Letters to the editor
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Empower people by supporting our libraries
Thank you for the June 13 editorial "Petition of Support: City Voters Should Decide on Help for the Library." What is true is that, at this juncture, our libraries need us as much as we need them, and we need to make the right decision.
This is why the Our Library, Our Future campaign is so important -- it is not about a "tax" (such a dirty word!) but an opportunity to pitch in and show up during this 11th hour. The volatile state of our library system can't be overstated when the threat of closing branches and cutting services is real, particularly in communities where the library operates as the educational, informational and caring community space.
Think about Jerae, a library patron who, while making a donation to our branch, shared with me, "These librarians are my heroes." Jerae suffers from a debilitating brain injury and, at the behest of her neurologist, got her first library card and began finding the resources she needs to rebuild her mind -- all with the caring direction of our librarians, who not only pointed her to the literature but also got her involved in the Brain Injury Alliance.
Libraries and librarians are not just about the books. They're about the people, which is why supporting our library system is so critical. Who doesn't think we should offer free access to information to all of Pittsburgh's citizens? Free access to information is the underpinning of our democracy and the legacy of our city. The free library movement began with Andrew Carnegie's vision, all the more why libraries play an important role in our town. Not supporting the library is saying no to democracy, no to empowering people and no to our legacy, and who can stand for that? Instead, stand for our libraries and what they represent: our communities, our people, our Pittsburgh.
JEN SAFFRON
President
Friends of the Library, Allegheny Branch
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
North Side
Email fairness
I read that The New York Times and The Washington Post plus most of the mainstream media are going bonkers over the 24,000 emails from Sarah Palin's time as governor of Alaska. As a registered independent and not a big fan of Ms. Palin, I trust that emails from Barack Obama, Joe Biden and John McCain, all of whom ran in the 2008 election, will also be released so that newspapers like The Washington Post and The New York Times can peruse them for newsworthy nuggets.
First Published June 17, 2011 12:00 am
