Comments on: New Library Hours In Effect; Century Cut Two Days

By: Callie

Callie — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 20:11:04 +0000

I have three children and I have been bringing the two older ones to the Century library since they were in Pre-K…My eighteen month old has visited the library with me since he was born! I feel like being active at the library has fostered a love of reading in my children….Plus the ladies there are wonderful! I just cannot believe they have to put up with lowered hours, already not enough funding, etc. Are we in the northend not worth having the same services they have in the “big city”? We already had to rally up to keep the library open…What will we have to do next time?

By: Laylaemily

Laylaemily — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 11:42:59 +0000

These people in charge need to be replaced by people who understand that living in town you can go 2 miles either way and bump into a library. We need to get together like the tea party people and protest at their office until we get some notice. I know there are a lot of out of work people up in the north end that have the available time so get together and get our library open more hours so outr children can have access and don’t become uneducated and unemployed

By: Trish

Trish — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 01:14:00 +0000

The thing that really bothers me is the fact no one making these decisions knows what it is like to live where we live. They do not understand the lack of services we receive because to them no one in their right mind would live “out in the boonies”. Even though you and I know that there are people all around us and it is no longer really “country”. They assume we will sit back and constantly take the garbage they deal out to us. I hope we have given them a little taste of how we think that enough is enough and we are tired of being looked down on and having services given then taken away. We in the county are not second hand citizens and will not stand back to be trampled in the dust any longer. We have loud voices and know how to use them.

By: MolinoLady

MolinoLady — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:54:04 +0000

RE: S. L. B.

That answer is not from a commissioner and is an insult to those in the county. The county did not ‘decide’ to reduce the hours in the county libraries. That is done by the library administration – certainly not the county. Pure propaganda.

The county is the ones who have tried to get these libraries out of the city some. The county hours are drastically cut. The north end has very small staff compared to the Downtown and Tryon staff. They could have moved a couple of employees north and put the hours back up here. They decide that – not the commissioners.

Yes, the 73% amount is paid from the county coffers but why do we have to drive into the city to get our part? It cost me 2 gallons of gas every time I go to Pensacola and they want the county (us) to pay more. That is not fair. Those commissioners have fought to get the library to come to Molino. We in Molino appreciate all of them who voted for it and they all did!

By: S.L.B

S.L.B — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:59:54 +0000

I e-mailed my thoughts and complaint on the subject last week to all the e-mail addresses that William provided us with and out of all sent out, this is the only reply I received back. It appears that the Library Mgmt. is using the population numbers card against the northend. This is what it said:

“I share your frustration with the reduction in hours at the libraries. I wanted to share some information with you, though. The funding for the libraries is from both the county and the city based on the usage ratios by the different populations (though city residents aren’t also counted as county residents, which they also are). Every year that I have been on council the council has tentatively approved a budget for the libraries. Then the county decides to reduce the library budget, and the city has had to go along. In a recent budget cycle, the city actually held the amount we had agreed to spend initially for books in reserves and then paid that to the library system at the end of the year, thereby exceeding what we are required to pay into the library by the interlocal agreement. My best guess for why the county commission was willing to cut hours so drastically at county libraries is in an attempt to reduce the number of county residents using the libraries, which would reduce the percent of the library budget that the county must pay.

I encourage you to continue advocating for the libraries. If the county will agree to increase their funding for the library, I am certain the city would follow suit, funding it to the amount we had initially budgeted.”

By: MolinoLady

MolinoLady — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:10:32 +0000

I hope people know that this is what “Consilidated Government” would be like – those in control treat us like we do not matter. NEVER let the southend rule the northend.
The Century Library is vital to those children and many adults.

By: kathy brady

kathy brady — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:25:20 +0000

THE CLOSING OF THIS LIBRARY WILL HURT SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR TOWN, CHILDERN LOVE TO GO TO THE LIBRARY AFTER SCHOOL , AND WE HAVE MANY HOMESCHOOL CHILDERN, THAT USE THE LIBRARY FOR SCHOOL AND OTHER THINGS. THIS MAY BE A SMALL TOWN , BUT THIS IS A POSTIVE PLACE FOR KIDS TO GO AND I MYSELF USE THE LIBRARY EVERYDAY. I MUST SAY THE EMPLOYEES THERE ARE THE BEST, THEY DO SO MUCH FOR THE CHILDERN AND THERE VERY CREATIVE IN SO MANY WAYS THEY LOVE OUR CHILDERN AND THERE JOBS, I REALLY HOPE THIS GETS FIXED SOON . WE NEED OUR LIBRARY BACK.

By: Northender43

Northender43 — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:09:21 +0000

Well, the north end is being sucker punched again. The most needy of the library services are being punished for it. Why don’t they cut days from the others branches… Have ALL the branches closed on Monday then they could keep ours open regular hours. It only makes sense to me but who am I but a lowly TAXPAYER.

By: Armymajorswife

Armymajorswife — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 12:13:17 +0000

Just goes to show you what they think of people at the Northend of the county. It’s sad, but it’s been happening for years!

By: Mother of 2

Mother of 2 — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 11:54:06 +0000

It was already hard enough to get the kids to the library for school reports by 5 after the bus drops them off…now we have to figure out how to get them to Molino or tell them they can’t research their homework? Brilliant plan.

(And don’t tell me to make them rely on our internet…we’re on Frontier.)