Closing Fallston's Library

In a span of only one week, Fallston's community discovered that politicians are trying to shut down our local library. All week I have been trying to raise awareness, going to local businesses and posting signs. Tonight I attended a public hearing and was very pleased how Fallston represented itself. The hearing was packed, with an overflow that wasn't allowed in, but as large in number as the representation at the hearing. So many strong arguments were made from my fellow community members. Here's why the library trustees are saying "their hands are tied" and they must close Fallston's branch:

• Age of Building
• Branch is not easily accessible on foot
  
• Low walk-in traffic
  
• Cost savings
  
• Poor location and dangerous vehicle access in and out of the property
  
• Close proximity to newest branches, Bel Air (7 miles), Jarrettsville (8 miles) and Abingdon
  
• Low percentage of computer usage compared to other branch locations

Here's some obvious refutes:

• The building is not ancient, but leaving an abondoned building would still be expensive to taxpayers: heating so the pipes are not frozen in the winter, patroling the area.
• Our tax money does not give us water, trash pickup, but the one thing it does give is our small library. Most people everywhere drive to the library.
• Poor location? It is centrally located to be the midpoint of three schools, it is on a easily accessible road and I haven't heard of any major accidents because of vehicle access.
• You shouldn't close down a library over computer usage. Fallston in fact has the fourth highest library usage out of the 11 branches in Harford County.

Well, throughout the public hearing it became quite evident that these weren't the real reasons why our library is closing. The board of trustees for the library, who made the decision to close, seemed to easily grasp (in my mind at least) that even if the above reasons are true it is still not any circumstance to close a community's library.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid our community acted too late. The county council of Harford county imposed this budget cut and now the library board thinks this is their only option. I think it's pretty crumby that this cut was ever imposed, but I, along with 99 percent of the other people at the hearing, did nothing about it. So now we decide to wake up and make one last valiant effort to save our books.

But what I do think is this: The board of trustees is in a tight position to think they have to close the library, but COME ON! But come on BOARD - this is your chance - work for your community and come up with a different solution. It seems like a no-brainer... you need 400,000$ a year? Well, come up w/ a plan, don't just say we are closing a library because it is difficult to drive in and out of; because not enough people sit on the computers and stare at the screen; because the building is more than 20 years old (eek! older than 20, can you imagine?)

I think it's laziness, and I am outraged that closing anything ever became an option. What needs to be considered seriously are ways to meet the budget cut by increasing revenue. I will pay .25 to check out a DVD; I will pay $5 a year to renew my card; I will make my dad who is a senior citzen to pay late fees. Implementing simple ideas like this -- plus many more spoken at the meeting tonight -- and enforcing them county-wide would create $400,000 sooner than you can get through the Twilight series...(well, I don't about that.)

SaveFallstonsLibrary.com for updates and actions you can take. This coming week will be important to reach out to our politicians!