Angry Residents Fight For Doomed Libraries
Budget cuts may lead to closings
Getty Images/Justin Sullivan
STANFORD, CA - DECEMBER 17: A man browses through books at the Cecil H. Green Library on the Stanford University Campus December 17, 2004 in Stanford, California. Google, the internet search engine, has announced a long-term project to put 15 million books from seven of the world's most prestigious libraries online and make them searchable. Included will be the libraries of Harvard, Stanford, the University of Michigan, the New York Public Library and the University of Oxford, including the Bodleian. Books and periodicals will be scanned and project is expected to take six years and cost more than $100 million. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Citizens are in an uprising because of Mayor Jerry Sanders proposal to close seven city library branches.
Angry San Diego County residents made a loud and emotional call to protect their beloved libraries at a rally Saturday in front of the University Community Library at 4155 Governor Drive in University City.
Nearly 100 people chanted in unison to "L-I-B-R-A-R-Y, if you close it, I will cry." Their signs read "Cut our trash collection to every other week, but not our library" and "SOL: Save Our Library."
The group expected to collect nearly 1,000 signatures to protect what they are calling "doomed libraries." The doomed libraries are in University Heights, Ocean Beach, Allied Gardens/Benjamin, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Clairemont, Mountain View/Beckwourth, and University Community. They are planning to bring the signatures to Monday's City Council Meeting around noon where a vote is expected on the proposed library budget cuts.
"It's unconscionable and we're just hoping that the mayor will have a conversion the way he did with Proposition 8. He talked to his daughter and changed his vote. He did a 180. He's got to listen to the heart of San Diego in every community," said San Diego Community volunteer, Sandra Lippe.
Protestors do not feel that cutting something specifically geared toward education is the smart thing to do, especially in this economy.
They say education is their biggest concern and children could be hit the hardest. "I'm not going to have as much fun reading because I'll have to read the same books over and over again," said Elementary school student Nina Morch.
"I really like the library and I don't want it to close. That's why I'm out here shouting," said another Elementary schooler, Camille Le Saux, "I read and sometimes do my homework here after school. I would be so sad and I wouldn't have as much fun if it closed."
