"우리 도서관의 문을 닫지 마세요(Don't Close Our Library)"
9살 소녀(초등학교 4학년)인 그레이스 돌(Grace Doll)과 친구들이 거리 시위에 나섰다.
우리나라 이야기는 아니다. 미국 이야기다. 미국에서도 네브래스카의 링컨 시에서의 일이다. 미국의 도서관 사정은 경제적 위기 상황 속에서 급격하게 나빠지고 있다. 여러 도시에서 도서관 분관의 폐쇄가 잇따르고 있다. 그런 가운데 경제적 위기 상황일수록 도서관 이용률이 더 높아진다는 조사 결과도 발표되고 있다. 미국도서관협회(ALA)는 도서관의 필요성을 옹호할 수 있도록 각종 자료들을 묶은 툴킷을 마련하기도 하였다.
이런 상황 속에서 네브래스카 링컨 시의 도서관 이사회가 사우스 분관 등의 폐쇄를 결정할 조짐을 보이자 2살 때부터 이 도서관을 이용했던 그레이스 돌이라는 여학생이 도서관 폐쇄에 반대하는 피켓팅에 나섰다는 소식이 '저널스타'라는 지역 신문 인터넷판에 올라왔다. 아래의 기사는 그 전문.
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원문출처: http://journalstar.com/articles/2009/02/23/news/local/doc49a34508f32ac868685364.txt#cancel
Students rally after hearing library branches may close
By the Lincoln Journal Star
Nine-year-old Grace Doll and her friends often visit Lincoln’s South Branch Library.
So when the Sheridan Elementary fourth-grader heard the Library Board was proposing the closing of the South and Bethany branches to save money, she recruited classmates to rally after school Monday to support the 27th and South streets library.
“I’ve been coming here since I was 2, and when I heard about its possible closing I wanted to do something about it,” she said Monday, taking a break from the protest. “It wasn’t hard to get my friends involved. They love reading and they just love to come here.”
Grace and her friends spent the weekend making posters and fliers urging support of the library. And she shared her protest plans with the City Council and Mayor Chris Beutler, who appeared at the rally.
In her e-mail to city leaders, she wrote: “I do not think closing the libraries would be a good decision. The libraries are in a great location and are easy to get to. They provide computers for people who may not own one. ... Please consider the thought of keeping these libraries open.”
The Library Board is expected to finalize its budget proposal during its 8 a.m. meeting Tuesday at Bennett Martin Public Library, 136 S. 14th St.
The Lincoln Library Board of Trustees recommended closing 2 branch libraries to save money. The board met Tuesday morning to consider its budget. The board voted 3-2 to propose closing the Bethany and South branch libraries in order to balance the fiscal year 2009-2010 budget.
Pat Leach, Director of Lincoln Libraries, says they have to cut the budget by 9%, which means cutting the current budget by more than $750,000.
Bob Beecham spoke out, on behalf of his neighborhood near the South branch, about how he believes closing the branch libraries could impact the community.
"If the South branch library leaves, it's going to create a huge whole in our neighborhood. We fear it will not come back and we are concerned about what use will be made of that building," Beecham said.
According to Leach, those branches are facing the cuts becuase they will have the least impact on the library system.
The vote is not final yet. The Lincoln City Council will vote on the issue in August.
Board members say they tested a number of different ideas and cutting the South and Bethany branches will have the least impact on Lincoln's library system. Leach says the board will ask that the two branches remain open if funds become available.
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폐쇄될 위기에 놓인 링컨 시의 사우스 분관에서 근무했던 코린 프리쉬(Corrine Frisch)의 글.
원문출처: http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x844647947/In-My-View-Library-s-branches-should-be-closed
In My View: Library’s branches should be closed
“The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all our history, to instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of the human species. I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries.”
— “Cosmos,” Carl Sagan
I worked for Lincoln Library, Springfield’s public library, for nearly 30 years as its public relations director. The library, as all city departments, was forced to tighten its belt in lean years. Time after time, the issue of closing branches in order to consolidate resources at the main library was part of the cost-saving conversations. But the library branches are political hot potatoes, especially for the aldermen in whose districts they reside. None of them has been brave enough to champion closing the branches in order to provide better library services for the community.
In a perfect world, Springfield would have four library branches (as it once did). West Branch would be located in the White Oaks area. South Branch would be built in the area where Allis-Chalmers stood for so many years. East Branch would be near its current location, but in a large, new building. North Branch would be located near Sangamon Center.
The current branches are old, small and inadequate. I know the staff provides excellent, neighborly service, but now their hours will be cut even further. How many times do you need to poke a life preserver until it finally deflates?
When people have to choose between utilities, police and fire protection, the library always becomes the poor cousin.
Consolidating library resources into one, central location, would be a wiser and more efficient use of tax dollars. People complain that it’s difficult to come downtown, but that doesn’t stop them from driving, or taking the bus to the mall. They complain there is no place to park. There is ample parking underneath the library for a nominal fee, and the parking there is free after 4:30 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays.
