Support our Libraries!

In the historical novel The Invention of Wings, 11-year-old Sarah Grimke is punished for teaching her slave how to read and write by having all the books in her father's library declared off limits to her.  Devastated by this edict, Sarah is relegated to lessons in embroidery, French, and other subjects deemed appropriate for women.  Although she is the brightest of her father's children, she will not study law at Yale like her brother.  As a woman, she will not be educated in any substantive studies.  Remembering the lessons of her childhood, Sarah eventually left the South, became a well-read Quaker and an Abolitionist, and was one of the first to write about women's rights.

Reading allows freedom of thought, and it should be kept available to all through public libraries.  However, keeping "free" libraries open requires dollars, and funding has been greatly cut in PA on the state level.  Now state aid is 16-18% of the public library budget.  Lancaster County financial support is also decreasing, and a little comes from the municipalities, but the bulk of funding now comes from fund raising.  Some municipalities give as little as 50 cents per resident out of their tax budgets.  Many taxpayers feel that because they do not use the library that tax dollars should not fund them.  I learned this firsthand when I attended a borough meeting in order to lend my voice to financial support of the library.

Are you lucky enough to be able to buy every book that you read?  Maybe you have an e-reader which makes it so easy to order and pay for books with the click of a button.  Did you know that many libraries have free e-books available to anyone with a library card?

Imagine losing your job and discovering that to apply for another job you must go online.  What if you can't afford a computer or Internet provider?  Libraries provide free use of computers and Wifi to people who would be disenfranchised without it.  In this regard and many others, public libraries are equalizers where there is economic disparity.

Beautiful children's picture books are costly, and children go through them quickly. Older children love to read books in a series like The Magic Tree House or Junie B. Jones.  It would be very expensive to buy all of the books in a series.  Some parents home school, and they may take out a pile of books on any subject from the Civil War to desert life.  Our library allows patrons to take out up to 99 books at once if they wish.

Additionally, many patrons prefer audio books to listen to on a long trip or commute.  There are sight saver books for the vision impaired.  Patrons may also take out music CDs or movies and TV series on DVDs.  Free passes to local museums and summer reading programs and a variety of workshops are also available to all.

Are you aware that many public libraries have a skeleton staff and are able to stay open because of thousands of hours of work by volunteers?  Fundraisers provide as much as 38-64% of the total local library budgets. The Friends of the Library groups run book sales and more to give a big boost to the libraries here.

So considering all of the above, please help to fund the public libraries wherever you live.  Even if you are not a user of the library, it is a quality of life issue for many people.  Reading is freedom.