How Did Saving The Libraries Go?

[SpiderManFan2002]

We managed to do it! We won! We were able to win the council over, and they've now requested more funding from central government because they refuse to make library cuts when they know how dependent members of our community in our city are on libraries.

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

Or that's what I would have liked it to turn out.

Yeah.

We didn't do it. We lost. We weren't able to win the council over. And they're not going to request more funding from central government because they probably know they're not going to get any. So they're making the library cuts despite members of our community in our city being dependent on the library.

Yeah.

So what's going to happen to our libraries now?

Well, the plan was to cut paid library staff, and replace them with volunteers. Now in theory that doesn't sound so bad, but in reality...

- Firstly, job losses from paid library staff- I hope whoever's lost their job has found a new one.

- If there aren't enough volunteers to run the library on a particular day, they'll close it early. So whoever is using the library at that time will be told to leave.

- If there aren't enough people willing to volunteer in a particular library- even though members of the public need it, it will be closed down.

Yesterday I was talking to some kid from one of my classes, and he was telling me that his library has already been replaced with volunteers and luckily for him it isn't actually too bad, I mean he was telling me that because he hasn't had a computer or internet at home for a long time- he has relied on the library for stuff like studying.

I don't know if this is true or not but apparently in one of the financially wealthier areas of our city, their library got a very large amount of money spent on it. I don't know if I am allowed to tell you the exact figure or not, I'm assuming not considering it isn't published anywhere- but let's just say it got a lot of money spent on it.

If that is true, then there is a huge funding inequality right there. Why is it that some libraries are getting their staff cut, yet others get a whopping amount of money spent on them?

The only thing I can think of, is if there was something really unsafe about that building so they needed to spend money on fixing that something.

I don't know guys.

I mean at least we tried, got staff striking, put up a good fight... But I guess the reality of the world is that the good causes don't always win.

And pretty soon, I have another meeting with that group I was with who were trying to prevent the cuts- so I guess I'll see what they have to say, and if there's some kind of way to claw back from this or not.

Like I said guys, I don't really know, I'm just some kid who decided to team up with them because an old man was telling me about the cuts and got me to sign his petition on the way home from college, and I wanted to help prevent those cuts, so I'm usually the last to know about everything.

And at the meetings I don't really say anything, I just listen because everyone is older and smarter than me- I mean put one way, I'm the only teenager there and the next youngest person is 24 so that's 7 years older than me😂

But I'll see what they'll have to say at the next meeting, see if we can do something else about this, or see if there's another cause which we can try and fight for considering we couldn't win this one...

You can't win them all.

[kymberz]

SpiderManFan2020 - use your freaking super powers! yer just like Spiderman! and he's a super heroe! i don't care how old you are nor what planet you are from or anything like that - you are caring and you care deeply enough to become involved in trying to save libraries? am i in a freakin movie? about a guy with a super power? i call it his voice. you have written and explained all of this to us and so i give you a choice. stand up and be heard. or slink around like a spider. but everything that you are is already inside of you and YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE! be loud! raise your voice at the next meeting! speak up about the importance of keeping libraries around for our communities to be able to use. write a speech. send it to me. i'll edit it and we can practice it and then you get up in that next meeting and you BE HEARD! i'm casting a spell on you right now. because i believe that nothing will ever change or get better until we find young people like you who will continue to fight battles. so you find your voice and you make yourself heard! i really enjoyed reading this and hope that you will update in the future! please. please. you are a difference-maker. and we soooo need more people like you right now! if there is anything i can help you with - just ask k?

[SpiderManFan2002]

I know what you're saying but we've already made speeches and they've gone ahead with it anyway. But thank you.

[purplepoppy]

Typical Tory policy, replace workers with volunteers then brand those who've been laid off as jobshy. Probably going to force them to work in a library to gain work experience. Next your doctor is going to be replaced by Bob the volunteer who just fancies having a go.

[SpiderManFan2002]

Hahaha, tell me about it.

But hey them working-class tories will be happy because they think for some reason the tories winning means less immigrants on the streets!!😂😂😂 (despite our aging population).

[winterfox10]

That's heartbreaking... libraries are some of the most important institutions in civilized society, and the gatekeepers of our knowledge and culture are being sabotaged by the likes of the internet.

Here's what I would do: I would seek funding from a local college or university, maybe a church, or even the state dept. of education to keep the library open. You make the community library an accessible place for students and faculty to meet, host classes, tutoring sessions, that sort of thing. You ask the college for a certain amount of money per year.

[Sevenpointfive]

if we didn't have a city library i wouldn't have liked reading as much as i do. i wouldn't be as educated, imaginative or adventurous. so i'm grateful for that one library. if every city could have one big one that would be fine with me.

you did a good thing and i hope you made some contacts

[Iseechaos]

I actually work at a library in New York and the budget cut is a real issue. It's been over a year and a half since they have cut the part time employees hours by a drastic amount. It's tough to work at a library these days and I hope city officials can have a change of heart and give more funding for paying employees and not just for remodeling libraries.

