Concerned Library Patrons Ask Questions At Citizen’s Budget Conference February 1, 2010

Thank you to the library supporters who joined us at the Citizen’s Budget Conference at The Seattle Center House today, Sunday 31 January 2010.  Your voices were heard!

More than half the questions for Councilmembers, in the afternoon panel, regarded the upcoming reduction in hours at many of our neighborhood libraries. “We’re very committed to having the right kind of  budget funding” to support Library collections and provide open hours, Councilmember Conlin, Council President, said. Library operational funds come from the City’s General Budget and, “once you fund safety, which is over 50%,” he said, the library has to compete with other departments for remaining resources.

“We’re starting a 2-3 year process” to “find the way out of this dilemna,” Conlin said, referring to work that will be done in his committee to explore alternate funding sources for our libraries ”that can keep [the library] going for the long run.” Councilmember Mike O’Brien added, “We have [library] buildings, we have books, and when we don’t have money to keep the doors open that’s problematic for me.” His remarks drew applause from the audience.

Councilmember Godden noted, “It was difficult for us to find the money {over $800,000 the Council voted to restore in the 2010 library budget}.” She said that people who came to public hearings and emailed and talked to her in public made a difference for the library. Your voices of support helped Council decide to restore funds.  ”We heard you. If you care deeply, tell us,” she urged.

Each Councimember gave the audience one tip on how to impact difficult 2011 budget decisions.

Licata, nick.licata@seattle.gov Organize and reach your Councilmembers with concerns.

Rasmussen, tom.rasumssen@seattle.gov Bring your requests to Council but also ask the Mayor to support your cause.

Godden, jean.godden@seattle.gov Participate in the upcoming Spring Roundtable and  come to the Fall budget hearings.

O Brien, mike.obrien@seattle.gov Bring a financial solution with your request.

Conlin, richard.conlin@seattle.gov Tell us the story and show us how our funding makes a difference. Keep in touch.

Please Email Mayor Mike McGinn with library support and urge your friends and family to contact him. He is thinking about budget issues for 2010 and 2011 right now!

Support the Library: Sign Our Petition April 15, 2009

As news of severe  reductions in the Capital budget  of our newly expanded Seattle Public Library system was being revealed today,  patrons outside Ballard Public Library added their signatures to a city wide petition drive in support of library funding. In the cold weather two dozen people, pictured at left, waited for the library doors to open.

In two hours 75 people stopped to talk about the importance of the library and sign their names in support of library funding. One man wrote on the petition: worksource tells me to use the library computers to look for work and fill out my forms.  Another woman wrote: the library is my lifeline in my job search.

Secret Garden bookshop will have a copy of the petition to sign through Sunday afternoon.  The petition will be presented to City Council in a morning meeting on April 20, along with petitions from many other neighborhoods. We’ll also have petitions available at the Friends of The Library Book Sale this weekend. Did you realize it’s Book Sale time again?