Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Seattle, America's Most Literate City, 2 Days Less Literate a Week


Ugh. The Seattle Public Library may close two days a week going forward as part of steep city-wide budget cuts. The book editor of the Seattle Times is none too pleased (nor should any of us).

From the piece...

Since 2000, library usage in the city has soared; from 4.5 million in-person and virtual visitors to 13.2 million in 2008, according to the library.

Nevertheless, responding to Mayor Greg Nickels' directive to city departments to cut budgets in response to a $72 million revenue shortfall, the library is proposing a 23 percent reduction in library hours.

Under the proposal, 21 out of 27 branches in the city would be closed Fridays (when all branches are now open) and Sundays (right now, 16 out of 27 branches are open).


Pictured above: Seattle's famed Central Library.

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