To the editor:
Libraries are the very essence of civilization and freedom.
I am a 64-year-old woman who grew up in Iowa. I can remember when our state had the best public schools and the best public libraries. We had classes in humanities, civics and government. We were also taught about the origin of the American Public Library, how it works and how to use it in our learning journey.
However, after giving birth to my son, we relocated to another state that offered less quality education. By the time he started kindergarten, we had returned to Iowa, where 5-year-olds were learning a modified version of cursive in public school. Unfortunately, this move didn’t work out, and we found ourselves back in the other state.
In that state, kindergarten classrooms lacked books, which was utterly unacceptable, considering my son’s reading abilities. He was already proficient in reading and had even begun reading short novels. I took him to the public library from the time he was age 2. When he was about 3, he asked me if he could do “that job” when he grew up. He was talking about being a librarian.
It wasn’t until he entered third grade that I was finally able to make a successful move back to Iowa.
Life wasn’t easy as a single mom. Money was tight in a one-adult household. My son discovered the joys of the library and all that it held. I was able to use the computers at the library to look for a job. I attended crafting classes at the library. We listened to books on tape from the library when we went on trips. We were able to make use of the quiet study rooms at the library, and the access to worldwide periodicals allowed us to stay informed about global events.
Today, my son is a 42-year-old librarian with a master of library science degree from the University of Iowa. He currently resides and works in Chicago as a public librarian and union steward.
Libraries, beyond their shelves of books and computers, serve as repositories of our history, entrusted to the care of librarians. They are hubs of community activity, providing gathering spaces for clubs and engaging in diverse programs catering to children, the elderly and everyone in between.
Libraries offer comfort and safety, with some even offering programs for the unhoused community. Through their international periodicals, they broaden our perspective on the world beyond our domestic sources.
What I came to know via my son’s education is that libraries are much more than shelves of books, some computers and quiet rooms. Libraries hold our history, and librarians are the keepers of that history. Libraries are home to community activities. They provide gathering places for clubs. They provide activities not just for children but for the elderly and everyone in between.
The very first time I voted early was at a public library.
Throughout history, libraries have been integral to the fabric of civilization. Now, however, we are witnessing the dismantling of the very things that make our society function.
Iowa Public Television and Iowa Public Radio are being dismantled. Libraries and public schools are being financially gutted. The question lingers: what will be next? Will it be the fire department?
Will we give our children milk without any regulation, leaving us uncertain about its contents, while rot creeps into the very infrastructure that sustains our nation?
Funding for the arts is being cut. Children are being protected less due to the lifting of child labor laws. Soon we won’t even have a national weather service to warn us of impending storms.
Even voting has become a barrier, requiring passports and driver’s licenses, disenfranchising many. And for women, the burden of showing name changes over time adds another layer of difficulty.
We must reach out to elected officials and strongly express our concerns. Better yet, we should always vote. If possible, we should participate in protests. Whatever we do, we must not stand idly by and watch as our society crumbles. Make your voice heard!
Is this the future you envisioned? You have the power to make a difference. The time is now. When the people of tomorrow look back on this era, what do you want them to see?
Constance Romanowski
Perry
No ID no vote. Period.
First the poor people can’t vote. Now the married women?! I’d like to see one person who has been “disenfranchised” by needing an ID to vote.
No Kool-Aid, no GOP.
Please note that what I said was ID AND PASSPORT. Many Americans do not have passports. Some Americans never venture outside of their state, let alone outside of their country. Now I’m going to go think about whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. Those things are what keep me going from day to day. Peace.