Senate President Vargrave Richards and Sen. Lorraine Berry have expressed concerns in recent days about the territory's libraries.
In a press release Tuesday, Richards said he has submitted an amendment to the fiscal year 2000 Omnibus Act to secure $1 million from the Youth Education and Training Endowment Fund to buy books, periodicals, computers and other resource materials for the territory's public libraries.
Berry asked Gov. Charles W. Turnbull Wednesday to take advantage of an opportunity to use the space above Office Max in Tutu Park Mall as a satellite St. Thomas library. She made reference to a "special arrangement" that would allow the government to use the second story of the building at no charge.
"The installation of library service in their midst, a haven of learning for their children, would go a long way in impressing the fact upon residents that your administration wants very much to do what is possible when it's possible," Berry told the governor.
She said she was sure the Friends of the Enid M. Baa Library and others would volunteer to help with the project.
However, members of the friends group say a big problem is that there is no territorial head librarian.
"It's like buying a car and having no one to drive it," said Bill Grogan, a community volunteer interested in helping improve the territory's libraries.
Richards said, "Our public libraries are in desperate need of being updated. Because our schools often lack adequate resources, students look to the public libraries as a vital resource in preparing homework assignments and projects."
