By Angie Vogt, political commentary

Former Speaker of the House (1977-1987) Tip O’Neill once quipped, “All politics is local.”

The implication is that public policy somehow touches everyone. So, getting involved in policy decisions on a local level is key to a healthy, functioning democracy.

I witnessed the wonder of local democracy in action Oct. 29 during a meeting at the Federal Way Regional Library. The meeting was a community forum for local citizens to see first hand the beginning stages of an exciting 10,000-square-foot addition to the library.

My, how fast the years pass. It seems like only yesterday the 25,000-square-foot library was open and dedicated for public use. It almost seemed too big and ambitious for our young city. By the time my family moved here in 1993, the library was a bustling center of learning, community interaction and a popular meeting place for study groups, tutors, arts and entertainment presentations, book clubs and countless other worthy public service activities. In more recent years, it has become rather crowded and in constant demand.

This past Monday night, we were treated to the preliminary vision of the architect group, Mithun, whose design team is eager to solicit ideas and input from our community. About 50 citizens were there, including the mayor, superintendent of schools, school board members, parents, grandparents, students and teachers.

As in any major building project, there are concerns. First are always budgetary constraints and the unpredictable nature of construction costs, which have seen sharp increases over the years. Will we have to lower our expectations as costs rise, perhaps settling for 8,000 square feet instead of 10,000?

Another concern had to do with the decision to dedicate the budget to new space, such as more meeting rooms, more efficient interior design and some much-needed upgrades to the existing space. This means not much, if any, money will be spent on increasing the book collection, but instead would be entirely dedicated to better workspace solutions, such as separating study and work areas where silence is preferred, from the more interactive meeting areas that tend to be noisier and more active. Some people want to see at least some money spent on more shelves and an increase in the actual collection of books and materials.

Bill Ptacek, the director of King County Library Board of Trustees, gave a dynamic explanation that with our incredibly efficient system of accessing the entire countywide collection via the internet, libraries today are less focused on “warehousing books” and more about creating community interaction, study space and an overall “library experience.”

In many cases, we are better served by having access to materials via Internet library services, as it is much easier to keep reference materials updated and readily accessible across the county.

Perhaps the biggest concern expressed was the need to close down the library during construction, projected to last between 12 and 18 months. This seems to be a necessity, in terms of safety, and to keep the construction schedule on track without interruptions from daily operation concerns.

School board member Dave Larson and Superintendent Tom Murphy both expressed concern about the hardship this closure would place on our student population, which relies on the library for computer access and study materials during the school year. Larson suggested that the library staff form a citizen committee that could examine ways to mitigate the hardship, perhaps operating the library at a separate site. This poses a budgetary problem, as operating the library during construction would divert much-needed construction funds to daily operation.

Consider this an appeal to any readers who may have ideas or resources to offer. Perhaps somebody has a building or office space they could donate as a temporary library site. Construction is expected to last a minimum of one year, more likely 18 months. Submit any ideas or suggestions to bondconstruction@kcls.org or call (425) 369-3301.

Federal Way resident Angie Vogt: vogt.e@comcast.net.