Where The Newspaper Stands

June 05, 2006

What counts

Newport News and Hampton need to beef up library funding

Great communities achieve that status, in part, because they provide great amenities, sufficiently great to entice people to move there and keep them from moving away. Among those amenities must be public libraries.

Communities that are trying to boost their "greatness" quotient and the appeal that goes with it -- Hampton and Newport News among them -- would do well to take that lesson to heart. The quality of its public libraries says much about how a city or county views itself -- and its residents. A strong investment in public libraries says, "This is a place for people who care about learning, who use information and knowledge, who want resources to support their children's education."

It takes more than building high-priced houses -- something Hampton and Newport News want to do more of -- to attract affluent, educated residents. It also takes great libraries.

They can't be had on the cheap. But Hampton spends just $18.61 per capita on its libraries (based on fiscal year 2005), and the consequences show up in its collections, facilities and operations. Newport News is only a little more generous, spending $23.71 per person. These numbers trail other Virginia cities, including Richmond, Norfolk, Roanoke, Lynchburg and Petersburg. And they don't compare well with $33.78 spent by York County or the $50.07 per person Poquoson puts aside for libraries.

Not surprisingly, Newport News and, even more so, Hampton, trail the state in the number of items per capita in their collections, with Hampton's count only two-thirds of the average. And it's also not surprising that a service that rates public libraries based on a number of factors (circulation, staffing, materials, reference service and funding) put both Hampton and Newport News well below the state average.

In these parts, the gold standard is the Williamsburg Regional Library. It has not only more bountiful collections, but the staff and facilities to match. It's wildly popular, not just as a place to check out books but also for its technology and all the events it hosts. It is, truly, a vibrant center of stimulation and culture, the nexus of a strong community, responsive to the needs of the residents who flock to the area. And it represents a significant commitment for the city, James City County and York County (the library serves residents in its northern part), to the tune of $86.35 per person, the highest in the state outside Falls Church.

The Hampton City Council is finding money for its part of a new sports facility being developed with Marcellus "Boo" Williams. It devotes significant sums to recreation and to the American Theatre and downtown museums. But it also needs to correct the current shortchanging of public libraries.

Newport News, too, is well below the state average in per-capita library funding.

As these two cities pursue their goals of luring more affluent residents, they need to remember: Libraries -- like schools, recreational facilities and cultural amenities -- say a lot about what kind of communities they are. And choosy home-shoppers listen. *

A lament

When local businesses are lost, so is local flavor

You don't have to be a steak lover to lament the passing of the Grate Steak in Hampton. That's because it stands for something that is lamentable: the demise of small, locally owned enterprises when big economic development projects bring new competitors to town.

The owner of the Grate Steak traces his decision to close his Hampton location, which has been popular for nearly two decades, to competition from chains. That also led to the demise of Delargy's Bistro, late of Hampton. It's easy to spot those newcomers: They're lined up around the Power Plant.

And therein lies one of the issues. Sometimes big projects such as the Power Plant -- or City Center in Newport News or High Street in Williamsburg or New Town in James City County -- have advantages that the long-standing locals can't tap into. Often those projects -- and directly or indirectly, their tenants -- receive some form of taxpayer subsidy. It could be a deal on land or a rebate on taxes or a cash incentive. And there's the marketing buzz they get as eager cities and counties play up their projects, promoting them in myriad ways.

These projects rely to a large measure on chains, for several reasons. Because their inclusion makes lenders and investors happy. Because they bring corporate marketing budgets to the table. Because it's easier to lure customers to tenants whose name they already know. Because they're popular.

That can leave nonsubsidized businesses, and particularly small and locally owned restaurants and shops, at a disadvantage.

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