President Obama’s new budget proposal calls for a freeze on library funding. Freezing the level of federal funding to public libraries already suffering from budget cuts will severely hurt people in this difficult economy who increasingly depend on them for education, assistance searching for jobs, and for entertainment. It is vital that libraries are able provide the materials and personnel the public needs. Everyone concerned should write or call the White House and ask President Obama to amend his budget proposal to better support public as well as school libraries.
This article appears in Feb 18-25, 2010.