And in the last year, through numerous community and public council meetings, the choices have been narrowed down to two, with the council split on which they will choose next month.

Broadway Bound

The two sites currently under consideration are an expansion of the current Broadway site, and a completely new site on Prospect Street near Central Square.

All the library trustees as well as several members of the council support expansion of the current site on Broadway as the best option.

Proponents of the site say the current location is logical because it has served as the site for so long.

"The city owns the site already," says Councillor David P. Maher. " It's a prestigious building in a serene setting."

Trustee James Roosevelt Õ68 says the library makes a "civic statement" on how Cantabrigians value learning and knowledge.

The current location has "a park-like setting that provides a dignity and a repose for knowledge that people consider appropriate for a major library," he says.

Other supporters add that having a library next to the high school is in keeping with the vision of Frederick H. Rindge, who donated the land where the current library stands and who is the namesake of CRLS.

"The original idea of the construction was as an educational campus with the school and the library," says Vincent L. Dixon, a supporter of the Broadway site.

The site is also located in the geographic center of the city, with major neighborhood areas nearby.

"If you look at a map, it's at the center of the city, not Central Square," Maher says.

Good Prospects?

But supporters of the Central Square site at Prospect Street decry several problems with expanding the location at Broadway. They say the current location is inconvenient, served by only two city bus lines. By contrast, six lines and the Red Line serve Central Square.

"What's the point of building a library no one can get to?" questions Karen Carmean, a former member of the Library 21 committee, who supports the Central Square site.

For many people, there is no other reason to go along Broadway Street, says Sara Mae Berman. Berman supports the Prospect Street site, in part because Central Square is more central to most people's lives.

"You can do other things there, it doesn't have to be a dedicated trip. You can go to the bank, go to the supermarket or pay your bills at City Hall," she says.