Thanksgiving in Myrtle Beach

Thanksgiving is the time for opening our hearts, thinking of family, and helping those less fortunate. How about going the step further and gifting our community with a venue to be enjoyed and treasured by Myrtle Beach residents, young and old, for generations to come?

What is more precious for parents and grandparents than to see their children and grandchildren excel in their chosen life endeavors? To see our children pay their own bills, provide for their future families, to be challenged by their failures, and to rejoice in their successes is what we strive for. Ask yourself, what will provide this? The healthy answer stimulates minds, provokes wonder and knowledge for business and personal success.

The key to any successful community is its library, and in our case Chapin Memorial Library. Have you visited this Myrtle Beach jewel lately, or utilized the many stimulating, fun and educational programs offered?

You may ask yourself, how will this benefit me? Your life and future well-being is your answer. Chapin Library has treasures beyond words with Myrtle Beach history, a top-rated and wonderful children’s library, connections to the world, Horry County family histories, Internet links and local communication networks for old and young alike. It is hard to believe that you could find all that knowledge and learning in one place in Myrtle Beach. But Chapin Memorial Library, almost 75 years old, needs your help to continue to serve curious and knowledgeable visitors and tourists.

In the last year a $52 million construction bond was passed by Horry County Council and four -- four -- new libraries built or modernized in the county. Included are the Conway library, North Myrtle Beach library, Surfside Beach library, and Carolina Forest library. Also, plans are in the making for a new library in Bucksport, and I am sure you all know where it is located. With funding for these new libraries County Council has seen the light and knows what will improve our county work force, educate our children, provide employment advice and direction, and stimulate our tourist trade for Horry County.

Moral and financial support for Chapin Memorial Library is lacking or under-budgeted. Three years ago, Horry County allocated around $100,000, a pittance, per year to Chapin Memorial Library and that is compared to the $4.5 million paid for each new county library this past year. This year Horry County allocated $10,000 to Chapin Memorial Library, which they are supposed to support according to South Carolina state statutes. Our county elected officials seem to be taking care of everything in Horry County outside of the city of Myrtle Beach very well.

The obvious answer, as you can guess, is not cheap. A new city library is needed. The existing Chapin Library, the oldest, county-wide library facility, is technically not up-to-date for the 21st century. It has poor security, inadequate heating and cooling, limited parking, and poor access for its patrons. It could be so much more and provide a multitude of services as requested and expected by resident and visitor alike.

Why not a new Chapin Memorial Library? The existing Chapin library is part, parcel and history of Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand. Why not honor and protect and thus serve our residents and visitors? We have a new state-of-the-art baseball stadium, a new $7.2 million baseball field complex at the old Air Force Base, a refurbished Doug Shaw Stadium (with a state-of-the-art scoreboard and sound system), a new downtown boardwalk, new streetscapes, an expanded airport and roads galore. Why can’t we afford a new Chapin library? Why don’t we give ourselves a timely, needed new library? Why not now or in the near future?

Give thanks to yourselves and help future generations, our children, and our grandparents. Help and support our visitors. Give yourselves a holiday gift. Protect the jewel in the treasure chest and make it better, Chapin Memorial Library.

The writer is president of the Friends of Chapin Memorial Library