| Thank you! Library advocates made their voices heard loud and clear and let City Council know how crucial library services are to San Diego. At Tuesday’s Budget Review Committee hearing of the library budget, more than 47 library advocates called in and 59 submitted online comments asking for no more cuts. Additionally, more than 170 advocates submitted emails directly to Councilmembers at LibrariesTransformSD.org.
You’ve made a difference. Councilmembers were unanimous in their support of libraries and a majority agreed libraries are an essential service whose budget must be protected.
There is another opportunity to voice your library support this Monday, May 11 at 6 p.m. when the City Council hears public comment on the budget. Please help oppose further cuts by submitting a comment or calling in Monday!
This process for participating is slightly different for the one used for Tuesday’s Budget Review Committee (i.e., a different webform for submitting comments). Below are instructions:
To Submit Electronic Comments
Visit the City Council Comment webform, select May 11 meeting date, mark “City Council Comment.” All submitted comments will be entered into the written record.
To Phone in Public Testimony
Watch the City Council meeting starting Monday, May 11 at 6 p.m. You can view the meetings on TV (Channel 24 on Cox and Time Warner or Channel 99 on AT&T) or online here.
When the Clerk instructs you, dial the number 619-541-6310 to be placed in the queue. Enter the Access Code: 105579 then press ‘#’. Additional instructions available here.
To Submit Written Materials
For written comments or to submit an attachment to your comments, email [email protected] or mail to 202 C Street, MS2A, San Diego, CA 92101
Share with your City Councilmember the following message!
Libraries are part of San Diego’s essential infrastructure and provide equal access to free education and job-training opportunities. As we begin the recovery process, our most impacted communities will rely on their library for employment, education, and community resources.
To ensure the system has the tools and resources necessary to effectively serve the community, we believe it is essential there are no additional cuts to library hours, materials, and programming budget beyond the already proposed $7 million in reductions.
Thank you for your help at this important budget hearing. To learn more, visit LibrariesTransformSD.org.
Sincerely,
Patrick Stewart, CEO San Diego Public Library Foundation
Joan Reese, PresidentFriends of the San Diego Public Library
Wendy Urushima-Conn, ChairBoard of Library Commissioners |
