Hi Friends.
This post falls in the category of the “Using My Voice,” part of the Writing Life.
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| An Example of One of My "Small" Library Hauls |
Our local community has a library levy on the current ballot. It’s significant in that the library levy is an increase from past levies (vs. a continuation of the current rate), and if the levy fails (I sure do hope it doesn’t fail!), library services across our county will be significantly reduced.
A neighborhood friend I respect and admire (and who has been a longtime and vocal supporter of libraries right alongside me) posed some questions to me related to the library levy and her current concerns/inner conflicts about voting in favor of it.
Her first concern is the increase going from 22 cents/$1000 in assessed property value to 37 cents, which she correctly calculates as a 68 percent increase.
She also notes that since property values have increased over time, and more houses in our area have been built, the proposed increase was in her words, “hard to swallow.” She acknowledged that the library has indicated the reasoning for the increase includes greater demand for services, the higher costs associated with digital book licenses, and other rising costs, etc. but she worried that it is hard for her to justify increasing taxes right now “when our economy is so precarious and we have so many people losing jobs, SNAP benefits, coupled with rising insurance rates, grocery prices, etc.”
She acknowledges her longstanding support of libraries, and the role of libraries helping to “level the playing field even just a bit between the richest and the poorest,” but also worries that the levy increase would be an undue burden our poorer community members.
She asked for others’ perspectives, including mine. I thought I might just share what I wrote back to her, in case you are a voter in my community or also considering a similar levy in your local area. I wrote this quickly and off the cuff … so please forgive if there are wonky sentences and likely some points I could have gone into more deeply, etc. My response gives the gist of where I fall on this issue:
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Thanks for reaching out.
While I can appreciate the concerns you’ve raised, I am not at all conflicted in voting an enthusiastic YES on this ballot measure.
I don’t actually think framing this issue in terms of the percentage increase is the metric I would narrow in on. For example, the percentage increase would appear as less, if the libraries had raised their ask more incrementally during past levy cycles. The bottom line from my perspective is the library services that the community benefits from via a robust cooperative library system spread across the county is a steal of a deal at the current rate AND at the proposed new rate.
By my calculation, our household tax bill will go up about $10/month (about 33 cents/day). That’s for HEAPS of borrowed books, ebooks, movie and magazine viewings; borrowings of “things” (from our libraries that have a collection of “things” to borrow); a quiet office area to get work accomplished at no additional cost (not even a need to buy a cup of coffee or other beverage); a gathering place for community groups; and the ability to attend a well curated selection of cultural experiences and community talks all around the county (many of which in turn provide a tad bit of funding to subject matter experts/entertainers/book creators/many different types of artists, etc. etc. who are sharing their expertise with the library community and for which the library programming office pays to them a very small fee).
Although I realize your concern is with folks who may not be able to afford the small increase in tax to fund this treasure, I would encourage you/others to look beyond that element and think of the social services our libraries are currently providing (e.g. a warm place to rest a body that is without a home, or for a family with limited heat in the home to hang out after school; a place to wash hands and use a clean toilet; free access to the internet; a place to print out something from the internet for about a dime a page (vs. twice the cost at a copy center); a safe place for teens to gather after school (and on occasion, have access to gaming devices they may not have access to at home); a place to seek help in finding a job and/or to find information/resources re: where to access food and clothing; a place for low income families to get a weekly supply of free classes for their children’s enrichment; a place to get free tax advice and support completing tax forms. I could go on and on and on.
I realize I’m preaching to the choir here, as you, too, are a library supporter, but in my view it is in these tight times that we need to lean into our community spaces, such as our parks and our libraries, as resources that can benefit especially those who are hurting from the current administration’s myriad of wraths. I often feel very small and ineffectual in terms of contributing in meaningful ways to the wellbeing of humanity on a national (and/or international) level. Supporting my local library levy (and vocalizing that support to others) is one way I can make a genuinely meaningful difference in my local community.
Any opening hours lost will fall the hardest on families working multiple jobs to make ends meet re: their schedules are the least flexible. Any reduction in books/ebooks will hurt poor readers the most — those of us who can afford to just buy the book, will do so. Any reduction in staffing will reduce the level of supports involved in standing up for the freedom to read (book challenges by well-organized right wing groups have cost libraries dearly across the country as they fight for our right to have a wide variety of materials available on library shelves.)
I would also say that many of our lowest income friends and neighbors are quite likely renting and do not own their own homes … yes, the cost will be passed along to them via their landlords, but in my observation (having several dear friends and family members who are at the mercy of a landlord’s whims), those rents are going up, up, up to the state or city allowed maximums as long as the market will bear it … year after year after year … library levy or not.
So those are my two (well, 25) cents on the topic.
Thanks again for reaching out and sharing your concerns. I always appreciate how thoughtful and well-researched you are in considering various issues.
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And thank you dear readers for considering your local libraries and the role they play in your community as you go out to vote this season. I am so very hopeful that our local levy here in Washington County, Oregon will pass resoundingly.
