![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
...Well now.
Here I suddenly have time on my hands and have no idea what to write. Was there something I had broiling on the I'm-Going-to-Write-About-That-Next burner that you've been waiting for that I've forgotten about?
Oktoberfest starts tomorrow so they've closed off the street-- and all the parking lots-- in front of the library. There is one visitor here right now-- I assume she walked. I hope she walked, otherwise her car is going to get towed. We had to park a block away, us worker types. Last year we just closed the library Thursday evening so I didn't have to worry about parking at all!
Anyway my point is, it's a very quiet evening at the library. I've read all my blogs, including the feeds, which I had to just click on directly since they're not feeding this week (dang LJ are you WORKING on that or just waiting it out?). I don't have any of the stuff I need to work on One Book, which, by the way, has started up again (obviously if I am working on it). There is, of course, an entire library of books to read. But I'd much rather read the books I have at home. Jim is busy watching them set up Oktoberfest stalls, but this is not fascinating me. I would be fascinated if there was FOOD in the stalls already, but there isn't. Jim has suggested that if libraries sold beer it would be a great fundraising opportunity AND bring people in. Perhaps that is our answer to the state budget woes.
Hey that's it. Maybe I'll use this post to draw attention to an important social issue.
Funding for libraries is being cut just when libraries are most necessary!
Okay, you say. When financial times are tight, EVERYTHING gets cut. Why should libraries get special treatment?
Because LIBRARIES are what people NEED when financial times are tight! They offer FREE RESOURCES! Internet access, reference material, all sorts of stuff like that for people who need to find jobs and don't have money for their own computers and books. And that's just a start!
Children's programming-- free! I just thought of that when my MIL mentioned various preschool classes to me today-- classes that, you know, cost the equivalent of two electric bills a month? Get all the singing and dancing and stories and social interaction you want for your child, FREE AT THE LIBRARY!
Databases! If state library funding is cut, one of the first things to go is supposed to be the Access PA POWER Library. This collection of databases is AMAZING. You have access to all your magazines and journals, up-to-date biographical info, really nifty literary resources, awesome reference books, and the best part is, they're available to even the smallest backwater library (yes I'm looking at you, New Alex)! These databases would cost each individual library thousands of dollars a year-- so the smaller libraries, the ones who most NEED them since they don't have the money or space for All Those Books, would have to just pass them by.
And let's not forget Interlibrary Loan, which is also in danger of being cut! If your library doesn't have it, we call it in from somewhere else, and TA-DA, it comes! Even if it's like, as I placed an ILL request for a lady the other week, some obscure piece of writing by St. Augustine that is only available at the Duquesne University Library! Amazing!
Honestly, with the stuff libraries offer, it's amazing more people don't take advantage of them. You can rent movies here, for pete's sake! And it's all, let me repeat, FREE! I have a Masters Degree in Helping You Find Stuff! I make minimum wage, just so we can supply you with all this great stuff FREE! And they want to take money AWAY from us? You're going to sit there and let them DO that??????
Well, apparently not. AS I was typing this (well, probably before, but the NEWS went out as I was typing this), the legislation was finally passed that saved the Philadelphia Free Library from closing (can you imagine?). That can only mean good news for the rest of us, too. But I'm still going to post this, even if the immediate threat has subsided. Because it's still important for you to keep in mind, as you consider what services are most important to your community!
Here I suddenly have time on my hands and have no idea what to write. Was there something I had broiling on the I'm-Going-to-Write-About-That-Next burner that you've been waiting for that I've forgotten about?
Oktoberfest starts tomorrow so they've closed off the street-- and all the parking lots-- in front of the library. There is one visitor here right now-- I assume she walked. I hope she walked, otherwise her car is going to get towed. We had to park a block away, us worker types. Last year we just closed the library Thursday evening so I didn't have to worry about parking at all!
Anyway my point is, it's a very quiet evening at the library. I've read all my blogs, including the feeds, which I had to just click on directly since they're not feeding this week (dang LJ are you WORKING on that or just waiting it out?). I don't have any of the stuff I need to work on One Book, which, by the way, has started up again (obviously if I am working on it). There is, of course, an entire library of books to read. But I'd much rather read the books I have at home. Jim is busy watching them set up Oktoberfest stalls, but this is not fascinating me. I would be fascinated if there was FOOD in the stalls already, but there isn't. Jim has suggested that if libraries sold beer it would be a great fundraising opportunity AND bring people in. Perhaps that is our answer to the state budget woes.
Hey that's it. Maybe I'll use this post to draw attention to an important social issue.
Funding for libraries is being cut just when libraries are most necessary!
Okay, you say. When financial times are tight, EVERYTHING gets cut. Why should libraries get special treatment?
Because LIBRARIES are what people NEED when financial times are tight! They offer FREE RESOURCES! Internet access, reference material, all sorts of stuff like that for people who need to find jobs and don't have money for their own computers and books. And that's just a start!
Children's programming-- free! I just thought of that when my MIL mentioned various preschool classes to me today-- classes that, you know, cost the equivalent of two electric bills a month? Get all the singing and dancing and stories and social interaction you want for your child, FREE AT THE LIBRARY!
Databases! If state library funding is cut, one of the first things to go is supposed to be the Access PA POWER Library. This collection of databases is AMAZING. You have access to all your magazines and journals, up-to-date biographical info, really nifty literary resources, awesome reference books, and the best part is, they're available to even the smallest backwater library (yes I'm looking at you, New Alex)! These databases would cost each individual library thousands of dollars a year-- so the smaller libraries, the ones who most NEED them since they don't have the money or space for All Those Books, would have to just pass them by.
And let's not forget Interlibrary Loan, which is also in danger of being cut! If your library doesn't have it, we call it in from somewhere else, and TA-DA, it comes! Even if it's like, as I placed an ILL request for a lady the other week, some obscure piece of writing by St. Augustine that is only available at the Duquesne University Library! Amazing!
Honestly, with the stuff libraries offer, it's amazing more people don't take advantage of them. You can rent movies here, for pete's sake! And it's all, let me repeat, FREE! I have a Masters Degree in Helping You Find Stuff! I make minimum wage, just so we can supply you with all this great stuff FREE! And they want to take money AWAY from us? You're going to sit there and let them DO that??????
Well, apparently not. AS I was typing this (well, probably before, but the NEWS went out as I was typing this), the legislation was finally passed that saved the Philadelphia Free Library from closing (can you imagine?). That can only mean good news for the rest of us, too. But I'm still going to post this, even if the immediate threat has subsided. Because it's still important for you to keep in mind, as you consider what services are most important to your community!
