Sad Day Here

April 6th, 2007 at 05:13 pm

Well, today is the day.

All of our county libraries are closing this afternoon due to lack of funding.

Inconceivable.

Even more absurd is that there are people who HONESTLY FEEL that libraries are unnecessary--afterall, we have the internet...

I think many had hoped/believed it wouldn't come to this.
But it is here...today.

I feel as though I am losing a good friend.
I have two books that need to go back today...1984 and a great Shorthand reference book that Ive been practicing with...neither of which I would have preferred using the internet for.

and I wont even start on the value of storytime for my grandkids...

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2007/0406/local/stories/l...

Posted in general thoughts | 25 Comments »

25 Responses to “Sad Day Here”

Elly Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 05:20 pm 1175880029
1175880029

Wow. That's depressing. I'm sorry to hear it.
rduell Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 05:48 pm 1175881688
1175881688

As a librarian, that really makes me sad. It is true that lots of people believe that the internet can take the place of libraries though. What a loss for your county.
JanH Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 05:54 pm 1175882076
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That's so incredibly sad! I can't imagine a world without libraries!
Cheetahwoman7 Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 06:19 pm 1175883555
1175883555

Same thing happened in my town...made national news. Why? Because I live in the hometown of John Steinbeck! His bronze statue graces the front entry way of the main library.

The city had a "ralley" to raise the local taxes by 1/2 of a percent and what happened? It passed and then they (the powers that be) decided to use the money to help fund the police and fire departments!!!!

What an uproar that has caused! They are suppose to increase the total hours of the three libraries from 30 hours a week to 60 before summer. Now, that's not from 30 hours per branch to 60, but from 30 hours COMBINED to 60 hours COMBINED!

Makes me cry just thinking about how great my childhood was being able to walk down to the local branch just about any time I wanted to pick up some books or sit in a private corner absorbed by the story in my hands.

Hope you and your community find a way to get the libraries back open.
Broken Arrow Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 06:27 pm 1175884076
1175884076

Wow, didn't know that. The libraries here (or at least the one I go to) are alive and well. In fact, they've upgraded with free internet and looks like a cafe. It's a great freebie place to hang out.
Ima saver Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 08:03 pm 1175889794
1175889794

That is just awful!
LdyFaile Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 08:51 pm 1175892668
1175892668

Oh how sad! My first ever real job was in the county library shelving books. Actually those libraries got cut way back and even closed for a while because the money that was supposed to be going to them as a Carnegie library got grafted. Though last I checked they're back up and running as a County library.
monkeymama Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 09:31 pm 1175895081
1175895081

Wow!!! Just wow.

We love our library so much. Sometimes I am amazed it is still around - so under-utilizied and under-funded, etc.
fairy74 Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 09:40 pm 1175895616
1175895616

That is so sad. We were really poor when I was little and the library was like a free wonderland, I spent so many happy hours there....wow, that is just too bad..
scfr Says:
April 6th, 2007 at 10:08 pm 1175897325
1175897325

Oh my goodness ... What sad news. I still visit the library regularly, and I also have happy memories of passing hours there on hot summer days as a child.
laceshawl Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 01:54 am 1175910894
1175910894

I feel for you. We have great libraries here. A couple years ago some idiot on the Council (a local businessman) started moaning about the cost and wanted to introduce charges. A smart reporter took him to the library during the school vacation and showed him all the young people checking out piles of books, then asked him what he thought the results would be on businesses if the teens had less money because of paying for books. Also, what he thought teens from poor families might do if they weren't hanging round reading. He was speechless - he had truly not thought that so many people still loved to read. BTW, our library was also founded by donation from Carnegie. Wasn't he a poor boy who educated himself through libraries and went on to become such a successful businessman? The irony!
Nic Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 04:34 pm 1175963667
1175963667

Wow, and we just built a new one here in St. George,Utah to replace the smaller library. This is truly sad. Are the townspeople not motivated enough to save it? Perhaps volunteer their time and services?
Lux Living Frugalis Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 04:49 pm 1175964598
1175964598

What a HORRIBLE shame!!!! I would feel like somebody had sucker punched me right in the gut! Are you folks raising cain w/your council, committee, County commissioners, etc?? Let your voices be heard. Start a citizens action committee or something!! OH MY!!! I'm Flabbergasted!!!

