ProgressOhio

They came for the meetings rooms....and I said nothing....

Our libraries are under legal attack from outside special interest groups. Let's nip this trend in the bud right now.

I think of my local library as the center of the community, a wellspring of self-help. It's all about sharing knowledge -- what could be better than that?

"Information wants to be free," said computer scientist Stewart Brand. The public library makes it happen.

Personally, I have borrowed hundreds of dollars worth of books, DVDs and CDs in the last year. It is well worth the $178/year in property tax that we pay to the library.

If I want to read Rush Limbaugh's or Ann Coulter's new books I can get them at the library. I sure as hell wouldn't buy these books. Ditto on the Comedy DVDs.

Resident or not, my local library gives lending privileges to everyone. I can't tell you how many non-English speaking people I've witnessed who smile and seem extremely grateful when borrowing library materials. It's heart warming.

If you've never been a young mother, you probably can't imagine what a great public facility the library is.

Anyone who aspires to be a librarian is a morally superior human in my book. Seeking answers for others is their joy. Librarians also put up with a lot of crap from homeless people and bad parents who dump their kids.

Please join me in telling the special interest groups: "Public" means secular. It's not their library any more than it is yours. Stop wasting our tax dollars on legal fights. Libraries are for information-seekers, not worshipers.