Late March our provincial government announced libraries were no longer necessary (contrary to sound stats and research). April arrived with promise of difficulty. It was a month I had hoped to celebrate being back at work for 1 whole year, and in my dream job too… small town librarian, after a 15 year break! Instead it was a month of fighting for my job and my children’s right to learn freely and enjoy community freely.
I am just going to put a couple posts here that I wrote but didn’t share on my blog. I was very emotional through it all but now I think I will want to remember this time.
March 24th, 2017
Okay, I need to say something about the sask budget cuts and then I think I can carry on. Hopefully some of you are willing to hear me out with an open heart. 
I was almost in tears talking with my mom about what a life saver libraries have been for me over the years. Financially I have relied on them my whole life but also they have been a literal refuge.
–I JUST NEEDED A REST (and the library let me)–
One example of libraries being a refuge for me personally just by being there and being free to access, was a day I was ill and just needed to sit.
I had been asked to leave a seating area in a public center unless I was going to buy something. I was broke and because of my chronic fatigue was sitting so I wouldn’t pass out. I wanted to cry and was horrified. It felt like in my city I had to spend to leave my house. I managed to make it to my community library and no one gave me trouble while I recovered my energy so I could drive home safely.
I know not everyone is use to needing libraries today, because so many of us are well off enough to never feel ‘need’, but let’s not assume our able bodied or well off lifestyle is the way it is for everyone else (or the way it will always be for us). It is admirable, and a sign of an advanced society, to think of your vulnerable when making decisions.
Blessings.
April 5th, 2017
-A Concerned Saskatchewan Library User-
The end of our province wide lending system was announced yesterday. This, sadly, isn’t the first loss of services I have noticed in my community library.
I don’t want my children to lose their community library… I don’t want my community to lose their library.
…
Personally, my family lives in small town Saskatchewan, partially, because of financial and health limitations. We can’t drive to the city whenever we want library material and we can’t buy all we need. Many smaller communities have already lost their schools and other services. Just because our community is not a city shouldn’t mean we are ignored. Our community is still full of PEOPLE, human beings, with the same basic education and community needs as those in bigger centers. It is not unrealistic to expect to have a library in our community to provide community space and to be accessed for information and educational reason.
I know not everyone is used to needing libraries today, because so many of us are well off enough to never feel ‘need’, but let’s not assume our able bodied and/or well off lifestyle is the way it is for everyone else (or the way it will always be for us). It is admirable, and a sign of an advanced society, to think of your vulnerable when making decisions.
Blessings
P.S. I sure hope we aren’t the generation to take away libraries for the future generations.
TTFN
Lady Mac an Rothaich
