Libraries: Budget should be increased, not cut further

The Tacoma Public Library is again threatened with a budget cut. It is another in a long series of cuts that have diminished a valuable public resource, forcing the closing of branches, reducing service hours, cutting staff positions and reducing public access to information.

Neighborhoods need libraries for many reasons including a place to gather and be a community. Many think that because personal computers are ubiquitous, libraries are redundant and communities can do without them. They are mistaken; everyone does not have a computer and everyone does not know how to find the information they need.

The library staff has been squeezing every penny and minute, applying for grants, and seeking every avenue to provide services for everyone. But they cannot continue to provide adequate services with an inadequate budget. In consideration of all that the library contributes to the community, the budget should be increased, not decreased.

Take a few minutes and visit www.tacomalibrary.org, see what the Tacoma Public Library is doing for the community, and what it can do for you. Then contact your City Council member, city manager and mayor and encourage them to support the library.

This story was originally published July 11, 2016 at 1:17 PM with the headline "Libraries: Budget should be increased, not cut further."