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A Million Other Things

It is budget time and once again state funding for interlibrary loan funds is on the chopping block. What that means for our library in East Haven is this: The proposed state budget calls for the elimination of funding for DeliverIT, the statewide interlibrary loan delivery service in Connecticut. East Haven residents would be unable to get materials from other libraries. Just for background, in 2016, 4,074 items were borrowed from other libraries and 6,685 items were sent throughout the state to other libraries.

We need to say to our fellow citizens that we believe in their talents and need to support their learning. People need resources from other libraries, period.

Working class families that have mortgages and bills, come to the library. Single moms trying to make ends meet, come to the library. Veterans striving to fit back into society, come to the library. It is these groups of people and many others, who will lose out if interlibrary loan funding is eliminated for East Haven residents.

Being a librarian, I can say without a doubt that the library is more than just a place for books. It is about a million other things that we do in that building that make it one of the most heavily used places in a town. Interlibrary loan service is one vital part of the library’s commitment to the people. With proper funding, the interlibrary loan service can remain an invaluable asset to the people of East Haven.

I am sure many of your readers have an early memory of going to the library. I ask them to support funding for interlibrary loan by calling their state representatives and to support the library in any way you can.

Chris Hemingway

East Haven