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April 08, 2005
An Issue for the First Lady, Indeed
About a month ago, I wrote a post on the value and fate of local public libraries. The New York Times has finally caught up with me on this issue. In an editorial in this morning's paper, they say:
The sad state of the nation's libraries was driven home last week when all of the libraries in John Steinbeck's birthplace, Salinas, Calif., came close to closing. The crisis in Salinas is part of a larger picture in which financially strapped local governments have been slashing library hours and book budgets. Public officials, starting with Laura Bush, the most powerful librarian in the world, should be clamoring for greater resources for libraries.
The editorial discusses the state of public libraries in general and why they will continue to be important. It concludes with this modest suggestion,
Mrs. Bush, who is a librarian, has quietly supported greater federal spending on libraries and started a small foundation for libraries. But she would be doing a real service if she spoke out more forcefully to encourage states, local governments and private donors to give libraries the resources they need. Second terms are a time when occupants of the White House usually think about their legacies. Being the nation's foremost champion of libraries would be a laudable one for Mrs. Bush.
A great idea! I wish I had thought of it.
Posted by DuaneSmith at April 8, 2005 10:17 AM | Read more on Odds and Ends |
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