YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Public libraries serve as our communities' access to new worlds through literary work and spaces for learning, connection and growth. Access to free, trusted, unrestricted information is essential to empowering an informed electorate. As the League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri, we support the growth of public libraries within Greene, Christian and Webster counties. This support is reflected in our state league policy:
• Support a public library system as a basic community service, including internet access, with a long-term assured, stable and adequate funding source.
• Support access by all persons to public library services as a major source of knowledge and information necessary for informed, active participation in a democratic society.
Members of the League of Women Voters and our beloved communities have memories of strong and resourceful public libraries, whether from childhood or adulthood. These include:
• Visiting the front desk for a copy of the free and nonpartisan Voters Guide to learn about local candidates and ballot issues
• Getting lost in the pages of a novel with a captivating battle, rooting for the hero
• Accessing endless resources to research local history or find the perfect online or print source to finish a college paper, including using Mobius or other ILL systems to borrow from outside libraries
• Using the computer to write a grant, create a multimedia project, or find and fill out a job application
• Picking up a child from the children’s library program, where they interact with other kids and leave with an armful of books
• Watching the joy on a child’s face during story time
We are seeing a growing effort to hinder libraries' ability to provide key and needed resources to our communities. This includes sowing distrust in public libraries as institutions and the American Library Association, a professional organization that has guided libraries for over 140 years.
Worse still are the personal attacks on both board members and library personnel via social media or public comments. Libraries are a vital community resource for all, and we hope that community members are paying attention. Most library trustee meetings are free and open to the public. We encourage everyone to become informed about their local board agendas and to pay attention when library issues make the local news. But more than anything else, we encourage citizens to utilize their public libraries.
It is time to reconnect if you haven't stepped foot in a library for years. Treat yourself to a visit to your local branch and walk out with an armload of books. Attend a book discussion, participate in a craft session or game night or listen to a guest speaker. You might be amazed to discover how much your public library has to offer.
As such, we must continue to invest in and support these invaluable resources. Let’s ensure our public libraries continue to thrive. They are the heart of our communities and deserve our full support. Libraries are always there when they are needed.
—Emily Fessler and Liz Wertz, co-presidents of The League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri
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