RESOURCES
THE PROBLEM
This is why the funding of American libraries should be a matter of national security. Keeping libraries open, giving access to all children to all books is vital to our nation’s sovereignty. For nearly 85 percent of kids living in rural areas, the only place where they have access to technology or books outside the schoolroom is in a public library. For many urban kids, the only safe haven they have to study or do homework is the public library. Librarians are soldiers in the battle for our place in the world, and in many cases they are getting the least amount of support our communities can offer.
Libraries are the backbone of our educational infrastructure, and they are being slowly broken by bankrupt municipalities and apathetic politicians. As voters and taxpayers, we have to demand that our local governments properly prioritize libraries. As charitable citizens, we must invest in our library down the street so that the generations serviced by that library grow up to be adults who contribute to not just their local communities, but to the world.
Kids who read become students who do well in school. Students who do well in school go to college. College students graduate to good jobs and pay higher taxes. Libraries don’t service only Democrats or Republicans. They don’t judge by class, race or religion. They service everyone in their community, no matter their circumstances. Rich or poor; no one is denied. Libraries are not simply part of our guarantee to the pursuit of happiness. They are a civil right, the foundation upon which time and time again the American dream has been built. If we lose our libraries, we risk losing our communities, our families and ourselves.
Karin Slaughter of Atlanta is a novelist.
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BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
The library serves the people of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and beyond. Your generosity insures that we can preserve and enhance the library's facilities throughout the city, its incredible collections, and the many vital programs and services for children, families, and lifelong learners.
Our goal is to help the library realize its strategic vision as outlined in the BPL Compass: Principles for Excellence. Currently, the foundation is seeking funding for the following areas:
Programs -- The library hosts a variety of programs for children and teens including the Homework Assistance Program, Read Your Way to Fenway, and story times for toddlers and young readers. Designate your gift to The Next Generation Fund to support general programs for children and teens throughout the city.
The library hosts thousands of programs for adults each year including speaker series, English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, author readings, concerts in the courtyard, movie screenings, and career and tax preparation courses.
Facilities -- The Boston Public Library System encompasses 27 locations throughout Boston neighborhoods, including the landmark Central Library in Copley Square. Wide-ranging needs for facility improvements include funding for preservation of the historic 1895 McKim Building and updating many neighborhood branch locations. |
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TALKING POINTS
| "We need to shift our national view of libraries not as luxuries, but as necessities. When tragedy strikes in other nations, Americans are generous, but our libraries are being hit with a tsunami and there has been no call to action." |
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LIBRARIES NEED OUR SUPPORT
We are ALL being asked to do more with less -- but what can you do without an education?
Where would YOU today be without the library in your past or present? Can you face a future without a local library? |
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