A West Seattle note from the Budget Committee meeting: In the public-comment period that’s under way now, following the revenue-forecast presentation (docs now online here) we covered earlier, a petition has just been presented to council members, with signatures gathered at this weekend’s Gathering of Neighbors, urging continued support for library $ – saying these services are needed more than ever.
I love my library. I fully support continued funding. I hope everyone will write to their councilmembers saying they support the library. There’s not many issues that motivate me to take the time to mail my elected officials but libraries really inspire me to act.
It was an honor to present the signatures from “Gathering of Friends” to the City Counicl on Monday’s special budget meeting. Many, many thanks to the Southwest Friends of The Seattle Public Library Chapter for collecting those signatures and many, many thanks to all who signed the petition. And thank you, West Seattle Blog, for recognizing the importance of mentioning the petition.
The Seattle Public Library has seen a 20% increase in circulation as patrons usage of their neighborhood branches goes up and up. I imagine Southwest, Delridge, Highpoint and West Seattle are just like everywhere else – busy from the time the doors open to the time they close.
During this economic downturn The Seattle Public Library is playing a vital role in so many lives. The Library’s databases, which are part of the collection funded by the City, help people build resumes and conduct job searches. Not to mention people who are using The Library to access much needed social services. This increased usage in these tough economic times of The Seattle Public Library illustrates that libraries are a part of the solution. Libraries are not a luxury; they play an indispensible role in the cultural, economic and educational healing of the city. Libraries are part of the solution when communities are struggling.
West Seattle blog readers, I hope you’ll join me in advocating for preserving The Seattle Public Library funding. Please take a minute to visit our blog at http://friendsofspl.wordpress.com/ to learn more.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Johnson-Fong
Friends of The Seattle Public Library
Vice President
Self correction to my post above:
“Not to mention people who are using The Library to INQUIRE about much needed social services.”
People are using The Library to access financial advice.
Thanks again,
Jennifer
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