In Harrington, where the public library is based in a former funeral home and serves as a community hub, the news that $40 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding will be distributed to state libraries was met with tears of joy by its director Marleena Scott. Meanwhile, down in Selbyville, word that its library will receive $7 million accelerated hope that a $13 million state-of-the-art facility might be operational ahead of the previously advertised spring 2025
- Huge for Harrington! Definitely long-needed! — Christy Vanderwende Wright
- I think that all libraries, even those that don’t need a building, should receive some funding for technology and books. — Mary Goering
- So communities that prioritized their libraries are left out? It should be distribution of funds based on usage and population. — Kay Marie
- I haven’t been inside a library for years. Seems like what I used to use a library for has been replaced by my smartphone and desktop. I don’t need to travel, and now, I just allow my fingers to do the walking. Do libraries actually have the patronage to justify such an expenditure? Seems like building a barn for your cattle after they have gone to the slaughterhouse. — Chris Wolfe
- Many, many families with children still use libraries. And at least for me, the Dover library frequently has movies and films that I cannot find streaming. — Dale Bert
- Didn’t school-age children get laptops during this COVID mess to permit virtual learning? I don’t believe they used libraries. — Chris Wolfe
- They did. But not everyone has internet. And not everyone wants their small children using electronic devices. Having a book to read, at night at bedtime, during the day, etc., I think is valuable. Far too many kids these days are sucked into a screen. It was bad enough when it was just TV. Now, you have teachers competing with technology for attention. I, for one, don’t think the one-to-one tech was a smart idea at lower than middle school age. — Dale Bert
- If you go back to the top, you’ll read my original post, which is full of questions. I admitted I haven’t been in a library in years. My life is divided into two parts: gottahaves and wannahaves. Libraries mean nothing to me, but it’s my money paying for them. Heck, the money has already been confiscated, and somebody else decided what my money was to be spent on! — Chris Wolfe
- We home-school and use our local library all the time. The state does not provide anything education-wise for home-schoolers, so the public library is a great resource for us. — Caitlin Wright
- Think of the library as a supermarket for information anyone can access without judgment; internet for those without computers or Wi-Fi; video for those without Netflix or HBO; books and newspapers and magazines, programs and guidance for those in need of navigation; and a quiet, well-lit place for those in need of some space and tranquility. — William Mazzariello
