BRATTLEBORO — The most dramatic library cuts are up for discussion this week, but my whole tenure at the library has been under level funding at the best points and cuts at the worst. The current proposal is to cut two full-time positions from the library, which would cut our staffing by one-third.
I am not going to go into detail about the general value and history of public libraries. I will just mention that I got a master's in Library and Information Science because I believe that the cornerstone to a functioning democracy is an informed and empowered citizenry, regardless of money, race, religion, gender, or location. Free public libraries are the providers of that cornerstone.
Instead, I am going to write specifically about your library.
Often when budget cuts are in the Brattleboro air, there is a lot of discussion about “essential” and “nonessential” services. Brooks Memorial Library provides essential services to a wide variety of residents of Brattleboro:
• A safe, warm communal space open to all which fills the gap in local day shelters for the homeless, social contact for the mentally ill, and a place for tutoring and small-group connections. Not to mention it is a safe space for teenagers to come after school.
• A space often animated with public meetings, lectures, and other events free to all.
• Always-full public computer terminals, which anyone who walks in the door can use for free for Internet access. And add the value of the lessons in computer literacy and the online digital services the library has added over the past five years, despite no increase in the budget to help meet the dramatic shifts in electronic information and e-books.
• Thousands and thousands of books for pleasure and information, DVDs, and audiobooks being added every week, a selection of books that reflects the community the library serves.
• A busy reference desk that provides job help in a time of high unemployment, legal help for those in need, well-researched medical information for those with physical and mental ailments, information about renters' and domestic-violence rights for those in abusive situations. It is a clearinghouse of local and general resources to help the people of this area find the information they need to make well-informed decisions.
• A bright and vibrant children's room full of books, crafts, and weekly activities to support early-childhood development and young-family sanity. We are open for only four hours on the weekend right now, which is not good for working families.
All these library services directly aid and support the crucial work of the police on the streets, Health Care & Rehabilitation Services of Vermont (HCRS), mental-health services, youth services, prevention programs, elderly services, early-education services, adult-education services, and the public schools.
Almost all of Brooks Memorial Library's funding comes from Brattleboro town taxes. There are no direct funds for basic library services from the state or federal governments. So with each round of cuts to the library, the library will become less essential and less functional, and an important resource to the town will be gutted.
It is up to you, the voters, to say loud and clear to the Selectboard that the library does provide essential services that should not be cut.