Library Hours in Danger

Do you use our public libraries? I do. I think our libraries are one of Seattle's greatest gifts to its citizens. We taxed ourselves to renovate them and nearly every neighborhood can see the benefits. The City is proposing a 23% reduction in hours.

The City Council is having a public hearing today on the budget. I don't say go down there (unless you are so moved) but please take a minute to write to our City Council members and tell them the benefits to your family as well as to others in these hard times.

Here's info from an article in the Times this morning:

"Under the proposal, 21 out of 27 branches in the city would be closed Fridays (when all branches are now open) and Sundays (right now, 16 out of 27 branches are open).

On Wednesdays and Thursdays, these 21 branches would open an hour later (11 a.m.) and close 2 hours earlier — 6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. On Saturdays, they would open an hour later, at 11 a.m., closing at 6 p.m. (the way they do now).

To attempt to compensate, the system will keep six branches — Central Library, Ballard, Douglass Truth, Lake City, Rainier Beach and Southwest — open on Fridays and Sundays, and slightly increase their hours on other days."

tom.rasmus​sen@seattle​.gov
richard.mc​iver@seattl​e.gov

bruce.harr​ell@seattle​.gov

jean.godde​n@seattle.g​ov

jan.drago@​seattle.gov

sally.clar​k@seattle.g​ov
tim.burges​s@seattle.g​ov
richard.co​nlin@seattl​e.gov