Dear Editor,
Not everyone loves to read but libraries are so much more than stacks of books. In the past 20 years libraries have become the hub of the community in which they are located.
Libraries provide safe places for working from home when the kids are rowdy, or getting tutoring time for a struggling student. And let’s not forget that libraries provide FREE internet service. There may be numerous homes/families in Oxford that can’t afford Wi-fi. Libraries enhance lifelong learning which should be everyone’s goal. Our brains should not turn off when we get that high school diploma.
Libraries don’t care about your sexual identity, or who you voted for, or what your salary may be, where (or even if) you went to college. Libraries exist to support whatever you need in the way of information or leisure time enjoyment. And, in case anyone thinks a room for local history and genealogy is frivolous, you might be interested to know that genealogy is second only to gardening in popularity due in large part to internet access. (Admittedly, this information was provided by Ancestry.com!) Preserving our local history helps us understand where we have been and the direction we should go. A sense of place – belonging to where we are- is imperative if we are to feel included.
OPL has been great for decades. The population stats warrant the upgrades that are being proposed. If we all set aside that $50 bill we would have spent in a single trip to Culver’s, or Oxford 7, or the Tap on bike night we can afford the yearly tax required to float the bond. Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to the general welfare of us all. Oh by the way, China has the most libraries in the world and Russia is right behind them. USA ranked 5th with half as many libraries as Ukraine! (2016 info from OCLC published by mapsoftheworld.com)
Connie Ogg, Oxford Village