We need to have our libraries open during normal library hours.  The health of our community and commitment to open access to information depends on it.  Instead of tax cuts for the wealthy, we should open the libraries.

Much like the county and city merging many of their services, perhaps it is time that the city, school district and UMD merge services to provide public library access to the City of Duluth.  There is no reason for Duluth to have an additional library system.  We need to find ways to save money and resources, and this seems to be a perfect manner in which to start.

No reason, BoB? that kind of hyperbole smacks of the "if I don't use it then it doesn't need to exist" variety of the entitled class "Me" party rhetoric.

To your point, childhood literacy is probably the biggest and most important reason of all ... far and beyond the public school library system which may or may not contain all of the reading resources and programs that school libraries provide (which, by the way, are also forced to cut back on the number of books they are able to buy because of their own budgetary problems).

You personally might not have a dog in the fight at all with regards to the actual use of the library system, but there are thousands of others who depend on it for the resources it provides, but if you follow the flow of money (or in this case, the lack thereof) you'll actually see that the trickle down theory is working, all too well. It trickles. And trickles in lean times dry up.

It's high time the Me partiers start thinking of the children of their children.

Cadilac

Wouldn't want poor people using a library. 

Hell, one of 'em might grow up to be, say, an Andrew Carnegie.

I agree with zra!

There are so many gorgeous old buildings in Duluth, and that Carnegie building is one--just lovely.  Our current Mt Royal branch is airy and sunny.

On the other hand, no matter how many really cool murals are installed, the godawful ugliness known as the Main Branch is just not nice to look at.  I keep my eyes on the Depot instead--that's a nice one.