I received this message out of the blue, and for anyone else who values their local public libraries, I hope it scares you as much as it scares me. Apparently the chair of the board of trustees for the Providence Public Library has announced plans to close most of the cities libraries. Why? She says libraries aren't about the buildings.
I'd like to see a library function without its building. As the people who have rallied to save the libraries have pointed out, a library isn't "just a book warehouse."
We couldn't function without our building, and our building is a file cabinet in the basement of a coffeeshop. Even just that means a lot for a community. Now add on all the things Providence's Public Libraries will also take away, and you end up with kids without places to do homework, people without internet access unable to access even basic information, fewer venues in the city for public use, not to mention all of the jobs and education opportunities lost.
