Fighting for Libraries

The fight to save community-based library branches goes on. Some would have you believe that I am not fighting hard enough to keep the Dacula Library Branch open. I want you to know where I stand. I stand four-square for keeping all the community-based branches open as full service libraries.

The struggle has morphed into not just keeping the Dacula Library open as a full service library but to keeping the Library System what it is designed to be--an award-winning community library system that serves residents and taxpayers who live near a convenient library branch.

From voting to close only the Dacula Branch and the resulting outrage by the Dacula residents, the Library Board has taken a covering position and opted to close Dacula, Lilburn, and Snellville Branches as full-service libraries and make them Computer Labs. They plan to remove the lending books and replace those with a hold shelf where you can pick up ordered books at a later, inconvenient time. The Library Board plans to replace a full staff with about 1/3 as many people. Yet, you can bet that they will want you to pay full taxes for that reduced service. As the pressure mounts, figure that the Library Board and the Executive Director will rename this effort once again to try to make it more acceptable to the public.

What have I done in this struggle to keep Dacula's Library Branch open? I began the day after I heard the news:

• Wrote the County Commission and the Library Board a harsh letter asking that the Library Board reconsider and the Commission to remove any Board members who didn't vote to rescind the vote.
• Worked with community groups to start a grass-roots campaign to keep the Dacula Branch open.
• Joined and supported the Save Dacula Library Facebook campaign.
• Prepared and shephered a City Council Resolution to keep the Dacula Branch open. Had the Resolution hand delivered to the Library Board Members, the Library Executive Director, the Superintendent of Gwinnett Schools and School Board Members.
• Attended and spoke at the Library Board Meeting. The Library Board changed their previous closure vote to keeping Dacula as a Computer Lab and included Lilburn and Snellville Branches as Computer Labs also. Not what the Dacula community wanted. Obviously, the public wants convenient, community-based branches not a region approach.
  
• Wrote an open letter to Executive Director Kellam.
  
• Met with State officials, County officials and citizens to discuss future moves, a now county-wide effort, to keep all our community-based branches open.
• Attended the October 6, County Commission meeting to express concern about the effect of changing to a computer lab on Dacula and the surrounding community and how the coverage for convenience would be changed with the three branches used as computer labs.
  
• Continuing to explore possibilities for keeping our branches open.

You can see some of these letters, ideas, maps and other items at my blog, http://jimmywilbanks.blogspot.com or at http://www.SaveDaculaLibrary.com. You can find us on Facebook. Start Facebook and type Save Dacula Library in the search box to see what the nearly 6,000 people are thinking about this issue.

Since this issue has morphed into a save the community-based library system, I encourage you to sign our new county-wide petition online or see a community activist in your neighborhood.

I encourage you to continue to express your outrage that an appointed Library Board and an appointed Executive Director of the Library System who are unresponsive to taxpayers can change what has worked so well and seems in the best interest of all residents--a community based Library System. On November 3, 2009 at the Dacula City Hall, vote to continue Jimmy Wilbanks as your mayor. I am fighting to keep our award-winning library system community based. Keep all the branches open as full-service libraries.