Council finalizes library closures – Local News – thecalifornian.com
After emotional pleas from Salinas schoolchildren not to close the city’s public libraries, the City Council on Tuesday finalized its decision to do just that.
This disturbs me, and not just because I am a librarian. In fact, the more I think about it the more disturbed I get. The institution of the public libary is important in our society. Hugely important. Especially in places like Salinas where literacy and esl programs are utilized. Is this where our society is going? We are forced to permanantly close our public libraries? I have this weird feeling inside me that the closing of our public libraries begins the downfall of our civilation. I know that sounds dramatic, and I suppose it is. But there ought to be a public outcry when hospitals and libraries close down. Hel-lo? Is anybody there? Does anybody care? The complacency of our society is really starting to freak me out!
Blatherskite 
2 responses to “Council finalizes library closures”
Cutting library services seems to be a trendy way to trim the budget in a lot of communities. The two major cities near me have both gone toe to toe with the people over this issue. One city has decided to trim the hours that the public libraries will be open down to basically nothing and the other tried to privitize the libraries but when the people fought back they decided to go with the public system already in place. 2 weeks later they announced that they could not agree on a contract so the libraries would have to close on Jan. 1. Last weekend the citizens gathered and held signs at every major intersection in the city and on Monday morning suddenly an agreement was reached. Amazing…
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I’m impressed that the people got out there and fought for it! Thank goodness! They tried in Salinas, I think, but it wasn’t good enough. Part of the problem is that they didn’t pass a measure in November that would have given more funding to police, libraries, etc. Can you believe that?!? Amazing.
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