Ohio Governor Strickland has proposed a state budget cut in which public library funding will be halved. Nearly 70% of the state's approximately 250 libraries rely solely on state funding. If this proposal is passed, libraries could face a reduction in hours, services, and possible branch closings. ------- Both of my local libraries have already been forced to cut their hours and services. Perhaps the one in the worst shape is the smaller Falling Heights Library*. Not as many people rely on its services, and so with their cut hours they have also been forced to cut their staff drastically. I am a volunteer there, working up to 18 hours a week, and without me their childrens section (of which approximately 50 kids and their families pass through daily) would be overrun. With the proposed budget cut, the Falling Heights Library will have no choice but to close its doors. The larger library in my area would more than likely stay afloat, but only because two counties depend on it. When I first heard about this proposal, I was at the front line of Falling Heights rally to petition. But some people are saying that the larger library alone would be sufficient enough and that the state's well being depends upon this cut. What do you guys think? * Name has been changed for privacy purposes.
I think it's sad if the budget gets halved, but I guess the economic recession has all state budgets seriously in the red. Makes sense it would impact the libraries. I just checked, and our library system gets nearly all of its funding from property taxes. I know for the month of May, I think, they extended the hours of the libraries by one hour to help people who were needing to use the library for job hunting (using the computers and such).
YES! Because in this economic downturn the LAST thing we need is people reading! What if the proles become educated? What if they learn skills other than manual labor? What if they THINK?!? Could you imagine the chaos that would ensue? Anyone having access to information like that, appalling! In fact, we should just close all the library doors and burn all the books...
Yea..most states are in the red and don't know which ones aren't wish I could move to one which was'nt hit so hard. I live in CA and they are ready to chop everything.
Write CALL your senator, representative, city counsel person. Tell them what that library means to the REGISTERED VOTERS in the area. Lie (oh my god did he just suggest that, lying in politics? I'd never!) about how that site is where people went to vote last time. Tell them that area is primarily filled with their SUPPORTERS. They won't fact check, but they just, might save your library.
How ironic. The CEO of Canada's largest bookstore has a plan to improve the economy by improving literacy.
Yeah, but he plans to stimulate the economy by getting people to BUY books. Closing the libraries is part of his Master Plan!
Are libraries becoming obsolete due to the internet? Perhaps libraries need to reconstruct their mission to become more relevent, hence, necessary. As far as cutting of government supported services in California, it's about time our bloated government learned fiscal limitation. Spend. Spend. Spend . . . without regard for state income. Idiots in the state legislator. More idiots keep voting the idiots into power. Thinking about closing my business and leaving the state.
Here in Puerto Rico, the present governor Luis Fortuño has done just that. More than 3000 (3000!!) unnecessary, bureaucratic, government jobs have been eliminated. Needless to say, the island is in an uproar.
You know, it wouldn't surprise me if that was part of the problem with America's libraries, and one reason why Toronto's have stays to successful. Even when I go to Kingston, there will still be plenty of services I can still use through the Toronto Public Library's Web site. Not to mention tuning into the city's needs and creating programs for them. It's really awesome: www.torontopubliclibrary.ca
Well, I just got off from my volunteer shift at the library about half an hour ago. The librarians are really frazled. According to our director, the vote was susposed to take place in a session on Saturday. It then got postponed until Sunday, then today at 7:00 pm (EST) tonight. It was really unnerving to hear the librarians whispering amongst themselves. Just sitting at my desk I could hear snatches of their conversations. If they loose their jobs, most of them have nowhere to go. Our community is small, a rural community, with almost no job opportunities. I wonder if I'll have a volunteer shift to go to on Thursday. If the vote comes for the library to close, it will be effective immediately.
Star_fire, one of the local libraries in my area might also be closed. The one closest to me is the biggest in the area. So, it will reamain open. I haven't heard about nay new hours yet, but I have my son in the summer reading prog. I doubt they will have it next year, with all the cuts. I think it is really sad.
The last time I went to the library closest to me, I was surprised to find that they still had a summer reading program. My sister volunteers there, and they've had budget cut after budget cut, reducing hours, raising fines, etc... It stinks that it's things like libraries and school that are some of the first places to take massive budget cuts when there are problems with money.
