Vote ‘yes’ to maintain island’s library services

Editor,

I am writing to encourage you to vote yes for libraries. I have served on the board of the Friends of the Freeland Library for 21-plus years. When we moved to the Island in 1995 and got involved, we discovered what a huge part Sno-Isle Library System had in making this such a unique and wonderful place to live.

The Sno-Isle Library System is without compare. The people who serve us, from the executive director to local staff, including the community member board and the Sno-Isle Foundation, are the most dedicated group of people who love what they are doing.

In 2009, when voters passed and raised the levy to 47 cents, Sno-Isle said, no more levies for the next five years and that got stretched to nine years. This restoration of 9 cents should also last eight-nine years. I think it speaks volumes that, for 31 consecutive years, Sno-Isle has received clean audits from the State of Washington. Your tax dollars are spent wisely.

Sno-Isle is always in the forefront as far as technology is concerned, but I feel strongly that we need the physical buildings as much as ever. They are a safe place to gather and interact with people and to attend one of the many great programs your local library provides. In 2017, 3.3 million people visited the 23 community libraries and 5.9 million items were checked out. These are impressive figures.

If the levy fails, Sno-Isle will have to make cuts in hours, staff, material, classes and programs. Please do not let that happen.

Visit sno-isle.org for more information.

Else Christensen

Freeland