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Yesterday I braved the heat and made my way to the library with a book that I found… four months overdue. It had been misplaced and hidden by other books. I found it about a week ago and placed it at the top of the stairs so that I would remember to take it back to the library. But Library Guilt made me ignore it for awhile. Finally, as I knew the boys were jonesing for some new books, I sucked it up and made my way to the library.
As I entered the building, I noticed a bright pink sign on the door. I stopped to read it.
The Governor has proposed a 30% reduction in Ohio library funding. This is in addition to the 15-20% reduction we are experiencing due to the slow down in tax revenues.
The Guernsey County Library will not be able to operate as we are with an approximate 50% reduction in our funding.
Please call Jennifer Garrison at 1-614-644-8728 and Jimmy Stewart at 1-614-466-8076 and request no more cuts in library funding.
Blinking, I entered the library and made my way to the desk with my overdue book and fine money in hand. One of the librarians handed me my receipt and the same paper that was hanging on the front door, informing me that I could also email my Representative. To be fair, I had not heard the news as FireDad and I had a lovely weekend together and, therefore, did not have the news on at all. After I picked up fifteen books for the boys and one book for me, I went to checkout my selections. A different librarian went on to discuss how sad the issue really is for our library system. I promised to call, to email. I did. I will.
And here, I blog.
We love our local library. Not only do they have a wide selection of books for the kids but they also have a great selection of books for me, for FireDad, for other adults like us who love to read. They also provide story time classes for all ages, infants through school age. Our library is also connected to about twenty other libraries and, as such, I can get just about any book (or movie or CD or what-have-you) that I need or desire. What happens to my reading when that is no longer available? I would choose to add books to my boys’ library over my own if it came down to it. Using the library as we do allows for borrowing and purchasing without breaking the bank. What happens when borrowing isn’t an option?
One of my first thoughts was of my friend Judy, a librarian (and blogger and mom and wife and cancer-butt-kicker, just to name a few more things). I asked for her opinion on the matter. I love having smart friends. She gave me this fabulous blog-bite to get minds rolling about why this is so important.
“These cuts will most likely close branches and libraries, shut down important library programs, reduce funding for library collections, and possibly create layoffs. At a time when people are trying to stretch their own budgets for necessary items, we need libraries to remain a vital source for them for information, books, and programs for all ages, races, and income levels. Libraries have been one place where the “playing field,” so to speak, has been level. If Strickland’s budget passes, it is very likely that the libraries that will be hit first will be the poorer and/or rural libraries. Let’s keep the playing field level for those who need it most.”
As a citizen of a city who is kind of small, kind of rural, I really don’t want for my library to close. I know I’ll make sure that new books enter my kids’ library even if something awful does happen but, trust me, not everyone in this area will have that same luxury should the doors close. Our library is needed. Just believe me.
All hope is not lost. (Or, so I have to believe.) The Ohio Library Council has created a Save Our Libraries campaign. On that page, they provide the information for how to contact your local representatives to voice your opinion and concern over this proposed cut. And the Ohio Library Council isn’t stupid; they’re asking citizens to use social media (Facebook and Twitter) to spread the word to other Ohioans. (Seriously though? That made me smile even though this whole thing makes me want to cry. I love when organizations get the power of social networking.)
What can you do? (You being an Ohio citizen?) Locate your State Representative and/or Senator and voice your concerns. Let yourself be heard. Don’t forget to contact Governor Strickland while you’re at it and (politely) tell him what your local library means to your family and your community.
Governor Ted Strickland
614-466-3555
Online Contact Form
Post a message on Governor Strickland’s Facebook page.
Then, post on your own Facebook page and your twitter: I contacted my elected officials to help save Ohio libraries and you should too. Find out more: http://www.saveohiolibraries.com.
And then? Blog about it. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Email your local friends. If you know of a local blog, contact them to have them write about it. Talk about it in your churches, at your group meetings and in your workplaces. Contact your local library and ask what you can do to help. (Pass out flyers? Do a video blog segment? Something? Anything?)
There are certain fights worth fighting. Fighting for our libraries, our books and, in essence, our children seems like a worthy fight. Let our state know that our libraries make a difference to our families, our communities and our children. Trust me, I know. There’s no money. Anywhere in the state. I have two passions when it comes to funding: my husband’s job and books. I’ll fight this fight.
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[If you are not from Ohio, could you please simply pass this on to someone you know who might be? Or Stumble it? Word needs to get out. Imagine if this was your library.]
11 Responses to “Save Ohio’s Libraries!”
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Durn if this didn’t make me weepy. Can you believe it, weepy over libraries? But sheesh, I can remember going to the library as a kid, I can remember getting the love of researching from my dad who took me up to the university library sometimes when he went, I can remember taking a class in high school about research and using all kinds of library information. Information, books, should be free. I SO strongly believe that, and always will. In a society where almost everything has a price, reading, learning, creating worlds of imagination . . . . well, that should be available to every child and adult.
