February may be known for its symbolism with love and hearts and reds and pinks, but it’s also known as Library Lovers’ Month. Here’s a little heartache for those who visit the San Jose Library and its branches, not to mention the rest of the California Library and Literary Services. Governor Brown had proposed completely eliminating California Library Literacy Services from the state budget.
I know, heartache, right? This program funds adult literacy programs, including family literacy programs for adult literacy students. These family literacy programs give thousands of books to children who might otherwise never own a book, let alone a personal library, and help parents who might otherwise never be able to read a book to their children. They teach parents to read and to help their children become readers. The use of libraries is free to the public, and there's nothing else like them in most of the communities in the SouthBay, the Bay Area, and the rest of California.
The committee met on a Friday in the middle of February to consider whether to cut these incredibly valuable services. Luckily for all of us, many of you wrote to your state reps. Awesome job! If education and jobs are our priorities, as everyone says, libraries should be a top priority, not a candidate for elimination. People who can't read can't get jobs. Parents who can't read can't help their children get good educations.
Do you feel like education and reading aren't really that important? Think of it this way. We are the heart of Silicon Valley. People visit from other countries to see our neighborhood. We are the center of innovation and industry. We are the home of Facebook and HP. Imagine if people couldn’t read – how could you text, e-mail, or do your homework? It has to start somewhere, and you might think it happens in kindergarten or first grade, but it happens at home where we see our parents reading, and unless you have a prolific and constantly updated home library, you’re missing out. The public library is really where the action happens.
Have you seen the leadership clubs, the book clubs, and the game nights held at the San Jose Library? There’s a reason for it. There are people passionate about getting other people to read. You might even say, “It’s their thing.”
Visit one of the San Jose libraries today. You can find their locations and their hours by clicking this link. Better yet, use this link here to plug in your address to find the branch library that is closest to you.
