Needy Readers

IN THE AFTERMATH of the devastating fire at the Georgetown public library, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) acted swiftly and boldly. His promise to rebuild the historic library "as quickly as possible" is admirable. It's also -- if you live in Anacostia, Benning Heights, Shaw or Tenleytown -- infuriating. Libraries in these neighborhoods have been shut for more than two years, and the city's lack of urgency is as evident as it is appalling.

The role a public library plays in the life of a community cannot be overstated. It could be seen in the stricken faces of Georgetown residents as they assessed the damage caused by last week's three-alarm fire. An anchor for the community -- a place to gather and learn -- was suddenly gone. Mr. Fenty wants to restore library services without delay. He's pledged to do whatever it takes to rebuild. He said the city, if need be, would use surplus tax revenue. There's a chance a firm that was renovating the building may be responsible for some part of the cost, since it appears one of its workers accidentally started the fire.

Mr. Fenty's stirring call to action struck a nerve in places without permanent neighborhood libraries. Why is the city so quick to help out prosperous Georgetown when it's been so sluggish in other places, particularly less-influential neighborhoods across the river? An interim Anacostia library only recently opened, while users of the Benning library are still waiting. There is money in the capital budget to rebuild these four neighborhood libraries but real plans have yet to be drawn up. The answer, of course, is not to punish Georgetown residents for the omissions of the past. No one is served by that historic building standing charred and abandoned.

Still, it would be a slap in the face to the people who use the Anacostia, Benning Heights, Shaw and Tenleytown libraries if Georgetown progresses while their needs go unanswered. The still-new Fenty administration cannot be faulted for past failures, but the mayor needs to do a better job of articulating his administration's commitment to ensuring quality library services for every community. There is $181 million in the six-year capital budget for 23 neighborhood library improvement projects, and Mr. Fenty has proposed increasing the library's operating budget. A new director, Ginnie Cooper, is at work with good ideas and boundless energy.

All those resources are needed to truly reshape a library system so troubled it is an embarrassment. Too much time and too many opportunities for worthwhile library projects have been squandered -- which is just as damaging as any fire.