To the editor,
I learned from the Gazette’s May 14 article that the Willow Creek Public Library will close on Wednesdays beginning in June. The stated reason is a combination of budget pressure and staffing shortages. I do not doubt either is real. But I wonder whether the board considered who this decision affects most.
I am a mother of two young children, and Wednesday is the day I can reliably get them to story hour. My husband works Saturdays. Tuesday evenings are for scouts. Thursday is my mother’s bingo night at the Community Hall, and the library lets us overlap her visit with the children’s reading corner. Wednesday was our day.
I know the library cannot be everything to everyone. But before the selectmen finalize the budget, I would ask them to look at the actual usage numbers by day of week. I suspect Wednesday afternoons are busier than they think. And if the issue is truly staffing, perhaps there are volunteers — myself included — who could sit at the desk for two hours on a Wednesday so that a dozen families do not lose their routine.
There must be a middle ground between the current schedule and full closure. I hope the board will find it.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Andrea Thibodeau 34 Elm Street Willow Creek