Libraries matter

Elected Nassau County commissioners represent the constituents that voted for them, pledging to serve and protect the rights of those citizens and to secure the quality of life they expect. We place our trust in them to serve and protect and expect their respect in what we need and want.

Libraries strive to be inclusive to all ages and all residents by offering services like homebound delivery, material in multiple languages, adaptive reading technologies and programs designed to accommodate people with disabilities, ensuring that everyone can benefit from the vast resources they have. They offer career counseling, job search resources, forums and workshops, and free meeting spaces. They host cultural events such as book readings, art exhibits, film screenings, and musical performances. At the same time maintaining collections that celebrate and preserve local heritage and diverse cultural traditions. All ages, races and creeds benefit from libraries in their local communities.

Sometimes, the residents’ needs and expectations should come first. Trying to figure out how to protect the historical rights of your residents — schools, police, fire, clean water, parks, libraries, etc. can’t be obscured or eliminated because it might not fit neatly into a desired budget outcome. Our life, liberty and the “pursuit of happiness” are what we are guaranteed living here in America. Since when are these rights negated to balance a shortfall, in a reverse-engineered budget? “…Here’s what we have; let’s see what doesn’t fit.” This is a classic failure of imagination as well as a cop-out. No one said it is easy to create a balanced budget that is fair to everyone. That’s their job, and how they manage the budget by eliminating a service that has existed for over 250 years, (thank you Ben Franklin) should not be an option.

The County Board receives significant revenue from the tourist board that the non-profit Arts and Culture organizations provide as the backbone for tourism. What? Are they counting how many people interact with libraries? Is that the metric? The Friends of the Library is a non-governmental organization to help the elected officials keep the libraries open. The nonprofit, Nassau Council of Arts and Culture, was created because the county has no plan or support for Arts and Culture either, and now apparently, libraries. This is right up there with other residents' cherished organizations, i.e. museums. Really, close libraries? What’s next to be taken away? Boys’ and Girls’ clubs, Little League? Residents have rights, expectations and pay taxes to live in a chosen community because of its services, government and schools. Why can’t there be a conversation as to how to maintain the libraries and work that out rather than take the easy way and cut something they apparently don’t value?

Life without the arts and libraries? Libraries enable us to endure the stress of everyday living and provide a haven and joy for students, adults, and researchers. “The arts remove the dust and dirt of everyday living.” (Picasso). Libraries should be treated as a right for residents and not a nice-to-have. Especially if money to the County, received from the tourism board, is now diverted and taken from the libraries just to satisfy specific programs deemed more important by the board.

Libraries serve all the 107,000+ residents of this county and are significant for all residents. Few other organizations can make that claim. You were elected to figure it out.

~Richard Restiano, Nassau County Arts Advocate