Speak up in support of our library

To the editor:

On behalf of the Jay County Public Library, I want to draw your attention to recent developments of great significance to Jay County Public Library and to libraries across the state.

Our state legislature is considering property tax and local income tax reforms that may result in lower revenue for Jay County Public Library.

Our state legislature is also proposing a 30% budget cut for the Indiana State Library, an agency that greatly supports what we do here at Jay County Public Library.

At the federal level, the Institute for Museum and Library Services — an agency that distributes grants to states including $3.5 million to the Indiana State Library — is under consideration to be eliminated.

Funding from all of these sources is vital to the services Jay County Public Library provides — it helps fund our membership in Evergreen Indiana, Info Express (the courier service that allows Jay County residents to borrow from over 130 other Evergreen libraries) and the Indiana Digital Library (the provider of e-books through the Libby App), as well as all the materials and programs we provide.

These possible cuts in federal and state funding along with cuts in local property and income tax revenue will make it more difficult for Jay County Public Library to continue to provide the kind of services and resources for Jay County that you are used to receiving. Programs that support early literacy, families and life-long learning will be more difficult to do.

It has been our practice to not involve Jay County Public Library in political matters. However, these moves at the state and federal levels represent a financial and symbolic threat to library services in Indiana.

Therefore, we feel it is necessary to respond with a call to action by Jay County residents who value their public libraries.

If you wish to have your voice heard, I invite you contact our state legislators, Rep. J.D. Prescott and Sen. Travis Holdman.

Simply let them know how much you value your library.

I know that Jay County loves and supports Jay County Public Library. We experience that every day and we continue to be grateful for that support.

Eric Hinderliter

Director

Jay County Public Library