'Library Loyalists' Provide a Remedial Lesson in Funding Priorities

Editorial: Heed the cries of library loyalists. (Indianapolis Star, 2/7/2011)

Excerpt: Our limping library system's prospects for regaining normal capacity appear fairly bright these days, and a grass-roots effort by caring residents deserves a big slice of the credit.

The Sustainable Library Citizens Coalition has flocked to meetings, kept information flowing and cheered on library officials and elected leaders who seek ways to close the system's budget gap.

[snip]

Whatever rescue plan is decided upon, the bipartisan response to the library system's plight speaks to its incalculable value to the community. While property tax revenues have plummeted, use by residents of all ages has risen year by year.

So has need. Free books remain as essential as ever to a city's quality of life; but in the Internet age, free computer access and expert help with digital communication can be lifelines for jobseekers and others of limited income.

Libraries are neighborhood resource centers and safe havens. They should not be darkened for lack of funds. If city and state political leaders needed a remedial lesson in priorities, the loyalists have provided it. Their faith, like the libraries' sacrifices, needs to be recognized in a concrete way.

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