[bamesjond0069]

Well try not to be so much of a commie. Its totally fair the one library has more money than the rest. And if you didn't allow private donations like that, then it would be one more library worse off. Is it fair that my girlfriend is a gourmet chef so we eat amazing meals like you see on chopped and shows like that for most meals while people who can't cook eat ramen and pbj sandwiches? Yes its totally fair.

[SpiderManFan2002]

Tell that to the parents who can't afford to take their kids anywhere else, tell that to the kids who can't afford an internet connection but need to do their online homework, tell that to the elderly who have no other place to go.

[bamesjond0069]

Well maybe they should get a job? You don't NEED an internet connection. I few months back i went like 3 weeks no phone internet computers etc. It wasn't that bad at all. I did make a phone call occasionally but the phone was left plugged in at home so only when i sat down specific to make a call, i didn't bring it. So dont give me no crap that you NEED the internet.

[MackToday]

Maybe they should get a job LOL! 👌👌

[SpiderManFan2002]

"Well maybe they should get a job?"
People try to and one of the ways they do that, is going to the library and using the internet connection to apply for jobs on places like Indeed.

"You don't NEED an internet connection."
No, YOU don't need an internet connection. Others do. Take the students at my college for example, we all need an internet connection because many of our study resources are online, and when college closes on the weekend when online homework is assigned to us- we will need an internet connection.

[bamesjond0069]

If you have enough money for hundred dollar books how can you not afford internet? Maybe you shouldn't be going to college right now and working instead?

[SpiderManFan2002]

"If you have enough money for hundred dollar books how can you not afford internet?"
A lot of people don't have enough money books. Another use of the library is getting the books we need as well as using the internet connection. ;)

"Maybe you shouldn't be going to college right now and working instead?"
What kind of stupid logic is that? The only job I could get right now, is a minimum wage job because I have the bare minimum qualifications, the whole point of going to college, is so we can get further education qualifications, and possibly go to university to get higher education qualifications- so in the future we can get jobs and better ourselves, and right now whilst we're in this position, the library can help us all.

[bamesjond0069]

"The only job I could get right now, is a minimum wage job because I have the bare minimum qualifications..."

You are telling this to a man who used just the internet to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in less than a year. You don't need school. Thats the dumbest thing i ever heard. All my buddies who focused on school are broke asses with jobs and im traveling the world and sleeping late and making far more than them. College my butthole. Lol

[SpiderManFan2002]

"You are telling this to a man who used just the internet to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in less than a year."
If that is true, it's not always a reliable source of income and you may have gotten lucky but it doesn't work for everyone. If it worked for everyone we'd all be doing it. So for me personally, I probably will start something on the side, but it isn't a 100% certain that what I will do will work so I have school qualifications to fall back on, and my worst case scanerio is becoming a teacher.

With you, anything could happen overnight to make you broke, and you'd have nothing to fallback on assuming you didn't get qualifications.

[SpiderManFan2002]

And hold on? You used the internet to make hundreds and thousands of dollars? So you do NEED the internet because let's say you couldn't afford an internet connection, and didn't have one- you wouldn't have made those hundreds and thousands of dollars.

[bamesjond0069]

Wtf are you talking about? I dont need a reliable source of income because i have enough money and assets to live the rest of my life. Going to school and getting a job is what everyone does and thats why everyones poor. Common sense would say do something different.

[bamesjond0069]

I had a low paying job to pay for the internet. I wasn't a freeloader on the government.

[SpiderManFan2002]

But what if something happened to you, where you lost all your money and assets and you had to return to a regular job? Don't be arrogant it can happen to anybody.

I'm not saying you should just go to school and get a job- of course, you should do something on the side to earn extra, but you shouldn't solely rely on it because while it's good earning extra anything can happen to anyone overnight so it's always good to have a backup.

" I had a low paying job to pay for the internet. I wasn't a freeloader on the government. "
That's great. But when people have families to feed, when even their children's school (s) ask them for money for resources because their schools aren't sufficiently funded by the government, when they apply for 50 jobs and get mostly no replies or replies stating that they aren't suitable for a job- then tell them to get an internet connection, why don't you?

Your problem is, you can only see the world through your eyes. Why don't you think of the single parent with kids to feed and gas and electric bills to pay who is struggling to find a job because childcare costs are so expensive? Why don't you think of the teenager or young person who has had to leave home due to family problems? Why don't you think of the elderly person who has worked all their lives but because bills are becoming so expensive they have to choose between eating and the heating?

And you can't just say it's "these people's fault they're like this" because the truth is you and I have no idea what they've been through to get to that position.

[bamesjond0069]

Well i was smart enough to wear a condom. Maybe they should take responsibility for having kids they can't afford. Not my problem. And your logic makes no sense. What do you do if you get in a car accident and lose your arm and now can't work most jobs? Smh. What if i lose all my money? How would that happen? Do you think bill gates is going to college to finish his degree he dropped out just incase he loses all his money? Im wealthy and in my opinion you never will be because you have a terrible attitude and little understanding how money works.

