LAPL: Cutting City Library Hours A Big Blow

Susan Kent and Fontayne Holmes:
Cutting city library hours a big blow to educationDaily News: April 29, 2010 By Susan Kent and Fontayne Holmes

LAST week, the largest book festival in the U.S. took place at UCLA. Thousands of people turned out to celebrate the culture of books and a love of reading. How proud we must be that this all happens in L.A.

But there is something else happening in L.A.'s book scene. We wonder why no one is talking about it and what it means to our community.

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Although you can't smell smoke, the library system is being torched again by shortsighted political cynicism. Last week, the mayor proposed even more drastic cuts for the city's libraries. More cuts mean fewer staff members, and fewer staff members means fewer hours and days that the library is open to the public. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's budget, if it is adopted by the City Council, means that, for the first time in its 138-year history, all of the libraries of the Los Angeles Public Library will only be open five days per week!

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It's important to celebrate books and reading at festivals, but that only happens once a year. At our libraries, books, literacy and learning are celebrated every day. At least they were, until our elected officials began chopping budgets.

Times are tough. Budgets are tight. Change is needed. We agree. But, putting the onus on the library, which after all, is only 2 percent of the city's budget, is shortsighted, misguided and wrong. READ MORE !

Susan Kent was city librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library from 1995 to 2004.
Fontayne Holmes was city librarian for the Los Angeles Public Library from 2004 to 2008.