[Publib] Essential services (was public printing)

[Robert L. Balliot]

Greetings, 

There is something about this notion of working for
taxpayers that somehow bothers me.  Children don't
pay taxes, they don't even work legally (pesky
labor laws).  Poor people don't usually pay too
many taxes.  And, college students are usually 
deficit spenders.

So, if we are working for the taxpayers, then we
are really working for a fairly small group. I
have property and pay quite a bit of taxes, so
I guess that libraries work for me.  But, I really
don't particularly need libraries since I have
a fax machine, multiple computers, phones, scanners,
and way too much software that I still need to
master.

But, as a taxpayer, I want children, poor people,
and college students to have the same resources
that I have available to me.  So do my friends
who donate money to libraries. So did Carnegie
who helped the wealthy understand why libraries
should be funded.

So, as a taxpayer, when you tell me that you do
not want to fund what you do not consider to be
essential services and that you are working for
me, you are essentially not. 

*************************************************
Robert L. Balliot
1-401-421-5763
Skype: RBalliot
Bristol, Rhode Island
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm
*************************************************
________________________________________
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of Bruce Bumbalough
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 8:35 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org; Mary Soucie
Subject: Re: [Publib] Essential services (was public printing)

So are you a library or a social service agency or an office supply
store?    Faxing, copying documents etc are not a part of the main mission
of a library.   We are here to meet the educational, recreational and
informational needs of the people who pay the taxes that fund us.   Copies
of documents, etc are beyond that description.   We struggle to fund what we
must do and complain endlessly about it, but we don't stop services that
aren't part of the mission and take away funding for our real purpose.
 
Bruce Bumbalough
Reference Librarian
Grapevine Public Library
1201 Municipal Way
Grapevine, TX 76051
 
817-410-3404 or 817-410-3449
bbumbalough@ ci.grapevine.tx.us


>>> "Mary Soucie" <mjsoucie at wilmingtonlibrary.org> 6/26/2007 5:45 PM >>>
I would disagree with those who think that offering printing from the
computer and copying is not an essential service. I'm going to lump faxing
in also because I'm guessing others would too. In my small, still mostly
rural community, we are currently one of two options in town offering color
copies and we are the only place offering printing. We have patrons that
copy vital things, such as insurance claims, etc. For these patrons, this is
as essential as the ability to check out a book. Same thing for the printing
from the computer. 
 
I would add notary service also to our list of essential services. 
 
I'm sure this will spark a lively "conversation". :-) Have a great day all,
Mary
 
Mary J. Soucie, MLIS
Library Director
Wilmington Public Library District
Visit the world @ your library™
201 S Kankakee St
Wilmington Il 60481
(815) 476-2834 
(815) 476-7805 Fax
mjsoucie at wilmingtonlibrary.org
www.wilmingtonlibrary.org 
 
Yahoo IM: wplddirector