Libraries and Literacy

News item: California fourth-graders rank last in reading proficiency, according to a new federal assessment of 39 states.

News item: Ventura County can no longer afford to “subsidize” our libraries. Not even the current operating costs of $1.6 million are available. And if libraries were to receive only half that amount, the result would be the closing down of the adult and children’s literacy programs as well as seven smaller libraries.

Does anyone out there besides me see the connection here? Literacy is the foundation for an educated and democratic society. By not demanding that our libraries remain open (even if it means a tax increase), we are contributing to the demise of our already compromised and beleaguered schools. Children (and adults alike) need access to the wonderful world of books in order to become literate, functioning and competent members of society.

I would gladly pay a parcel tax if it were to result in an adequate library service. Thirty-five dollars per year figures out to be less than $3 monthly for library access. Most families I know shell out at least triple that amount per month for video rentals. Where are our priorities here?

To the well-meaning parents of school-age children who I see at Little League games, PTA meetings and other civic events: Preserve our libraries with the same energy and commitment that you show toward athletics and school fund-raising. Without open libraries, we can look forward to a continual and rapid decline of literacy in our state.

ANNETTE SIEGEL HALPERN

Ventura