Library Closures

There should be no question in anyone’s mind that library closures are a tiny and foreboding death knell to a free society. And yet the grim realities of this recession in our state make these events a necessity. However, could we not look at the recession as a chance to look long and hard at our current manner of operation and decide if there is possibly another way to achieve our desired goals?

I would like to suggest one such possibility is merge the county, city and public school systems into one interrelated library system, utilizing school sites as both school libraries and public libraries. Right now there exists no more duplicated system in government. A great majority of time our school libraries sit unused.

A better use of resources would put public libraries at school sites where use would be continual, night and day, 12 months out of the year. Main branch libraries will still be a necessity but the hundreds of small local libraries are truly a waste. Most of them are lightly used in morning hours with a greater use in the afternoons. This is opposite of school use.

Again, maybe difficult times may be an opportunity, not a misfortune.

WILLIAM CLARK

Agoura