Editorials / Opinions

Standing room only attendance at the most recent Susquehanna County Free Library and Historical Society Board meeting in Susquehanna on Monday, April 28th tells us residents and, more importantly, constituents of the library, care deeply about the library. The worry I gleaned from the meeting was that people are very concerned that the county library system, as they know it, will have difficulty surviving under the leadership of the newly established board. Will the caliber of the collection be maintained? Will the library be able to keep all of the wonderful staff it currently has? When the Board talks about cuts, what cuts are we talking about? Will a part time head librarian, as proposed by the Board, be adequate to keep the level of integrity and balance that its users are accustomed to? Will he or she be qualified? Will the Board be able to fundraise enough money in the long term?

All of these burning questions, and more, were not answered. The Board does not answer questions of the standing room only audience. Comments for the first 15 minuets of the meeting were allowed, but no questions. I think I can speak for many there, that this policy was very frustrating. And, in my view, indefensible.

These and other members of the public support their library in many ways. Support comes through their federal, state and local county taxes. It comes from numerous volunteers. It comes from donations, small and large.

I feel, as do many I have spoken with, that our library Board of Trustees should be much more responsive to the concerns of the community! We need to feel that the library system we have come to love will be with us in the future. We need to feel that our thoughts and questions matter.

Sincerely,

Barbara Scott, Hallstead, PA