child wrote her name, address, phone
    #, and the names of her mother and father..
    I thought that she should know these things if an emergency situation should arise and as long as I was teaching her to write, thought I should teach
    her everything a 5 year old should know to be SAFE.
    I started by first teaching her the ABC’S and by teaching her how to print her
    numbers from 1-9.
    I wasn’t that smart, I just loved my CHILD and it isn’t rocket science as someone
    has already pointed out. It is hard to believe that people here have let their
    children get to 17 and they can’t spell or write anything.

    OK people if this doesn’t apply to YOUR children then your not who we are
    discussing, but YOU know who we are discussing.

    Driving is the same thing. When you hand them their keys stop and think
    DID YOU PREPARE YOUR CHILD OR did you just hand your juvenile
    the keys to a deadly weapon and say GO!
    Maybe that’s why these kids think the highways are race tracks.

    I took three months to teach my child to write her name and then some
    (and by the way she could print it or write it ).
    How long did you prepare your child to drive a 6 ton deadly vehicle out on to
    these highways?

  8. Jane on February 15th, 2011 10:21 am

    Would I volunteer? Of course! If it would help educate people…not just kids need education! Everyone should make an effort to continue learning all their lives!

  9. Trish on February 15th, 2011 10:19 am

    “My bad” as the kids say. It is Oprah. I should have known that! Oh, I’m sorry, my mistake, Molino has no library to check my facts. And yes I realize I am being a smart mouth. But as a district 5 resident it makes me angry that we are the red headed stepchild. You can bet that if another more populated districted wanted something that required operating money the county would find it.

  10. Jane on February 15th, 2011 10:19 am

    Maybe if we had more libraries, more people could read and spell! it is a shame to waste all the effort and then not have something to show for it. And don’t depend on Kevin White for anything useful!

  11. Sandra on February 15th, 2011 10:05 am

    This far into the game and they are just now realizing that they dont have ongoing expenses money? And we wonder why this county is in the shape it’s in? THROW THE BUMS OUT!! Elect people that can at least walk and chew bubble gum at the same time.

  12. Trish on February 15th, 2011 9:05 am

    To Old Puppy: the schools are not run by the county. The Escambia County School District is in charge.

    Don’t blame the schools for kids who can’t read, blame the parents. It is easy to blame someone else, but look in the mirror! As Opra says “take ownership” of what you have done.

  13. Old puppy on February 15th, 2011 8:50 am

    Just what we need, a library so OUR under educated & half illiterate kids (great educational system) can’t read them anyways. Try spending money on something we need… FIX & PAVE THE ROADS. geez… It ain’t rocket science. Spend money on the schools not ball parks & libraries.

  14. Horrific on February 15th, 2011 8:48 am

    Just goes to show you. They got theirs now their done.
    They didn’t think it though as to how it was going to run or how much
    that was going to cost because THEY JUST DIDN’T CARE!
    That wasn’t the point. The point of this project has already come to
    pass FOR THOSE WHO RAN THIS DEAL.
    NOW IF YOU WANT TO NOT HAVE EVERY PENNY OF THIS MONEY
    BE WASTED (YOUR MONEY, WHATS LEFT OF IT THAT IS WHICH IS
    NOW THIS OLD RUN DOWN BUT BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL) Your
    going to have to volunteer to run it.

    NOW HOW MANY OF YOU WHO YELLED ON HERE ABOUT HAVING A LIBRARY
    IN MOLINO BECAUSE YOUR KIDS NEEDED IT (EVEN THO i PERSONALLY
    DON’T THINK TOO MANY OF YOUR KIDS CAN READ AND WRITEABOVEt a 3rd grade level AND IF THEY DO USE THE LIBRARY THEY WILL JUST TRASH IT LIKE THEY DO ALL THE GUTTERS OUT HERE) ARE GOING TO GIVE OF YOUR TIME FOR YOUR KIDS AND VOLUNTEER.

    LETS SEE A SHOW OF HANDS???????
    Come on how many of you are going to volunteer some real time EVERYSINGLE
    DAY AND NIGHT ON A REGULAR BASIS FROM NOW TILL THE END OF TIME
    FOR THIS VENTURE ……FOR YOUR KIDS.
    Come on Parents PROVE ME WRONG. i HOPE i SEE IT UP AND RUNNING
    IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS AND NOT TORN TO SHREADS AND DISGUSTING AND
    TAKEN APART BY APPATHY AND THE DRUGGY KIDS I WATCH ALL OVER TOWN.
    THIS IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE PARENTS!

  15. Trish on February 15th, 2011 8:46 am

    You know what they say, keep the people illiterate, don’t encourage learning of ANY kind, and you can keep yourself in office. No wonder Escambia is the bottom of the barrel in Florida. The less educated the people are the easier you can fool them.

    To listening: volunteers sound wonderful but look at your own church. It is the same volunteer over and over again. At some point these few devoted people are worn out. In a utopian world you might find enough dedicated volunteers to help, in the real all you have to do is ask any organization that needs warm bodies and they will all tell you the same. Can’t find them.

    To Paul: you left out boat ramps.

  16. think it through on February 15th, 2011 8:06 am

    That’s O.K.

  17. Paul on February 15th, 2011 8:01 am

    We don’t need libraries, we need 100+ million dollar ballparks…

  18. bama54 on February 15th, 2011 7:31 am

    I give up, I’ll just move to Baldwin County.

  19. safebear on February 15th, 2011 7:15 am

    They just had a news item on last night here in Atlanta about a local county who has spent almost $12 million on 1 new library and renovations to 2 others and none of them are opening/re-opening because of a lack of funding for day to day operations.

    But we keep electing idiots to manage our tax dollars.

    Oh and “T” – if they aren’t opening it, I”m seriously doubting they won’t need a cleaning service.

  20. listening on February 15th, 2011 7:11 am

    We need to cut spending true – and we are also trying to expand services – that is a tough job at home, at work or form the govt. Maybe we could help with some good ideas instead of complaining…like are there enough people in the North End to develop a pool of volunteers to man the Library?

  21. whodat on February 15th, 2011 6:30 am

    Just like the new sports complex they are going to build off Bauer, no money to maintain it. Smart moves

  22. T on February 15th, 2011 6:10 am

    Does anyone know if they will hiring for a cleaning contract? Or will they be taking bids?

  23. Cheryl on February 15th, 2011 6:00 am

    Just wondering why this day to day funding issue wasn’t figured out before throwing money at it. Hope it works out.

  24. Century girl on February 15th, 2011 2:09 am

    Same old same old thing! Why is this not surprising?