Fighting for the Library

[Chris]

Just read a story about a small library and thought I would share it, knowing we have a few librarians on this board.

I a small town in southern Jutland, the local politicians have decided to close down the library.
However the locals are not happy with the decision, they want to keep their library open. So they formed a group, named "The Library Gang" who decided to take action. They encouraged everyone in the town to go to the library and loan as many books as they possibly could.
People came with shopping carts, filled them with books and brought them home so now all the books are on loan.

A spokesman says: Well, they can't shut down the library if all the books are on loan, can they??? ;D

- Chris

[inuvik]

Well--good for the library gang!

Libraries are always a target it seems. Especially now, because "everything" is online. However, the key is for them to keep the circulation up once this crisis has passed. Although, maybe it was never down, and like I said, the library was just an easy target!

[hoosier]

How true! With budget cuts and with "fiscal responsibility" often the catch phrase, libraries are an easy target. I don't know about other places, but in Indiana, public libraries are funded by the local property tax. With all the reassessments the state has ordered in the last 2-3 years, money has been tied up and this year the tax whammy that hit in the spring had everyone up in arms. Coupled with the debacle of the Marion County PL building project (over budget and with several structural flaws) we have all been looked at with a critical eye. And as Inuvik said, with so much online now, libraries have to prove that they are still a viable and worthwhile entity so bravo for the Library Gang!

[bjobsessed]

Kids need libraries too. With the world getting smaller and smaller, I think some kids forget that you can actually go get a book and don't have to find everything online. Then you have the young kids who love to have their own library card and check out their own books. It really encourages some of the ones I know to read which is something kids don't do enough of these days.

[carl1951]

When budget cuts happen, important things go first. Somehow Libraries, small transportation routes, and other things that are deemed unnecessary. Short-sightedness.