Shutting Homework, Literacy & Citizenship Centers

[Liberty Belle]

Apr 4 2005

Shutting Homework, Literacy & Citizenship Centers

The Salinas, California public library, home to the archives of Nobel Prize winning writer and resident John Steinbeck, will close its doors at the end of 2005, unless private donors soon contribute $3.2 million to replace funds taken by state government from city revenues…


Closing Public Libraries - A Death Knell of Democracy
From Deborah White,Your Guide to Liberal Politics: U.S..Stay up to date!
Apr 4 2005
Shutting Homework, Literacy & Citizenship Centers
The Salinas, California public library, home to the archives of Nobel Prize winning writer and resident John Steinbeck, will close its doors at the end of 2005, unless private donors soon contribute $3.2 million to replace funds taken by state government from city revenues.

…Salinas is not alone.
Over the past few years, our worsening economy and Bush Administration budget cuts have caused massive waves of cutbacks at libraries nationwide. Public libraries from Seattle, Denver and Honolulu to cities in California, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Michigan and beyond, have suffered branch closures, staff terminations and curtailment of services and hours due to federal and state budget decisions.

The closure and severe limitation of public libraries is a travesty to a democratic society. And it's often a death knell of democracy. Not everyone can simply buy books, newspapers and magazines at will. Not everyone has internet access in their home or even school. And every child does not have a home in which to read and study…

http://usliberals.about.com/od/education/a/PublicLibraries.htm

[CTyankee]

1. Literacy was W's mother's favorite cause

Remember that?

I'm a Literacy Volunteer in New Haven and we've heard these programs are being cut. I guess literacy wasn't favorite enough for Barbara Bush, or maybe she just doesn't talk about it with her idiot son.