America is About to Lose One of Its Best Public Resource: Public Libraries

[Democrats Ramshield]

(Cross posted by the author from AlterNet)

As an American librarian I am glad to be living in the European Union where library funding isn't under attack to the extent that it is back home in the United States, because readership, literacy and an open based knowledge system that is publicly funded is still valued. In America, library budgets have become low hanging fruit for conservative local and state politicians. Louisiana is the worse case in point where Gov. Bobby Jindal has eliminated state library funding all together. Not only does it beg the question will your state be next but it asks the question what will you do when they come for your library and your kid's summer reading program? Do you really know how many books it's really going to take to make that special child or grandchild in your life a lifelong reader. Do you think you have anywhere near those numbers of books in your private collection?

To read the rest, click on the link below.
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/america-about-lose-its-best-public-resource-public-libraries
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