I had been hearing a lot about Texas Libraries losing much of their funding. Yesterday a wonderful friend of mine who works in the library system sent me over a link from Facebook that explained it all and showed how I as a concerned library patron, and citizen could make a difference.
Some of you may think that it has nothing to do with you. You never use the library. A couple of years ago, I might have agreed with you. After finding out all the programs the libraries in town offer, the amount of ebooks and eaudios I can check out to read for my IPad, Nookcolor and IPod, the computer training, the programs for kids...I could keep typing all day. My library is like a community center. I take free knitting classes there and honestly, I wouldn't know what to do without it. The librarians there are as much of a part of the library as the books. They care about the patrons they serve and become part of their lives. I know they have become a part of mine. With the proposed budget cuts, I can't even imagine how many librarians are going to find themselves out of a job.
Our country prides itself in education and the future. What kind of future will there be without libraries? I don't want to even image it. Where anyone, no matter their economic status, can go and check out a book. Where patrons can learn about computers to further their careers. Where social knitting types like myself can go and connect with like minded individuals in a safe environment? Yes, the library I go to is attached to a school. It may not have as many budget cuts as another branch, but maybe it will be the branch you might need to go to sometime in the near future. You just never know.
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