I’m the first to empathize with those nostalgic for the good old days. But pouring money into the broken, mold infested North Branch is a bad idea. Wouldn’t it be better to close all the branch locations and concentrate on a long range plan to build the kind of library branches the capital city of Illinois deserves? In the meantime, a well-equipped book mobile could provide city-wide service on a regular schedule. Consolidating staff at the main library would perhaps allow librarians more time to do programs at schools and for community groups.
My daughter lives in Lexington, Ky. Its library system puts ours to shame. She lives in a very modest neighborhood but her library branch is less than 15 years old. Each time I visit, it reminds me that our library branches are embarrassments to a city that Lincoln thought of as home and from which Barack Obama saw fit to launch his campaign.
I grew up going to South Branch on South Grand Avenue (now a chili parlor). I remember finding a book of poetry there and I have loved poetry ever since. It was a grand place, but timbers rot and mold grows. Let us work to give our children, our grandchildren, ourselves, and our grandparents, spacious, comfortable buildings full of the knowledge and wonder books provide. Let’s begin by letting go of the past, and planning for the future.
Corrine Frisch was public relations director for Lincoln Library for 30 years.
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사진설명: University of Nebraska volleyball player, Amanda Gates reads at the South Branch Library in Lincoln for Read Across America Day.
사진출처: www.readaloudnebraska.org/
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시민들의 코멘트들 1
원문출처: http://journalstar.com/articles/2009/02/23/news/local/doc49a34508f32ac868685364.txt#cancel
The one thing I thought was that they ought to serve coffee in there to help pay the bills. why not? "
Neighborhood libraries are an anchor to the area served. Without these anchors, the neighborhood starts to suffer.
Too many things continue to move to the 'new' areas of town. Those of us living in the 'Heart'of the city, have the same needs.
Please keep our libraries open. "
I support these students efforts. They're standing up for something they believe in. And I do too! "
Please save our library!
--i would be more than willing to volunteer again, as would many many others. "
원문출처: http://journalstar.com/articles/2009/02/20/news/local/doc499de9ab1f8c7232161788.txt
1.) No more cable
2.) No more cell phone
3.) No more internet
I never thought I would ever see the day I would get rid of either, but times are tough. WHne things turn around, I will reconsdier, and most likely resume those services, but until then, those items are not absoluetly vital, so they can go. The library is the same way, it is a luxury, and in the end it is not near as important as say, streets, public safety, water, electricty etc.
Tough times call fro tough actions "
1) Reduce the hours at ALL locations.
2) Reduce the hours at the quadrant locations (as referred to in the article) and have the branches open two or three days a week as opposed to five.
3) Reduce the hours at ALL locations and have the quadrants open only four days a week, and the branches open only 2 or 3 days. "
Every econonic recession pushes library (read as FREE) usuage up to higher rates. "
I completely disagree with the post "libraries are a luxury". Libraries promote literacy and thinking and community. In a time where families are having to cut back, this is one resource families should be able to utilize. The neighborhood library is VITAL to the community and to families. "
It's not a popular idea, but it's probably an idea that needs to be considered. "
name it. Like one on every street corner. Where I lived in the big city
we had ONE library and you had to drive 15 miles to the next one which
was the main library. Years and years ago they closed all the post offices
and no postal boxes different streets to mail a letter. There was one
postoffice and you'd have to drive to the main one or the airport P.O. which was 15 & more miles. How does Lincoln rate for all the P.O.'s.??
There were no postal services in groceries like there are here. No wonder
the stamp costs are going up! But Lincoln knows how to spend, don't they! "
Just goes to show how the US is in a deep, deep decline. "
Libraries bring the have's and have nots into equality by providing resources and the internet for people who don't have computers at home. From some of the existing postings, I think there are some pretty unaware people who don't realize that cutting back on cable, internet, and cell phone means nothing to some people, because they don't have any of those. The library is their resource beyond rabbit ears and land line.
I agree with the poster who said to look at the high salaries for cut backs. The administrative costs of the city are out of control. The city "improvements" are out of line. Look at the reality and what people really need, and PLEASE find a way to hang on to the neighborhood libraries that are vital to the communities in which they reside.
Thank you for posting my soap box! "
I can't imagine life w/ out library service, but please don't forget about the bookmobile, that serves the heart of lincoln, and senior citizens (who have paid taxes all their life). Who, can't get to other libraries, it's not fair that they built the new ones, just to forsake the old ones, and the bookmobile.
I believe that library services our a corner stone to our democracy! NOT A PRIVILEGE!
Save our library and Bookmobile. People do not realize, what the library means to marginalized people, or people living near the edge. a safe place a welcoming place, w/ books, dvds and videos and more, a place to warm up, or cool down, a place to get on line.
The library opens up the world to everyone, lets not close them for the people who NEED, and want them. "
Call me crazy, but I would happily pay MORE in taxes to get a better city. I'm tired of living in a city that's always broke and run down. We need people with vision and leadership on the city council and in the mayor's office. What we have now just isn't working. "
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