SAVE OUR LIBRARIES!!

Just received the following email from the director of the Wilmington Public Library. Please read & respond!!!Dear Friends,Last Friday afternoon, Governor Strickland held a press conference during which he presented a plan to balance Ohio's budget. One part of the plan is to use 50% of the Public Library Fund. If that were to happen, it would devastate all 251 of Ohio's public libraries. Many library buildings would have to close, staff layoffs would occur, there would be no funds for new books and other materials, and programs such as story times would be reduced or discontinued.Ohio's citizens are using public libraries more now than ever before. Those people who are unemployed use our Internet computers to apply for unemployment, conduct job searches, and retrain for alternate careers. Other people effected by the economic downturn can no longer afford to purchase books and movies and are rediscovering the library. These are only a few of the reasons people are using the public library in ever increasing numbers. This is not the time to reduce library funding.Please take a few minutes to review the information at www.saveohiolibraries.com and contact your legislators to ask that they oppose the governor's proposal. The attached document contains contact information for Clinton County's legislators, but Senator John Carey is Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. It wouldn't hurt for everyone to contact him.Also, please forward this message to your mailing lists. We have only a few days to express to our legislators the importance of our libraries. Ohio law requires a state budget be passed by June 30.Thank you for your support!Nancy-- Nancy P. EhasDirectorWilmington Public Library268 N. South St.Wilmington, OH 45177(937) 382-2417 x11

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Governor Ted Strickland

614-466-3555www.governor.ohio.gov

Senator John Carey 614-466-8156SD17@senate.state.oh.usRepresentative David Daniels614-466-3506district86@ohr.state.oh.usSample Email - Copy & Paste if needed!I am contacting you today to express my concern over the proposed cut to the Public Library Fund (PLF). Approximately 70% of our state’s libraries are funded solely through the PLF. Cutting this fund will result in closures, layoffs, and reduced hours in libraries throughout Ohio.These proposed funding cuts come at a time when Ohio’s public libraries are experiencing unprecedented increases in demands for services. Ohioans value their libraries to assist in educating their children, providing high speed Internet access, job searching and employment research, as well as information and entertainment. That cuts would be made to the PLF at this time effects those who need the library most during these rough economic times: the unemployed, who use library resources for job seeking, and children, whose education should always be our first priority. However, it is unlikely that many of Ohio’s public libraries can remain open with these proposed cuts.Please do as much as you can to help reject the Governor’s proposed cut on the PLF and Save Ohio’s libraries. Sincerely,