If you live in Ohio, you’re in very real danger of losing your public libraries. You need to contact your legislators now to save them or else Governor Strickland’s proposed budget cuts are going to end up shutting them down.
Save Ohio’s Libraries
Save Our Library (Columbus Library)
GREETINGS
Thank you for posting “Save our Library” on your Shifted Librarian Blog. Sadly, Ohio Public, School, and Academic Libraries are experiencing a fiscal crisis.
Comment by Leta — June 24, 2009 @ 6:03 am
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for helping to highlight this urge need. It really is scary to think that libraries could close. The rally here is incredible. Let’s all hope it works.
Comment by Helene — June 24, 2009 @ 7:27 am
Tomorrow (Thursday, June 25) a rally to support Ohio’s libraries will be held at the Ohio Statehouse. For more info, go Helene Blowers’ post.
@Leta good point! Included in the official suggested cuts (pdf) are funds that go to Ohio’s touted consortium, OhioLINK–a resource that many academic institutions rely on.
Comment by Bryan Loar — June 24, 2009 @ 10:20 am
I would be more willing to support this if the libraries would put more books out and reduce the amount of multi-media materials. Our public library (Lakewood) was added onto and completely remodeled and now there are far less books and bookshelves even though the size of the library more than doubled. The new expansion is nearly all computers, quiet rooms and multi-media. I had to have a librarian go into storage to get two books I wanted and both of them had been published in the last five years and were both NY Time best sellers so it wasn’t like they were some old, obscure tomes. As far as I can see, the biggest impact if they were to close would be that Blockbuster’s business would probably triple.
Comment by GW Bahrt — June 26, 2009 @ 6:07 am
GW, I can assure you that all librarians wish we had adequate resources for more books, more multimedia, more computers, more community spaces, more programming, etc. The problem with your approach of “you’re not doing enough of what *I* want” is that there’s no way to balance that with the person next to you who’s complaining the library doesn’t have enough computers or quiet rooms.
I would be much happier paying my federal taxes if I knew that none of it had funded the Iraqi invasion and war, but life just doesn’t work that way. Community funding will never be that black and white around any issue, let alone libraries.
So the question you should really be pondering is where are you going to get the books the library *does* offer if funding is cut and your library goes away (and let’s not forget about interlibrary loan service). Because once your library is gone, it’s never coming back. Regardless of who physically retrieves the book (you or the librarian), do you want to support your library or do you want to be forced to purchase those books on your own. Never mind the computers, community spaces, kids programs, etc. – are you willing to risk losing the books that *are* there because you’re unhappy there aren’t enough of them?
Your Blockbuster analogy is an interesting one, because it also applies to books. If Ohio libraries close, bookstore business would probably triple. Do you really want commercial retailers whose bottom line is profit as your only option for books?
Since you felt strongly enough to leave a comment here, I’m guessing not. I really hope you follow through on that passion for books and act to help stop these cuts.
Comment by jenny — June 26, 2009 @ 7:44 am
it never ceases to amaze me how people will complain about a free service. mind you, those complainers are often well off enough to be buying their own books and internet connections at home. it’s the people who can’t afford these ‘luxuries’ that depend on these services, and they’re not complaining. Have you tried looking for work, paying your bills, finding a new cafe, or researching your assignments without the internet lately?
Comment by louis — July 5, 2009 @ 4:32 pm