Islanders should make ecision on library closures | Letters | Jan. 14

Published 3:36 pm Thursday, January 13, 2011

KRL wants to close all libraries on Sunday afternoons to save $100.000 per year. The director says she is sorry but this opening is not “cost effective” and that this evens the playing field as all the KRL libraries will be closed. No exception for the four places where they had been open.

I am not convinced by any of their arguments. I think it is a very bad decision. I am shocked that it is imposed upon us without any due process with our community, and without any public discussion.

I am frustrated that they don’t even consider the possibility that we could raise the necessary funds to keep our library open on Sunday afternoons.

I am convinced a lot of people share my feelings but don’t express them aloud or publicly because we never raise our voices in a library and we are concerned about rocking the boat within an institution we love.

Bainbridge voted in favor of the levy and has the capacity to raise the extra funds needed to keep the library open on Sunday afternoons and maintain a service that a lot of people enjoy.

I dare KRL to tell us how much is needed to keep our branch open on Sunday afternoons and challenge us to raise the funds.

Accepting to close our library on Sundays would be admitting there is nothing we can do about it while I am certain the opposite is true. Here are three very simple ways to test this idea:

1. Start a survey at the branch where people can say whether they are for or against the closure on Sundays.

2. Install a donation box to raise funds to support the opening on Sundays; and open a special account with the KRL Foundation and/or Friends of the Library so that the donation is tax deductible.

3. Organize a public forum to debate the results of those two initiatives.

Philippe Boucher

Bainbridge Island