Mel Katz, chair of the San Diego Public Library Commission, views a model of the Downtown library.

What a wonderful time for the city of San Diego to finally realize its goal of building a new main library. Once finished, it will anchor and enhance the entire public library system along with Downtown redevelopment. San Diegans should make a collective New Year’s resolution to start construction this year.

Why now? After almost 30 years, we have never been in a better position to realize this dream. We have the land, which is being cleared, we have a great design and completed working drawings, and we have 56 percent of the construction costs in hand.

Yes, it will cost $185 million to build, but those funds will come from private philanthropists, dedicated redevelopment funds and the state. Not one cent will come from the city’s general fund, or existing or new bond obligations. This is Mayor Jerry Sanders’ condition for support and it is one the San Diego Public Library Commission and San Diego Public Library Foundation wholeheartedly accept.

Yes, operating and maintenance costs will be increase. Today, the annual cost to run the the sorely outdated, inadequate central library at Eighth Avenue and E Street is $7.6 million, projected to rise to $8.7 million in 2009. Running the new main library in 2009 will cost $11 million a year, with the $2.3 million difference completely covered by new revenue. The new funds include, but are not limited to, lease of the 77,000 square feet on the sixth and seventh floors, parking fees (the first two hours are free), a bookstore and café, and rental of spaces such as the auditorium and courtyard. Get married at the new main library? What a perfect way to start a new chapter.

The new main won’t affect the city’s ability to bond, to manage its budget or to solve its very real fiscal crisis. That is a commitment library supporters are making to the city and people of San Diego.

Does Anyone Go There?

Some people think libraries are dinosaurs when nothing could be further from the truth. People love their libraries.

In 2004, the city’s public libraries had 6.5 million visits – more than the total number of visitors to SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo combined – with 770,000 of those visits to the Downtown central library. Those numbers increase every year. Why? Because libraries are relevant.

San Diego’s central library was opened in 1954 to accommodate a citywide population of less than 450,000. Today, that population has more than tripled and the library is the same size. Downtown is one the region’s fastest-growing residential areas with nearly 30,000 residents and a population expected to triple by 2020. Its residents deserve, and will use, a first-class library.

Why Have A Main At All?

Do we even need a main library in today’s world? Again, more than ever.

Across the United States, main libraries are arts and culture centers that far surpass individual branches. They host musical performances, readings, art and other exhibits. They have the most experienced, talented and broadly knowledgeable staff. And they are the primary location for business and government documents (e.g., patents).

Branches — which everyone supports — are only as good as their mains. Knowledge is best managed around a hub or central library. Centralization is essential for larger collections and research activities, and Downtown is the best place for that, being the unarguable center of commerce and government.

Mains, like the downtowns in which they are sited, are experiencing a renaissance and reflect their cities. Nationally, mains are centers of learning, literacy and culture, as well as landmarks. And, critically for public access, they need to be in areas of high activity, convenient to public transit.

Isn’t The Internet The Answer?

Many people say we don’t need libraries when we have the Internet. That is a very superficial view.

Here’s what you can access on the Internet: One-half of one percent of 110 million Library of Congress items, 8 percent of journals, very little material that is more than 15 years old and almost no books.

More than 68,000 books are published in the United States alone each year, yet only about 17,000 books have been digitized by Project Gutenberg. We will never catch up. Even if we were to try, the cost of digitizing is prohibitive and required capacity would be excessive.

Modern libraries are hybrids, blending the best of analog and digital worlds. Consider this — more people learn how to use the Internet at libraries than anywhere else. For those without access at work, school or home, libraries are the primary place to access the Internet. It is not either-or, and it never will be.

Still an Internet advocate? OK, here’s more. You can’t search everything on the Internet regardless of your search strategy. Only 30 percent of what is online is indexed by search engines and the rest is difficult to access.

The Year Of The Library

The most compelling arguments against this project are one-sided and relatively easy to counter. Why? Because we have been working on this, in all sorts of city contexts, for a long time. That is why the City Council unanimously approved the overall public library plan to improve or build 23 branch libraries and the new main, and approved the finance plan. It is why Mayor Sanders has voiced his support.

Together, we can make 2006 the year of the library. Let’s do it — to help restore San Diego’s civic pride and benefit citizens of all stripes in the name of literacy and lifelong learning.

Mel Katz is chairman of the San Diego Public Library Commission, a director of the San Diego Public Library Foundation and co-owner of Manpower.