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January 11, 2009

No time for deep cutbacks at the state's public libraries

Courier-News January 10, 2009I

Irony of ironies, New Jersey's public libraries are facing some of their worst financial struggles just as their users need them the most.

Libraries are rarely more important than when the economy heads south, as patrons call on them for cheap forms of entertainment like reading a book or borrowing a video.

But they play an even more crucial role when employment is scarce and personal finances are stressed by providing job seekers with key resources, be it educational texts or access to computers. Yes, not everyone is on-line, especially in the cities.

"We're finding our libraries are being called on now to an even greater extent than they were six months ago," said Patricia Tumulty, executive director of the New Jersey Library Association. "In this economic downturn, many have nowhere else to go." Indeed.

Newark's public library system — unable to sustain itself without heavy infusions of state assistance and public donations — nearly closed the doors on its Roseville Branch a week ago; it may yet be shut upon further review of its finances. Meanwhile, other library closures are being threatened in Bridgeton and Bayonne, while Trenton's system was also on the brink until the state agreed to bail it out.

Closure isn't the only worry, either. Shorter hours, layoffs and smaller budgets are being discussed around the state; suburban libraries are no exception, either.

Such a shame, since local libraries have done so well to reinvent themselves. Rather than falling prey to the fast and easy glut of electronic information available in one's home via the personal computer, libraries — in all of their bookish glory — have instead been able to capitalize on the advent of computers and their links to the Web mostly by luring patrons who want Internet services along with a good read.

Those successes, in turn, have encouraged libraries to adapt to the changing world in other ways few could ever have imagined, expanding their roster of services to include classes for children and adults, video clubs and video nights, even trendy coffee bars next to the stacks. Most amazing, libraries have morphed from a solitary experience into participatory community endeavors, places where neighbors can meet, learn a thing or two, and exchange ideas in a now fashionable setting.

It would be sin for libraries to lose ground now, just as they've reached these new heights of popularity and importance.

Unfortunately, the flaw in some government officials' thinking is that libraries aren't as important as some other public offerings like fire and police protection, or garbage pickups, or health care. In their own way, libraries are just as vital a service.

Just ask those people who refit themselves with a new skill that wins them a better job. Or the child who is inspired by the pleasure of reading to do better in school as well as in life.

So here's to the health of public libraries. May they survive the financial crisis largely unscathed and no less ready to serve the pursuit of knowledge and success.

Posted by tumulty at January 11, 2009 11:44 PM

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