Libraries are crazy about statistics. They love to tally up numbers for circulation of materials, program attendance, and services offered. The one statistic you won't see, however, is the number of children whose lives are enriched because of a library. It's a shame, too, because the number would be massive. And I wonder, if such a statistic existed, would Ohio libraries be facing a crisis?
Ohio governor Ted Strickland has proposed a 50% cut in funding for public libraries during the fiscal years of 2010 and 2011. For most Ohio libraries, this is catastrophic. The staff layoffs and library closings would be widespread. The result? A suffering community. Today, more than ever, libraries are community centers - venues for education, entertainment, socialization, and the betterment of quality of life. It seems ludicrous to cut funding to an institution that can only empower its citizens, but at least for the next seven days, that possibility exists.
If you live in Ohio, please contact one or all of the following by June 30. Perhaps if enough voices rally against this proposal, our libraries won't become...a statistic.
Governor Ted Strickland
614-466-3555
Contact Online
Senator Bill Harris, President of the Senate
614-466-8086
SD19@senate.state.oh.us
Senator David Goodman, 3rd District
614-466-8064
SD03@senate.state.oh.us
Representative Kevin Bacon, 21st District
614-644-6030
District21@ohr.state.oh.us
Representative Marian Harris
614-466-4847
District19@ohr.state.oh.us
Representative Nancy Garland
614-644-6002
District20@ohr.state.oh.us
Representative Kris Jordan
614-644-6711
District02@ohr.state.oh.us
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