Editor:

For those locals who think the new library area can't flood, those same thoughts were prevalent in Kaycee, Rapid City, Big Thompson Canyon, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and many other towns recently in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. The Rapids disaster was caused by a peaceful little creek.

A library supporter told me the other day in a rather testy manner that one cannot compare urban and rural libraries. I was speaking of the proposed local library and one in Naperville, Ill., rated nationally the No. 1 library for small towns by Money Magazine.

I didn't think the comparison was out of line. I recently went to a local library informational meeting where we were shown libraries from San Jose, Marin County, San Diego, Point Loma, and Coronado, among others. I'd swear these are urban areas.

Naperville (population 142,000) in Dupage County (population 800,000) has three buildings around town. They have several meeting rooms such as those planned for Casper, but their city has a shortage of public meeting places. Casper doesn't, it has a surplus of meeting areas available for public use. We don't charge for meeting room space, Naperville does, $20 to $150 per meeting, depending on users.

I find it hard to understand why taxpayers should provide space free in competition with the private sector and free enterprise system.

Naperville's latest building (73,000 square feet) was built in the mid-1990s for $15 to $16 million plus about $2 million for land.

Cheyenne recently opened a new library (fabulous according to the state treasurer) that cost $26 million.

Casper wants a library (more than 90,000 square feet) at a cost of at least $43.6 million (possibly up to $8 million more).

I realize construction costs are up but I doubt the rise we hear of is anywhere near correct, unless of course we are trying to out-do Naperville and Cheyenne. Or maybe this will be a start to californicate Wyoming.

DICK SADLER, Casper