I am sad to see Borders downtown go. Why? Because I am going to miss having a place to relax and browse through “free” books while enjoying a cup of coffee, composing an e-mail, studying for an exam, collaborating with friends, or imagining a new start up.

Where should we go now? How about the public library!

Imagine sitting down in your public library and purchasing a fresh cup of coffee from the Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company or a pastry from Kelly’s French Bakery. You could browse an enhanced collection of digital books or audiobook through the Northern California Digital Library while enjoying complimentary internet access. Collaborate with coworkers or your study group in one of the library’s private conference rooms. Compose music, join a local book club or rent a new release movie. Or, as they have done in Oakland, check out a drill press to complete a home project through the library’s tool lending program.

This is the perfect opportunity to expand the reach and potential of our library system. Instead of lamenting a lack of funds to support our library,  lets create them. We need to re-define what it means to be a public library by creating a safe, clean, extremely modern environment that brings 21’st century technology and collaboration into an aging system.

This is the future of a cohesive and ever more connected community. Santa Cruz has a wonderful opportunity to create a blueprint for change, and if we do we can rejoice in a world without “Borders”.