Republicans not wanting to fund libraries is part of their plan to make the next generation illiterate. That is why they are banning books too.
By all means put the library IN the rec centre! Public Third Spaces are important, and having a library in the same building as hockey or the Y just makes it more accessible. Imagine dropping one kid at practice and taking the other across the hall to read while you wait. Imagine picking up books after you have your workout. Imagine studying for a few hours and then going for a swim before you head home.
This is the John Harper branch of the Waterloo Public Library. I wrote a book and did job applications on the left, and then went up to that gym on the right to walk around the indoor track. Parking was free. The library was free. The YMCA had subsidized rates.
