* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          FOR MANY YEARS, 
          [00:00:02]
THIS COMMUNITY 
          [Avondale Library Groundbreaking ]
HAVE ASKED ABOUT HAVING A LIBRARY. 
          I WANT TO THANK MARK SPEARS, MY PREDECESSOR, WHO WAS ABLE TO ACQUIRE THIS LAND TO ENSURE THAT THE NEEDS OF THIS COMMUNITY WOULD BE MET WHEN WE CAME TOGETHER, PUT THE FUNDING TOGETHER AND PUT ALL OUR, ALL OF THE PARENTS' RESOURCES BEHIND IT TO ENSURE THAT THIS COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE A STATE OF THE HEART LIBRARY, ONE THAT COULD BE A BEACON OF HOPE FOR OUR CHILDREN. 
          WE OFFER VERSATILITY, AND BY VERSATILITY I MEAN WE ARE NOT JUST ABOUT THE WRITTEN WORD. 
          WE SERVICE SAFETY NETS, BUT WE ALSO ENTERTAIN AND WE EDUCATE AND WE ABOVE ALL, WE CONNECT. 
          WE ARE COMMUNITY CENTERS. 
          WE ARE MEETING SPACES, WE ARE STORY TIMES, WE ARE HOMEWORK HELP. 
          WE ARE COMPUTER CLASSES, WE ARE CRAFT PROGRAMS. AND AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, WE'RE EVEN FREE TAX HELP. 
          WE ARE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CENTERS AND WE ARE PLACES TO COMMUNE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS. 
          LIBRARIES ARE NO LONGER SIMPLY ABOUT HOUSING COLLECTIONS. 
          WE ARE ABOUT MAKING CONNECTIONS. 
          WOO. 
          TO DO IT.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.