We all need a place to eat, and we all need a place to learn. The more support we have in these two areas when we are young, the better our chances of not growing up to be hungry adults. For most children, the primary environment in which they eat and learn is school. They also do a lot of their learning in the library. I think protecting our libraries is just as important as protecting the nourishment of our young population. Libraries -- both in our schools and in our communities -- are vital building blocks for youth.
This is why it's alarming that, according to IMLS.gov , a recent report shows that library funding has seen a 34% decline nationwide in the past three years. Some states, like New Mexico and Florida, report record drops in budget revenue (as much as 50%) and cuts totaling more than 14 million dollars.
While chances for library funding have decreased, they have not disappeared altogether. I was inspired by the recent creative approach to this issue by the children and adults at M.N. Spear Memorial Library in Shutesbury, MA. This community has launched an online video campaign to save a vital resource: their historic 100-year-old library, which is so small that "weekly story hours can only accommodate 5 or 6 children" and which desperately needs plumbing and structural repairs.
The State Library Commission promised the Shutesbury library 2.1 million dollars for upgrades, but here's the catch: in order to get the funds, they must first raise $1.4 million on their own. Their efforts to raise the money are working, thanks to social media and one generous donor. If you ask me, donating to the Shutesbury library is a pretty good investment: taxpayers get a 250% return on their investment once the entire 3.5 million dollars turns into a new library for the community. Check out Shutesbury's effort:
Of course, a library is only as useful as the health of its patrons. Many of the libraries in the world are in schools, and their patrons are students. This means that the libraries are only as useful as the health of the student bodies, and this is especially true for younger students.
One of the most important things for elementary and high school students is access to quality food, both at school and at home. According to the ConnAgra Foods Foundation, child hunger is "a major issue" in America: "During the 2009-2010 school year, 20 million children received free or reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program, but only 2.3 million children received meals during the summer months of 2009 through the Summer Food Service Program." That's 17.7 million children that we can only hope were able to eat decently over the summer months while school was not in session.
Shridhar Venkat, who runs one of the largest school lunch programs in the world, Akshaya Patra Foundation, recently was quoted in an NPR story saying, "Feeding a child is not charity." I think most of us would agree. Not only is it not charity, nourishment is the essential element which got all of us adults to where we are today.
Efforts to keep our young population well nourished and well educated will always come back to us tenfold. I support budget increases for libraries and food programs simply because the health and wellness of today's youth is a direct indicator of who our leaders will be in a few decades. Programs like Akshaya Patra and the M.N Spear Memorial Library are the glue of society that keep food on our children's plates and education flowing through their minds. Let's support them!
Learn more at foodforeducation.org and mnspear.org.
Nick Kolakowski: Read and Comprehend (Nearly) Everything
I am a Shutesbury resident who opposes the building of this new library in our town. Those who want to build the library are taking our town to court on Monday, April 23, to try to reverse the second election that they have lost, in which they asked for partial town funding for the project. We believe that the project is too costly, too environmentally-damaging, and too big for our shrinking population of 1700.
The local elementary school, about a mile away from where the proposed library would be built, has 133 students and a 2,0000 square-foot library with 11,000 books and 24 Apple desk-top computers. I believe that reduce, reuse and recycle are real guides in decision-making. In my opinion there is nothing ecological - or community-minded - about building a structure of 5,800 square feet at a cost of over $4,000,000.00 (if all the interest is included) for a town in which half of the people have stated with their vote that they do not want it.
I believe there are many communities in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world in which a library would make a real difference in whether a child learns to read or not. You might consider blogging about those libraries, and ask your readers to send money to them.
So, to those who understand the other factors at play here better than me, I assure you my stance does not promote one side more than the other, but instead the general awareness of the importance of our libraries, and nutritional health care systems for our youth. I respect the fact that just because it's a library doesn't mean it's beyond the guise of prudent financial and regional concerns such as the ones you have both mentioned. In the end, I hope the best solution for everyone is reached, and that the residents of Shutesbury are well equipped with excellent learning centers, wherever they may be.