Support continued state funding to local libraries

Sat, May 17 2008

— I am writing this letter on behalf of the Ossoli Club of Corbin. Our club is a member of the Kentucky Federation of Women’s Clubs (KFWC) as well as an affiliate to the national General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC). One of our special projects and interests in the KFWC is the public library.
The Ossoli Club and the KFWC believe wholeheartedly in the importance of our public libraries to the community. The saying, “A Democracy cannot survive without an educated populace” is never more true than today. With the globalization of communication and interlacing of economies, it is vital that we have ways to supplement education.
Whether we are talking about education of children or adults in the workforce, the public library provides a readily accessible and free entry to the world of knowledge. Libraries are not just repositories for books. They offer print materials of all kinds; they offer computers to use with Internet access; they offer classes to all ages; mostly, they offer a window to the world around us.
Our public library is already woefully under funded. The staff at our library does an outstanding job of stretching their monies to meet as many of the community’s needs as possible. Part of their funding comes from city and county taxes, but another important portion comes through their allocation from the Kentucky Department of Libraries (KDLA).
Today the budget subcommittee in charge of looking at KDLA’s section of the budget will convene. It is imperative that we let our legislators know how vitally important public libraries are in our community and all the communities around our state. To that end, we ask all readers to telephone, fax, or e-mail our state legislators and give them this message: Every county wins! Support state aid to libraries!
The toll free number is 1-800-372-7181. You may e-mail by going to http://www.lrc.ky.gov and clicking on the link “E-mail Your Legislator.”
In Whitley County, we have Rep. Charles Siler and Sen. David Williams. In Knox County, we have Rep. Jim Stewart and Sen. Robert Stivers. In Laurel County, we have Rep. Marie Rader, Rep. Charles Siler, Rep. Tommy Turner, Rep. Jim Stewart, and Sen. Tom Jensen. Please act now to protect our public libraries.
Kimberly S. Croley, Ossoli Club of Corbin