[SpiderManFan2002]

"Well i was smart enough to wear a condom."
See there you go again, assuming their situation because you heard the term "single parent" How do you know why they're a single parent? What if at the time, they could afford to have the kid (s) but times got rough and now they can't? Or what if a woman was raped and she chose to have a child due to her beliefs? You truly don't know. You have no idea. So why assume?

"What do you do if you get in a car accident and lose your arm and now can't work most jobs?"
Well that could happen to anyone, I wouldn't know what to do because I haven't been in that position. But if I was I would want people understand my situation and not accuse me of "freeloading" off of the state.

"What if i lose all my money? How would that happen?"
I don't know how it could happen, but it could happen- that is the point.

"Do you think bill gates is going to college to finish his degree he dropped out just incase he loses all his money?"
Bill Gates is different. Not everyone is Bill Gates and not every company is Microsoft. Bill Gates was a classic case of right place, right time. And though it is highly unlikely for Bill Gates to lose all of his money it still could happen- what would he do then? I don't know. But Bill Gates and Microsoft is a one in a million kind of thing- not everyone can be like him.

" Im wealthy and in my opinion you never will be because you have a terrible attitude and little understanding how money works."
You're wealthy and you think I'll never be? Firstly, the term wealthy can be subjective. Secondly I would never want to be wealthy the way you are- you seem bitter and like you don't care about those less fortunate than you.

Just remember when you die, you cannot take all that so called "wealth" you have with you.

[bamesjond0069]

Im bitter because idiots like you make dumb decisions and expect me to pay for your mistakes. I could literally tell you three things to get you ahead in life like i had and i promise you wouldn't do any of them because you know better. And then you want me to pay for a library that you use. Why dont you earn money and pay for your own damn library. Commies like you make me sick. Simply funding a library to pay workers instead of volunteers takes money out of my pockets and not yours so kindly fuck you. I dont go around saying lets take all of spidermanfan2002s money from her so i can have something i want that she doesn't. Thats rude asf and im not afraid to say it. You are entitled and rude to expect other people to pay for something you want. Pay for it yourself and leave everyone else alone.

[SpiderManFan2002]

God you sound bitter😂😂😂

"Dumb idiots like you" -Okay mate😂😂😂

"Commies like you make me sick" - Not a commie but okay😂😂😂

And let's say you didn't manage to find a low-paying job, to get you your internet connection, and your health took a turn for the worst meaning you were out of work for a while, and then you struggled getting a low-paying job- you wouldn't have your so-called wealth today, would you?

Not everything is everyone's control.

"I dont go around saying lets take all of spidermanfan2002s money from her so i can have something i want that she doesn't."
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂Who said to take all of your money? Sweetie, I know this is hard for you to believe but the whole world doesn't revolve around you😂😂Once I start working, and paying my taxes it would not bother me a single bit if a percentage of my taxes went towards funding libraries because even if I don't use them at that point- other people will. And those people should be allowed to use the library to help better themselves.

[SpiderManFan2002]

"You are entitled and rude to expect other people to pay for something you want."
It's not just me though, is it? I use the library sometimes, for studying, borrowing books, using their internet when I don't an internet connection at home, or just heading to the library because it's quieter than my college.

But I'm not the only one using the library. At this point, I am fortunate enough to have an internet connection at home, but I know kids who aren't so they'll be using the library more frequently than me. I've seen parents come with their kids, teaching them how to read, kids socialising with other kids, the elderly coming, reading, socialising. People using the computers to look for jobs. People learning about how to use computers. Extra Maths and English sessions being setup for primary school children. After school clubs for kids to go and hangout at. New mums coming to the library with their babies, talking to other mums. One mum with post-natal depression, was telling one of the library staff that actually coming to the library and just talking to people helped her cope a lot better.

And I could go on and on, but the point is- your point is invalid. Because it isn't just me who wants the library. It's library staff. It's mums. It's dads. It's grandparents. It's primary school students. It's secondary school students. It's college students. It's university students. It's infants. It's people looking for jobs. It's people without an internet connection. It's people looking to learn new skills. It's kids looking to get ahead of the class.

So many different people could tell you why the library is important to them- and for me, you can't put a price on something which brings people together.

[bamesjond0069]

If many people want the library they should pay for it. The one library did as you mentioned. See its simple.

[SpiderManFan2002]

I don't think you quite understood what I was saying. Which library do you think "paid for itself?"

[JustJen]

What kind of crap is this? Libraries are not a necessity, and sould not be tax founded. You want a library? You pay for it.

[COMMODOREII]

That sucks. Sorry Spidey. Maybe next time.

[Mindwipe]

We're fortunate that or libraries are funded through a portion of assessed property tax rather than by our local city council.

[BuckWild]

That really sucks. I'm sorry.

[Jjpayne]

That's sad to hear that's happening... :(

[Pink2000]

That is awful ! You had me in the first part.

[Exorcist_Rampage]

Sorry that bad luck struck.

[shorty45]

That's really bad, I sorry

[Caplismdie]

Good

[SecretGardenBlood65]

Good take

[trueesportsprogamer]

Good job gratz

[SpiderManFan2002]

Thanks, I guess

[trueesportsprogamer]

It is really good to have libraries it is as useful and helpful to have libraries around as well as archives