I'd planned to go to the library today. To return some books and get some new ones. And make some copies of a report I'm filing with the FBI, well, some police agency, I'm pretty sure it's probably not the FBI.As I zipped east on I-30 I passed my neighborhood library, it being the Eastside branch, I saw only 2 cars in the parking lot, thus indicating the library was closed.
I thought maybe it'd be open later, so I checked the hours on the Fort Worth Library website to learn only 4 of Fort Worth's libraries are open today.
And all Fort Worth libraries will be closed on Friday.
As you can read above, in a clip taken from the library website, 2010 budget cuts require a reduction in operating hours and services for most city departments.
This at the same time that Fort Worth's mayor, Mike Moncrief, is pushing the Fort Worth City Council to approve a $10.7 million gift for RadioShack.
Now, I'm of the opinion that library hours are the last thing you want to be cutting back on in a city that likes to see itself as the Envy of the World.
When Lisa Simpson goes to visit her Springfield library she usually is all alone in there. My neighborhood library is not like Lisa's. When it is open there are always a lot of people in there. I'll see moms helping kids with homework. All the computer stations being used. Others who bring in their laptops to use the Wi-Fi.
Where do all those people go when the library is closed? My neighborhood library usually opens at noon. You will actually see people lined up waiting for the doors to open. Opening a library is a good thing. It should be open often. And for a lot of hours.
Maybe if Mike Moncrief donated half of his conflict of interest earnings that he makes from all the gas companies that drill in his town, that he should not be taking money from, due to that conflicts of interest thing, maybe that money could keep the libraries open more often.
All but one pool closed, major cuts in library hours (not to mention book buying). How many of the city golf courses are affected? No way they cost less to run than the pools and libraries, especially when you count the extra expense of all the kids with nothing to do but break/break into things and get in trouble.
ReplyDeleteThey're going to do the same thing with the Dallas library. Hours dropping from 44 hours/week to 24 at the main library.
ReplyDeleteI did not know we had city golf courses in Fort Worth. Seems like they'd be the first thing closed to save money, elitist wastes of land that they be.
ReplyDelete4 1/2 courses worth:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fortworthgolf.org/sites/courses/layout9.asp?id=413&page=11535
Family Golf Special
Seven days a week, beginning at 6pm, Fort Worth Golf offers a special rate for up to four (4) family members (2 adults and 2 juniors or 1 adult and 3 juniors) for $25.00. If two adults are playing this special includes two carts....
You probably couldn't get into the pool that cheap.
Let 'em join Rivercrest.... no that means Mayor Mike might have to wait for a tee time.
Fort Worth is thinking about closing the North Side branch permanently which is a shame. As a matter of fact the North Side library needs to be expanded and not closed down. It is postage stamp small, almost always crowded, and located in a really cool spot at the north end of Circle Park Blvd.
ReplyDeleteYour system deleted my post. You suck!
ReplyDeleteshoresjim, no deleting was done on my part. Which I guess means I don't suck.
ReplyDelete