I have been writing a bi-weekly column for the Cedar Street Times and its predecessor, The Pacific Grove Hometown Bulletin, since 2007. Although the content of my column sometimes varies, it mainly focuses upon aspects of estate planning. I am often asked – and I sometimes wonder myself – if I will ever run out of topics about which to write! However, there always seems to be something new that I can say about this vast and highly nuanced area of the law. Indeed, being able to apply complex legal concepts to a host of varied applications requires an almost infinite infrastructure of knowledge, the pursuit of which never ends. While that can sometimes feel daunting, I am encouraged by a famous quote from Albert Einstein: “The only thing that you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.”
As an English major in college and then as a law student, I have spent a good amount of time in libraries. Although I did most of my studying in my room, if I needed to focus on a particular project, the library was a perfect setting. I remember one time in law school I became overwhelmed with the technical aspects of the law that I was studying. I wandered into the university’s main library and found mental and emotional relief in the warm and fuzzy pictures of paintings from the Hudson River School artists in the Art History section. The ability of a library to take you to other places, both literally and figuratively, is truly a treasure.
After law school, I studied for the Bar Exam at the Pacific Grove Public Library, returning to the same building where as a child my grandmother and mother took me to check out books to begin my lifetime journey of learning. Libraries are indeed the cornerstone to any democratic community and our community of Pacific Grove has been fortunate enough to have had a centralized location for accessible knowledge for over 110 years.
The Pacific Grove Public Library has gone through many changes and developments since its establishment. Currently, the Friends of the Library, the Library Foundation, the Pacific Grove City Council, the Library Board, and community volunteers have joined together to raise funds to make a substantial renovation to our beloved community library. The Pacific Grove Public Library website outlines the highlights of the renovation:
“Preserving Our Community’s Past
• Reveal and refinish the 1908 Carnegie rotunda.
• Restore and connect the historic “heart” of the Library
• Create a central history space to preserve and display our irreplaceable local archives.
Enhancing the Present
• Provide comfortable, accessible, and welcoming community spaces to support early literacy, lifelong learning and information access for all ages and abilities through children’s services, internet access, study groups, small and large meetings, and public programs.
• Update restrooms, carpeting, shelving, and fixtures
• Improve usability and accessibility with a new central service desk, upgraded and energy-efficient lighting, improved lighting and way finding.
Preparing for our Community’s Future
• Improve and expand connectivity and infrastructure for 21st century technology needs.
• Provide flexible spaces to support quiet reading, group study, programs, and meeting.
• Ensure the renewed Library meets the needs of generations to come.”
I think this is an exciting project for our community and I look forward to taking my son to see the completed renovation in the fall of 2019. I will remind him that as long as value is placed on access to information, including the support of a local library, there is no limit to the amount of knowledge that one can acquire.
KRASA LAW, Inc. is located at 704-D Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove, California and Kyle may be reached at 831-920-0205.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. Reading this article does not establish an attorney/client relationship. Before taking any action on any of the information presented in this article, you should consult a competent attorney who is licensed to practice law in your community.