Since long before I could read, libraries have played a dynamic role in my life. As the daughter of a single mom, my local public library served as my social circle as well as my access to out-of-school learning and entertainment.
As reported by the Daily Emerald, the Eugene Public Library absorbed 16% of the city’s total budget cuts, removing 15% of their funding and amounting to $2 million annually. Thanks to the city council’s underappreciation of public libraries, this disproportionate loss of resources will cause significant harm to our city.
These cuts manifest themselves as shifted hours, lost staff and a reduced ability to replenish programs and materials.
“Even though we are not reducing hours, simply moving them around will have an impact on people. Our Sunday morning hours and Monday night hours shifted, and we will open earlier Tuesday through Saturday,” Angela Ocaña, Eugene Public Library’s library services director, said.
“As someone who worked every Sunday morning, I know the people, the impact and the sense of loss folks will have,” Ocaña said.
Public libraries serve a critical role in connecting people of all ages and introducing them to community-oriented living.
“Our library is a hub for learning and a place for our community to congregate. Part of a library is this idea of a sharing economy where we consume less and share with our neighbors,” Ocaña said. “I don’t know how many people think about that when they check out a book, but they are actively choosing to be environmentally savvy about their consumption, which screams: ‘Eugene!’”
In addition, libraries provide essential resources for low-income citizens. This is often overlooked by policymakers who have private access to the Internet, air-conditioned/heated spaces and professional development resources.
“Commitment to inclusivity, along with a persistent ability to adapt to changing times, has kept public libraries vital in an era of divisive politics and disruptive technological change. But it has also put pressure on them to be all things to all people, and to meet a vast range of social needs without correspondingly vast budgets,” explained journalist Jennifer Howard in “The Complicated Role of the Modern Public Library.”
Often unconsciously, cutting library budgets can be a slippery slope toward devaluing access to information and literary freedom. As seen in the national popularity of book bans, the political backbone for the hypercriticism of libraries is readily apparent.
“While budget insecurity can be hard to navigate, the scarier future for libraries is when budgets and censorship align,” Ocaña said.“When legislators get involved and demand that books be removed or they will remove all funding, we are inching closer to a place where the choice to read what you want is stripped away.”
While Eugene’s city council has not spoken in support of censorship and presents cuts as a necessary evil, their choice to reduce funding leaves the department vulnerable to politicized demands and restrictions.
To avoid this future there is one simple action: visit the library. The best way to show support is to become a patron yourself. Take advantage of its many offerings and protect this resource for generations to come.
