education

Last month we asked "Who Needs Libraries, Anyways?"

Second and Fourth graders at George H. Mitchell Elementary School in Bridgewater have resoundingly answered that question by raising more than $20,000 for their town's public library.

“The children learned that they could do something worthwhile to support their community and they improved their reading at the same time,” said second-grade teacher Lisa Ohman.

Seen as non-essential services, libraries across our state are suffering budget cuts in the form of slashed hours, or even closed doors.

Magnifying local budget cuts is the loss of state certification and its associated rights, such as inter-library loans, that can occur when towns cut funding to libraries disproportionately to the rest of town priorities.

So what?

Ruth Hathaway, manager of the Holbrook Library calls the library, "the ultimate community center for all ages.” Ruth, and countless Massachusetts citizens like her, are fighting to save these public structures that provide opportunities for education and community interaction.

Unless Holbrook voters support a Proposition 21/2 tax override on June 10, the doors of that community center will be locked.