Saturday, November 21, 2009

Colton (CA) Residents React to Abrupt Closing of Libraries

Link to November 14 Press-Enterprise article, "Residents mourn loss of library".

Excerpt: Molly Kates stood dumbfounded in front of the Colton Public Library on Friday morning as she read a sign on the door saying the library was closed. Until further notice.

"It's horrible," Kates said as she gripped the hand of her 4-year-old niece, the girl she brought with her to return a book. "This is the only resource we have here in Colton."

Kates, a Colton native, is taking a developmental psychology class at San Bernardino Valley College. She doesn't have a computer at home, so she uses the library daily to do Internet research. Her nieces frequently come along to check out books and read.

"I don't know where we'll go at this point," Kates said.

Shock and disappointment were rampant in Colton after the city abruptly shut down its two libraries and a learning center, and laid off about five dozen employees in a cost-cutting move to stave off a $5 million budget deficit.

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