Library needs public support
It’s time Ottawa residents were more vocal in their support of the city’s public library system. With city council looking to slice funding everywhere, the library’s current services can’t be taken for granted.
Libraries are not only vibrant hubs of learning but important social and cultural centres that meet a myriad of individual needs.
Coun. Rick Chiarelli encouraged residents at a meeting last month to speak out in support of the public library. He should be applauded for an effort to motivate residents to take action to ensure libraries are a priority.
About 60 per cent of Ottawa residents are members of the library. That’s a huge base of potential grassroots activists. But many people treat their public library like fancy silverware.
They know it is always available, but take advantage of it only occasionally.
These people, labelled by Chiarelli as the “mushy middle,” need to solidify quickly. People who only use the library on a casual basis should become better acquainted with the services.
The child who acquires a joy for stories in a reading circle, the senior whose local library connects them to the World Wide Web and the student researching a project on Iceland all benefit from a well-equipped system.
Ottawa is blessed with a great library system and Centretown residents are particularly fortunate to have the main branch in the neighbourhood. If residents want to continue to enjoy its benefits, they must speak out.
This doesn’t mean meandering through the streets waving a bright slogan-laden hunk of cardboard taped to a large stick and cursing city council.
They have a tough job and deserve advice and support, not condemnation.
Attend a councillor-led consultation in preparation for the 2005 budget to provide input into how you want your tax dollars spent. If you missed the session with Diane Holmes late last month, write her a letter or an e-mail to express your enthusiasm for the public library system.
Reflect on what you’ve read recently. Were you reading because it was required for your career or class, or was it a personal choice? If you’re a member, don’t let your card get shuffled away. Use it. Consider it a ticket into a world of knowledge.
Volunteer at your local branch, encourage family and friends to visit the library more often, and return materials on time to allow others to benefit.
Libraries are traditionally associated with silence. But simply burying your nose in a book won’t benefit the public library system.
Staying silent, after all, could end the chapter of Ottawa’s era of excellent library service.
— Trevor Sinker