52 Erie, Pa. librarys to be closed - no money

[donsu]

http://www.buffalolib.org/libraries/advocacy.asp

AFTER JANUARY 1, 2005: YOUR LIBRARY WILL CLOSE
Unprecedented Cuts Would Devastate Our Library System

The proposed $19 million cut represents an 80% reduction from the $24 million in library property tax received from Erie County in 2004. The loss of these local funds triggers a reduction of an additional $2.8 million in State Library Aid as well as the loss of other library operating revenue. All 52 libraries across Erie County WILL CLOSE!
Library Closing SignBusiest Time in 168-Year History

Circulation reached record-breaking highs in 2003, and trends continue in 2004. Year-to-date circulation is up 7%, in-library computer usage is up 24% and materials shipped among libraries is up almost 12%.

NO Library Service for Your Tax $$$

To implement the reduction, the County will cut the Property Tax for Library Purposes by almost 79%. That percentage of revenue will shift to the general County tax supporting Medicaid expenses.

Your property tax bill remains the same, but you will not receive ANY access to your library's collection, services, programs and technology.

Library Services are Essential to Community

From pre-school storyhours to Live Homework Help for students to outreach for seniors to computer access for the unemployed, the Library provides a wide range of vital services. The number of Erie County residents who use their library on a regular basis would fill every seat of HSBC Arena 18 times over.
-snip-
---------------------------------------


when is your library going to close?

will they sell the books and equipment and then sell the property?

[teach1st]

1. This is sad... n/t

[MikeG]

2. Jesus tells me I only need to read ONE book.

[Love Bug]

3. That is a real shame

City libraries in Minneapolis cut their hours a few months ago, so this kind of thing seems to be happening everywhere.

[signmike]

4. I remember Reagan

closing 83 libraries in southern California. They have a lot of damn gall opening a Ronald Reagan Memorial Library - though I bet there are't many books in it. Was it Michael Moore who said "To be a Republican you have to enjoy closing a thousand libraries." (?)

[damntexdem]

8. Remember the '1000 points of light?'

What Poppa Bush didn't tell us was that they were burning books.

[Winamericaback]

5. This is disgusting

I wish there was something the people of that county could do about it, other than the woefully inadequate "write to your congressman."

[KamaAina]

6. Buffalo, N.Y., not Erie, Pa.

Buffalo is the seat of Erie County, hence the confusion.

So that's hundreds of thousands MORE people potentially without libraries. I can just see it now: "privatized libraries" (52 brand-new Borders locations) or "faith-based libraries" (let your imagination run wild).

Meanwhile, Philly (top 4 or 5 U.S. city) may soon be without transit on weekends. Where will the madness end?

Apparently they really do want to take us back to the '50s -- the 1350s. :grr:

[izzie]

7. Did anyone read the story on Finland's great education?

For got what paper it was in but having great libraries was big in how it all worked. Let the library shut and build another 3Billion dollar fighter. One fighter. Smart move to keep us up with the world. No wonder the world thinks we are nuts.

[distantearlywarning]

9. I have a librarian friend

He lives in WV, but works in Ohio because they have some kind of tax program that supports the libraries there. Apparently the library system in WV is going down the drain quickly due to lack of funding.

But hey, who needs libraries when you have television to tell you everything you need to know about the world?