I'm always after Hubster and my kids to vote for library funding when it comes up on the ballots! Just because THEY don't use it DIRECTLY as much doesn't mean that it isn't a great thing for our community!!

Speaking of which I just want to remind everyone here that most all libraries have a reference desk that you can phone into and get answers for all kinds of questions. Try it sometime!
PauletteGoddard Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 05:22 pm 1175966573
1175966573

That's appalling. How is the community (which includes people without Internet access) to thrive and prosper without a knowledge commons?
Lux Living Frugalis Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 05:25 pm 1175966718
1175966718

Right Paulette, the public computers at my two local branches are always packed with people using them to connect to the internet!! Where will these people go who may not have the finances to buy their own system? GRRRRR---ARRRGH!!!
katwoman Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 07:07 pm 1175972823
1175972823

Shame! Just, shame on them.
homebody Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 09:06 pm 1175980014
1175980014

Very sad. Our libraries had to cut hours a few years back, so far, so good.
LuckyRobin Says:
April 8th, 2007 at 05:30 am 1176010220
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Libraries are so important here that one branch near us was built entirely with donated money. Not money donated from some big corporate entity but from people pitching $5 or $10 in the kitty. It wasn't huge, it was about 1600 square feet, and it had two computers you could access the internet on, but they would borrow books from other libraries if they were available. It has taken them another 5 years but they are now adding on and doubling the size of this branch. This time they got a $100,000 matching grant from the government to match the $100,000 raised in the community.

Coming fom this area, it is hard for me to imagine one that doesn't understand the importance of libraries. They will understand it in about ten years when test scores of the current crop of elementary schools are down because of the inability to study real information in a hands on and tactile way. Of course, then it will be too late.
Miclason Says:
April 8th, 2007 at 04:25 pm 1176049514
1176049514

That is sad news...
Thrifty Ray Says:
April 8th, 2007 at 06:49 pm 1176058162
1176058162

Yes guys...and now it is reality. I stopped by Barnes and Nobles yesterday and found so many books that I would have normally gone home and requested from the library...and now I am stuck with either buying or not reading...I am appalled that our community has allowed this to happen...

Believe me, there are lots of voices being raised at this unjustice---it's just, getting action taken now that the libraries are shut down is the problem...the librarians work this next week reshelving and closing out the books...then they are all unemployed...and our children are left without a reading outlet.
Lux Living Frugalis Says:
April 8th, 2007 at 11:22 pm 1176074531
1176074531

I feel for you - I have 16 books on request right now - 2 on long term holds I think I'm number 40 or something on the list and the other I'm number 12 in line, but 13 are on the shelf waiting for me on Monday and 1 is in transit. I'll be popping online tomorrow to see if #14 made it over and then running down and picking them up! Ahhhhhh....fresh book juice to savor!!

It is such a shame as I do exactly as you do...I peruse around in the stores, on B&N website, and Amazon, etc., and then order the interesting things to be delivered to my local branch. Then I buy if it's worth a couple of re-reads.

I would miss it horribly if it went away!!

I'm so sorry this is happening to your community and those poor librarians! UGH!!!
librarylady Says:
April 9th, 2007 at 10:12 pm 1176156772
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Library lady is mourning your loss.
Can't imagine a world without libraries!
It sounds positively inhuman.
The internet is awhole other resource for information. In my library, when there is a possible copy of an electronic book, the patron usually will want the print copy instead.
Nothing like being able to hold a book.
Nothing.
Carolina Bound Says:
April 10th, 2007 at 10:26 am 1176200808
1176200808

I can't imagine having to buy books. I guess you can check out Goodwill and garage sales. I'm a former librarian, too, and I know the woes of library budgets. I couldn't afford to live on the salary. Closings sadden me, but don't surprise me. I just hope it doesn't happen here -- or in Carolina! Is there a nearby community that still has a library?
kashi Says:
April 20th, 2007 at 04:55 pm 1177088147
1177088147

Ridiculous. I can't imagine living in a world without libraries. What is wrong with people??
SicilyYoder Says:
April 24th, 2007 at 11:12 pm 1177456365
1177456365

Thats so sad- I do booksignings at libraries and love them.

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Sad Day Here

25 Responses to “Sad Day Here”

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