Joan Ahlstrand: Measure S costs so little, but provides so much
Measure S presently provides nearly 90 percent of the funding for the Stanislaus County library system – the main library in Modesto and 12 branches. The average resident pays approximately $18 per year to support the library through an additional eighth-cent in sales tax. Local, county and state funding provide about 10 percent of the county library’s funding. If Measure S does not pass, this is what our county will lose in services to its citizens:
Story time for preschoolers – for many, their first experiences with literacy and books.
Schools would not be able to visit and check out books.
There will be no public access to the internet or WIFI.
No teen services would be available.
No reference desk or resume help.
No new books, e-books, or books on CD would be purchased.
Outreach to shut-ins and seniors would not be provided.
Inter-library loans would not available.
This is a partial list of the services that would be lost. Possibly the most important reason to vote Yes on S is to keep alive the breath of knowledge available to us all.
Joan Ahlstrand, Hughson
This story was originally published September 13, 2017 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Joan Ahlstrand: Measure S costs so little, but provides so much."