EDITOR:

As an Escanaba citizen I was absolutely horrified to hear about the proposed 40% reduction in funding to our library. I moved to Delta County in 2018 and have been heavily utilizing the library ever since. I check out novels, health and wellness books, career development resources, music, and movies that as a single mom, I would otherwise not be able to afford. My 6-year-old son has attended the children’s Lego, craft and story time programs, seasonal programs, received free vision screenings, snacks and books at these events. He has fallen in love with books and is reading at the level of a 9-year-old, which I directly attribute to the Escanaba Public Library.

Eliminating any funding from our library would negatively affect our most vulnerable citizens: veterans, the elderly, low-income, unemployed, children, disabled, blind, homeless, and those in rural settings without access to Internet. We cannot allow our citizens to be further weakened by removing this essential resource.

When was the last time you visited the library? Have you utilized their inter-library loan program to get almost any item you want from any other library in the U.P.? Have you checked out a free bestseller e-book on your tablet? Have you downloaded the free educational Kanopy app to your smart TV, courtesy of the Escanaba Public Library?

Federal funding for libraries is in jeopardy and cannot be relied upon alone. If the city also cuts funding by 40%, this will be a devastating blow to our community. This vital resource should be protected. I urge council members to find other ways to reduce spending that don’t involve penalizing library patrons. These services are essential for the betterment of Escanaba.

Nicole Owens

Escanaba