LIBRARY FUNDING
21 August 2003-7:06 p.m.
I work in a public library. Tonight our commissioners vote on our SPLOST funding. To give you an idea of how big a deal this is library employees are being encouraged to go to the meeting tonight. Normally we are encourage to stay home and not rock the boat. Perhaps if there'd been some boat rocking going on before we wouldn't be in this position. For the first time we are actively campaigning for votes. Here's the text on the bright yellow bookmarks we have been handing out:The Library Needs Your Help! Please call your county commissioner and ask him/her to keep the library's SPLOST funding for this fiscal year. Without it, there will be NO NEW BOOKS purchased for the remainder of this year or we will have to REDUCE LIBRARY HOURS to purchase books and materials.
PLEASE CALL TODAY! And then we list the commissioners names and phone numbers. If I had gotten one of these before tonight I would have plastered their names and phone numbers all over this journal.
I wish I wasn't working. I'd be at that meeting. we made up nametags that say library supporter, we have staff members going. We've talked it up to the patrons. But ultimately it is up to the commissioners. Very few of whom come to the library. The thing is the threat of something bad is never as powerful as the actual thing happening. So I have a feeling that while we say that we'll have to cut hours or we'll have no new books it won't make an impact until after the fact. I think we should close the building on Sundays. Our most popular day. That would get the public's attention. And smack in the middle of our locked front doors should be a giant sign with all the commissioner's names and phone numbers; Home phone numbers.
Oh and Beth if you want an answer to your questions go back one entry.