PHYSICAL PLANT. The ninety-two year old Forest Park Library was built in 1909 on land which, a sign over the entrance tells us, was donated by neighborhood residents. From a subtle change in the color of brick on the exterior South wall, it appears that the stacks area and the children's room were an early addition. The most recent physical improvement, in addition to repairs made last winter under pressure from the neighborhood, was the basement community room completed in 1976 with Bicentennial funds. No part of the Forest Park Library is handicapped accessible. A preliminary architectural survey done for the Civic Association assures us that an up-to-date library, with some off street parking, and adequate to meet neighborhood needs could be provided in our historic building on its existing site. Librarian Emily Bader has told the Forest Park Civic Association that the Forest Park branch will, at some future date, be up-graded in a construction package which will include East Springfield and Liberty Heights branches which are about the same age.

QUESTION: Why have libraries built in the fifties and sixties been expanded and renovated and their hours increased while our much older, less-accessible library has been passed over and is closed four days a week?

FINANCES. Efforts to learn the hourly operating cost and/or obtain the annual operating budget for the Forest Park Library began in 1995 and have proven to be fruitless. The Springfield Library and Museums Association maintains that as a private non-profit organization it need not disclose this information.

QUESTION: Why do Springfield politicians give the Springfield Library and Museums Association an annual unrestricted gift instead of drawing up a contract specifying what services they expect for OUR money? Why do they pamper a vendor which refuses to be accountable to the public?

COST EFFECTIVENESS. The per capita contribution of Springfield citizens to the Springfield Library and Museums Association from municipal taxes is about $50. Multiplying $50. times 26,000 (the population of the Forest Park neighborhood) tells us that our neighborhood contributes $1.2 million to the Springfield Library and Museums Association. In addition, many Forest Park families are members of the Association, are donors to its fund raising appeals, and volunteer in library branches and museums and serve on association advisory committees.

QUESTION: Given our neighborhood's contributions and the needs of our wide range of residents, why is our branch library open only 27 hours per week and closed on Saturdays? Why are Forest Park residents getting such a feeble bang for our buck?