The county I live in is “depressed” and has been ever since logging went down by 80% or more years ago. Unemployment when we moved here was supposedly 14%, in 2001. So many foreclosures in the last 3 years means less property tax too. So they cut all libraries - killed ‘em - in the county more than a year ago. Finally after much wrangling they opened them again, part time, and I think have some volunteer helpers, fundraisers, etc.
I have given a lot of thought to the library question. I think private libraries is a good idea. Or private/public combo. People could purchase a membership - lifetime, yearly, or something in between. And/or pay per book rental - something very small per book. And if it was private, people would be encouraged to donate books, time, etc. And if libraries were private, they could nix objectionable books like homosexual propaganda especially for kids, etc.
Local govs always threaten (and do) to cut cops, fire depts and libraries to get the public to ante up. Instead of cutting useless or harmlful leftist programs or their own bloated salaries.
In NJ, the average property tax is $7,000/year, most of which is a school tax. So, we pay thousands every year into the public school system.
OTOH, we pay around $70/year for a library tax. I don’t know how much state funding our county libraries receive. Christie has to cut the state budget, and I’m glad I voted for him. He’s tough, but he’s cutting very little from the public schools and then hitting the only “government service” we use. That’s what has me taken aback.
However, as I said in my last post, I don’t know if his cuts will affect our libraries, anyway, because they’re county level.
So far, I haven’t come across much on the far left at our county libraries. There are books of all kinds, including books on the right. Our libraries also have programs for the kids to make gifts for veterans, collect donations for the troops, and so on.
I hear you loud and clear. I’ve always thought private libraries would be a good idea. Homeschoolers run lending libraries, for example, which would count as private libraries. Much more could be privately run, and many services could be privatized. But, I want the public schools to be hit hard first. We’re really overpaying for them. Without our libraries, the schools would be all that remain, and they’re definitely on the left. ;-)