Save New Jersey LIbraries

Libraries along with police service, fire service, road resurfacing and garbage collection is an essential service to a community. But not everybody understands and appreciates the value and benefits of libraries, mostly because nowadays all the library activities have been replaced by Internet or other technologies, like telephones, pads or laptops.

The result is that the libraries' purpose have been questioned by the authorities and they are trying to close some of them down in order to cut the expenses and to invest in some other services.

This is the case with some of the Libraries in New Jersey which are based on local tax money.

Jersey City Free Public Library is on the edge of being closed down, due to the lack of funds for being restored. Numerous City Council members have voted for library cuts in the municipal budget. The funds are still being evaluated, and everybody is hoping for a solution that would keep taxes flat.

Another New Jersey Library - Northvale Public Library is in the process of being closed, although a lot of volunteers have tried to keep the institution open at least by the end of the year.

NJ libraries no longer have the support from the City Council members and the mayor, in spite of the volunteers' strong campaign for fund raising. The conflict between the library officials and the authorities reached intense discussions, but without any positive results for the New Jersey Libraries.

Several campaigns took place in order to save the NJ libraries, including a TEDx event at the Princeton Public Library in May, 2010. A lot of important people talked about the necessity of urban libraries and their impact on the community. An urban library provides services no other institution can provide, therefore its importance should not be underestimated and it should be considered by authorities when calculating service budgets.