THE SARA HIGHTOWER Regional Library (Rome, Cave Spring, Cedartown, Rockmart) is one of the true treasures of this region. It’s good to see a new permanent director, Delana Hickman, chosen following the retirement of Susan Cooley and better still to know she is a promotion from within, knows how it all works and what the problems are, and says she has specific ideas to improve services.

That said … hope those ideas don’t involve more money because the track record of recent years shows that the library has been a favorite target for the funding take-away game by local government. As most know, staffing and hours of operation have been sharply reduced (Boo! Hiss!) and the library’s own reserves raided to keep the doors open. Not only that but, despite its great reputation for service and having adapted to the “computer age” remarkably well, it has long had a very anemic budget for new acquisitions. What any library has pretty much always determines how often it is visited.

The huge, main Rome headquarters building probably jumpstarted all the revival in the city’s heart and remains its architectural pride and joy.

However, some may remember it wasn’t wanted by the electorate and had to sort of be snuck into town. The impression today is that the public has grown fonder of books, knowledge and such in the meantime but the funding priorities really haven’t changed.

You can’t tell the value of a book by its covers but one can sure tell the value of a library to a community by its funding support.

Ms. Hickman is going to need all the help she can get to keep the library as the vibrant community focal point of access to knowledge of all sorts. Ideas are good … hard cash would be a lot better.