I deeply deplore the cuts to education, but am absolutely appalled by the 74 percent cut to library funding

Much has been reported about the drastic cuts to public education, but I have seen virtually nothing regarding the even more drastic cuts to library funding. I deeply deplore the cuts to education, but am absolutely appalled by the 74 percent cut to library funding.

The Bergen County Cooperative Library System delivers more than 2 million items from library to library each year. Do library users really want to have to drive many miles to get materials they need? To use a computer for job searching? To have to go back to paying rental fees for DVDs? All of these free services, plus the invaluable guidance of professional library experts, are available locally and are essential services for all taxpayers. As all of who are closely involved with library service know, poor economic times mean a boom in library use: We cannot cut this service just at the time when it is needed the most.

Please let legislators and Governor Christie know that we cannot support these cuts.
Carolyn R. Stefani
Bergenfield, March 28

The writer is a former director of the New Milford Public Library.

Source: Letter to the Editor from NorthJersey.com