Dear Senator,

I am concerned about the impact of Ted Strickland’s proposed budget cuts for our local libraries. As you are aware, the governor’s budget cuts in half the funding for our local libraries and risks shuttering library doors. As a member of the Ohio Senate, you’ve helped support our libraries and have seen first hand what adequate support can do. Ohio possesses one of the top-rated library systems in the country.

Our libraries are important to the community. At a time of rising unemployment we must defend these libraries where patrons use the internet to search for jobs, the free access to newspapers to skim the classifieds, and the wide assortment of technical manuals to learn new and marketable job skills. Libraries are also important to students during a recession because they use the library for summer reading materials, computer access for typing papers, and many programs that encourage personal development. Spending time at the library was one of my favorite childhood experiences, an experience that may be denied to the next generation of children if funding is not restored.

I understand that we are in a recession and tax funds are short, but cutting library funding harms those who are trying their hardest to do better. I strongly encourage you to withhold your vote from any budget that cuts library funding by 50%. There are alternatives to such steep cuts and I request, as my elected voice in the state senate, that you speak up in support of restoring library funding.

Respectfully,
(Your Name)