The citizens of Minneapolis were given a temporary reprieve by the Minneapolis City Council when the necessary funding to ensure that the Central library and all neighborhood libraries will be kept open in 2007. Yet we are faced with the daunting challenge of ensuring they remain open on a permanent basis. In process now are many avenues to address this, through the efforts of the Minneapolis City Council, mayor's office, Minneapolis Library Board, Hennepin County and the Minnesota State Legislature and the input of our active and engaged communities.
I am confident we will be successful. What is telling is that our community has refused to pit one library against another. Rather, in a unified chorus, they have lobbied on behalf of our entire city for all of the libraries.
Our citizens recognize the value of each and every library as a tool to maintain our democracy, create jobs, aid local businesses, and foster families. Libraries by their nature are melting pots of race, creed, gender and age. Libraries are not separate from a public safety strategy; they are part of an overall public safety strategy.
During the recent public discussion and debate several themes recurred. Libraries are part of the essential fabric of our city and our neighborhoods. They are the institutions which open the doors of opportunity to many citizens, especially our immigrant populations.
They provide for our children important public safety and educational functions; as they are a safe haven for many children and also provide the added value of an educational learning center. Our library staffs are competent navigators for our youth on the Web and guides to information that is the cornerstone of a continually emerging technology. As the Star Tribune stated, "Some risks are worth taking .
.. this is one of these times.
" Libraries are not just brick and mortar, but they are the pulse of our community, they are people. As one librarian told me, it is America that passes through his doors every day, individuals yearning for knowledge, growth and betterment. It is our job as elected officials, and that of the broader community of citizens, to ensure that this basic city service is continued.
Do we dare look into a future that has even one less library?
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