A resident of a small Great Plains town submitted a letter to the editor of the local newspaper opposing a proposal to extend public library hours on weekends.
The core argument: nobody reads anymore, so why keep the library open longer?
The letter stated: “In this day and age, everyone just uses their phone for information. Extending library hours is a waste of taxpayer dollars for a service the community has moved past.”
The letter was approximately 400 words long. It was submitted in writing. To a newspaper. Which people read.
The library in question circulated over 180,000 items last year and hosts weekly programs attended by more than 200 families. Its weekend hours are currently limited to Saturday mornings.
The proposal to extend hours was approved unanimously by the town council. The letter to the editor ran on page 4 of the following week’s print edition, which is available at the library.