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August 16, 2010
Overdue books
http://www.philly.com
Philadelphia Daily News
Editorial
Aug. 13, 2010
LAST WEEK, when the city of Camden announced it might shut down its entire library system, we're sure more than one person on this side of the river thought that no matter how tough things are, "at least we're not Camden."
What made Camden's announcement more sickening than just another budget-cut story was the fact that it was already planning for the disposition of 187,000 items from its collection- books and other materials would be sold or destroyed. That really hurt, and underscored that to close a library means not just closing a building, but trashing books, computers and other valuable assets. It was so shocking that it seemed calculated to provide the kind of theater that is usually required for last-minute rescues. And sure enough, this week, the state of New Jersey announced that the city's library system would be allowed to join the county system, although it is unclear if all three of the city's branches will remain open.
Clearly, the arguments for keeping Philadelphia's library system intact - a debate aired when Mayor Nutter proposed closing 11 branches in 2008 - probably goes double for Camden, where nearly 40 percent of its citizens are below the poverty level; the median income is $24,000. (Twenty-three percent of Philadelphia's population is below the poverty level, with a median income closer to $37,000.)
There another thing the two cities have in common: Its libraries are not just book receptacles. People are employed to keep them open, and those salaries drive a big part of the cost of those services. For example, in Camden, census data says that for every dollar spent on operations, like staff costs, the library spends 6 cents on materials. Philadelphia's spending on materials is double that, but that's just 12 cents for every dollar that's spent on operations and salaries. Those who want their services but insist on cutting the size of government should keep in mind that you can't have it both ways. *
Posted by tumulty at August 16, 2010 12:32 PM
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