This week residents will decide whether to back public financing for the expansion of the Scarborough Public Library.

This expansion, which would nearly double the size of the library, is worth the $6.75 million investment, of which the library plans to raise $1.5 million through private donations. A good library can improve the quality of life for residents in any town, and those who planned the expansion of Scarborough’s library made sure the new library here would include something for everyone.

For adults, this plan includes space for quiet reading, away from high-traffic and noisy areas. It also includes a comfortable reading room with a fireplace, where patrons can read library materials as though they were sitting in their living room.

For teenagers, the new library would have an enclosed space of about 700 square feet, with computers and space for group studying. It will also have quiet study rooms for solitary studying or tutoring.

For young children, the new library is designed to allow them to make a little noise without disturbing adults who are reading quietly nearby. The new children’s space would only enhance programs already offered there, such as “Kindertales,” “Pajamarama” and “Toddler Time.”

The new library would also give patrons better access to technology. Similar to the supermarket, the library would have an “express zone,” where patrons could check their e-mail quickly and move on to allow other users to get on the computer. It would also have computers dedicated for patrons to use for longer periods of time and more wireless access for laptops.

All of this would add up to a library that is a vast improvement over the one the town has now. That would make Scarborough a more attractive place to live and do business. It would supplement the work that teachers do in the schools and give adults and children a place to gather. In short, it’s a worthy investment.

Get connected

Cape Elizabeth voters will be voting Tuesday on whether they want their town to be connected, but not to the Internet or movers and shakers in Augusta. They’ll be voting on whether they want to be connected to each other.

The vote was prompted by a group called Neighbors for Sensible Development, which formed in opposition to a 42-unit subdivision known as Spurwink Woods. Residents living near the development were worried the new roads for the subdivision would connect Killdeer Road and Dermot Drive, thereby bridging the arterials of Spurwink Avenue and Dermot Drive and bringing more traffic to their quiet neighborhood.

The group started gathering signatures on what they called a “no short-cuts” petition. The idea of banning shortcuts, however, challenged a concept town planners had been relying on for years – “connectivity.”

Connectivity is the practice of connecting existing streets and neighborhoods with new roads, which seems like a good way to plan a community. It makes it easier to get around town, distributes traffic to many roads rather than a few and allows emergency vehicles to access neighborhoods quicker.

Opponents have argued that they don’t want more traffic coming down their streets because it endangers children playing in neighborhoods and threatens the tranquility of their quiet, suburban homes. While the desire to keep traffic off their streets is understandable, it would seem as though connecting neighborhoods is better for the whole community, and the resulting traffic in a town the size of Cape Elizabeth can’t be that bad.

Whether you agree with us or not, residents should get out and vote on June 13. The outcomes of these elections will have direct impact on the lives of everyone who lives in these communities.

Brendan Moran, editor