Thank you for this, Jenna, a million times over.
Judy´s last blog ..this is what a happy family, without cancer, looks like
FireMom (465 comments) Reply:
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:10 am
Judy; Want to hear something funny? Do you know how I grew up in PA and swore I would never live in Ohio? We didn’t have a library. So we crossed through the tip of WV and into Ohio… and that’s where we went to the library. Ohio’s libraries have always been good to me (except for that one time I lost a book as a teenager) and I want them to remain here for my children. And their children. And, yes, I got weepy, too. And I’m not a librarian!
That’s fantastic, Jenna; your family sure had their priorities straight!
Yes, see, Ohio libraries have been at the forefront of the national libraries really — with OhioLINK and such, and cutting their budgets this way will really hurt them. And I worry most about the people who won’t have the access anymore. It’s just sad.
Judy´s last blog ..this is what a happy family, without cancer, looks like
Yep, PA libriaries (i.e. the Carnegie library system) are in the same boat. I think you’ve inspired me to blog about it, too! I’ll have to do a little research. I love, love, love the library. I depend on it for all the free books and DVDs.
thanks for the inspiration!
ciao,
rpm
red pen mama´s last blog ..Bad Habits
I think it’s important, when fighting for these issues that are important to us, that our representatives receive a slew of letters constantly telling them to keep spending money on whatever is important to us.
They are left to decide what NOT to spend money on and there’s always a slew of people waiting to yell at them when they make that decision.
Let me encourage everyone to include in their letters what funding you believe should be curtailed in order to keep accomodating the expenditures you believe in. It would surely help our reps know what is truly NOT important to the people if we told them what to cut in order to save the things we want saved.
FireMom, thank you SO much for mentioning this on your blog. I was going to call this to your attention because I know you’re an avid library user, but I see that I don’t have to.
If this budget passes, I will likely be out of a job. My library is one of the 70% of Ohio’s library’s that relies almost entirely on state funding because it is located in a low income area. We’re already struggling now and this is BEFORE these massive cuts. I’ve been e-mailing state representatives and senators like CRAZY.
Please, out of staters, feel free to contact the governor at the very least. Ohio has the best library systems in the country because of our state funding. If we lose it, we lose that great distinction.
You can also contact the following members of the Ohio General Assembly who are on the Conference Committee. They are dealing directly with the budget proposal and therefore have the most sway. Dale Miller is an active library supporter and seems to be on our side. As for the others, I’ve only heard back from Sykes so far, and his response didn’t sound too favorable to me, but perhaps, as more people contact him, he’ll see the impact his decision will make.
Conference Committee Members
House
Vernon Sykes- Akron area
Phone: 614- 466-3100
Fax: 614-719-6944
district44@ohr.state.oh.us
Jay Goyal- Mansfield area
Phone: 614-466-5802
Fax: 614-719-3973
district73@ohr.state.oh.us
Ron Amstutz- Wayne County area
Phone: 614-466-1474
Fax: 614-719-0003
district03@ohr.state.oh.us
Senate
Dale Miller- Cleveland area
Phone: 614-466-5123
SD23@maild.sen.state.oh.us
John Carey- Wellston area
Phone: 614-466-8156
SD17@senate.state.oh.us
Mark Wagoner-
Phone: 614-466-8060
SD02@senate.state.oh.us
FireMom, sorry for commandeering your blog! I’ll step down from my soapbox now, but as you can imagine, this has really hit close to home for me. If you could please edit your post to include the Conference Committee members, I’d REALLY appreciate it.
Sara (38 comments) Reply:
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:16 am
I want to make it clear that ANYONE can contact the Conference Committee members; you don’t have to be from their district since they are representing the entire state in the budget deliberations.
[...] account and your twitter (use hashtag: #saveohiolibraries). You can blog about it yourself (as I did over at Stop, Drop & Blog). You can email friends and family. You can talk about it in your churches and your local [...]
[...] June 23, 2009 by justenjoyhim I had so much to say about this topic this morning. In fact, Firemom even quoted me on this topic in her post, Save Ohio’s Libraries! [...]
Our county library system is changing the way it funds the branch libraries. We’re looking at reduced hours, at least. Sucks all around.
Thank you for raising this issue, Jenna. Although I don’t live in Ohio anymore, I have a lot of relatives who do, including my Mom, who’s an avid-librarygoer. She’s an example of a group that will be seriously affected by this: the elderly. Fixed incomes don’t allow much room to buy books, never mind that most elderly folks aren’t interested in acquiring books, they just want to read them.