Editor:
Re: Need for libraries not in question, but costs should be scrutinized, letter to the editor, Feb. 6
Having worked for the past 23 years in a large library system on the Lower Mainland, I read with interest the letter written by Coun. Ian Paton on the justification of government spending on libraries.
Paton thinks it is his duty to ask questions and ensure that Deltans are getting the best use of the funds allocated to the libraries.
Clearly Paton did not ask the right questions or speak to the right people, as he has not entered a library for many years and if he had done so, he may have formed a more educated opinion than the one he shared with the public.
The public library of the 21st century is not just a musty old building with stuffy librarians and outdated books, but an information centre and hub of any community, the first step in learning for the very young and a lifeline for many elderly people.
Today's patrons not only expect the latest books, DVDs CDs and Blurays, but also to borrow a wide range of e-readers and tablets, download a vast selection of e-books and expect to be informed and educated through numerous library programs. We offer services for the visually impaired, the elderly house bound and reach out to those in less affluent areas.
This only scratches the surface of what the library has to offer in 2013 and beyond.
Many more exciting projects are evolving and developing in our library systems across Canada, but without appropriate funding, our libraries will not survive in this technologically changing age that we live in.
Paton or any other person in authority and in the public eye should endeavour to fully research any subject they clearly know little about before voicing opinions in a public forum such as council meetings and newspapers.
Rebecca Marquardt
