Please Support the Shelves at the Brooklyn Public Library!

If you've been keeping up with whatsgoodinny, then you know all about why our public libraries are pretty much the greatest thing ever.

Today alone, at the Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), I borrowed at least six CDs (Beatles, Pixies, Alan Jackson... my taste is pretty eclectic, yet they have it ALL!), one new-release DVD (How Do You Know), and I currently have two library books at home and three more on hold. The library is my lifeblood, and it offers so much to the community, especially to the most precious residents we have, our children. Did you know that the library has a wide assortment of classic literature set aside as "assignment" books for students so that they do not have to purchase these books? Did you know that the library provides after-school activities and also provides extensive support and resources for job seekers?  Read more about why libraries are so important in my earlier post, here.

However, on June 30, 2011, if proposed budget cuts take effect, BPL faces a loss of as much of $25.2 MILLION in funding, nearly a 30% reduction in its budget. This is in addition to the $9.9 million BPL has already lost in funding over the past two years. What will these additional cuts mean for the library community in Brooklyn? Massive staff layoffs, reduced hours at branches, fewer services/programs/events, and a far lesser selection of books, DVDs, CDs and other materials available.

Please join the Brooklyn Public Library's campaign against the proposed budget cuts by signing this petition and by donating to BPL.

Also, don't forget to "like" the library on facebook.