On April 7, Jackson County, OR, will be closing its entire public library system, due to losing $7 million in federal funding–nearly 80 percent of its budget–this year.
The situation has prompted outrage and protests from county residents of all ages, as well as the concern of librarians and book lovers nationwide.
“I wish we could call FEMA; this feels like a natural disaster to me,” says Ted Stark, interim library director for Jackson County. “Libraries are so much more than just libraries in rural areas. This is where all the town meetings are held, where all the kids come after school, where everything–everything–happens.”
The library crisis arises out of Congress’ failure to reauthorize a $400 million annual subsidy intended to bolster the economies of rural counties in 41 states. Oregon took the biggest hit, losing $150 million, and out of that, Jackson County lost $23 million. This led to some hard choices for the county government and, in addition to having to do things like cut jail beds and search and rescue teams, it had to eliminate all 15 branches of the public library.
The article goes into some of the history of the federal funding, dating back to the early 1900s, and why Oregon has suffered such great losses. It makes interesting, but depressing, reading.
