The following is the letter that I sent to the Warren Tribune Chronicle and the Youngstown Vindicator:
Dear Editor,
When I share with people about my childhood in Kinsman, Ohio, I never fail to mention the Kinsman Public Library. It was an integral part of my childhood and my development. From my earliest years, I was taken to Story Hour and crafts in the basement. I participated in the Summer Reading Program. I grew to know the librarians, who knew me by name and who could always point me to the right shelf. I would read books by the hundreds. When I was finally old enough for my first library card, I was given a ticket, a ticket to an unexplored world and a ticket to academic success and personal growth. As a child, I spent hours reading, learning, analyzing, and developing a skill set which rivaled my peers from some of the best schools in the nation. Kinsman Library, despite critics of the town and school district, provides this opportunity for those who take it. In my experience, some of the brightest and well-read individuals that I have ever met call Kinsman home. We are not the stereotypical, ignorant, country “hicks.” The existence of the Kinsman Library and these observations are not coincidence. The library represents the community’s commitment to education, whether it is the education of its youth, its elderly, or everyone in the middle. Andrew Carnegie gave the community a shell, but it is the community that has filled this shell. The shell is now cracked, and if the levy fails, we will fail generations of residents who committed themselves to the organization and continued development of our community’s greatest institution. More importantly, we will fail the youth who will never be given a Kinsman Library card.
Opposition will come in three forms: 1.) Economic conditions in our area are such that I can't afford levies for non-essentials; 2.) The library only benefits a small group of people within the Joseph Badger Local School District; and 3.) The library has not been fiscally responsible in response to state-wide budget cuts.
In response to the first argument, I contend that the library provides an essential service to the community. First, it is a free source of knowledge, providing computer and internet access. Many people within the community cannot afford a Kindle, internet access, or let alone a computer. They depend on the library for books, magazines, and technology. The library is a central hub for all of these functions. Times are tough in our area, but in the toughest times education cannot take the hit. The library and the school are assets to the community and to the future of our area. They go hand-in-hand.
In response to the second argument, I argue that the library can support a much larger swath of the school district, but the decision to use the library is a personal one. Opponents will argue that they should not pay for a public good which they do not utilize. I believe that these arguments will come from areas of the Joseph Badger Local School District, which are "far" or "distant" from the library. For these people, I challenge you to cut two trips to the Eastwood Mall for dinner, a movie, and some shopping. Instead, go with your children to the Kinsman Library on a Friday or Saturday; check-out some books; select a movie; go to dinner in the community; and head home for a night together. The benefits are obvious. You spend more time with your family; you instill the values of literacy with your children; you support the local economy; and you get a "return" on your taxes. Eastwood Mall and the Kinsman Library are interestingly the same distance and the savings is actually greater if one takes the "challenge."
In response to the third argument, I submit that the library has already been tightening its belt for several years. Hours have been cut. Staff has been reduced. The core functions have remained. These core functions now face the chopping block: new books, periodicals, and technology upgrades. If you feel that staffing is the issue, I challenge you to volunteer your time to do the same work without pay or compensation. If the levy fails and state funding continually deteriorates, the library will only remain if you are prepared to operate the library yourself. These threats are not idle.
The 1.9 mill levy will cost $58 dollars per year for a house valued at $100,000 dollars. Given the devaluation of housing within the area, most households will pay significantly less. It is time for the community to come together and signal a re-commitment to the values of education and opportunity by voting “Yes” on the library levy. Whether you are from Orangeville, Farmdale, Gustavus, Burghill, Hartford, Vernon, or Kinsman, we are still a community. The library is an integral part of this community. Do not be the electorate that spells the end of its existence.
Sincerely,
John Miller
Kinsman, Ohio
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