Editor:
I read Lois McCready’s Sept. 8 letter regarding the Sechelt Library funding gap with surprise and disappointment for the limited monetary support for our library. She said our Sechelt Library is funded by local governments at only 59 per cent of the funding received by similar sized libraries in B.C.
Our library is a vital part of our community. As Bill Gates, a strong support of libraries, once said, “In my view, investing in public libraries is an investment in the nation’s future.” Our library is a builder of our community. It attracts large numbers of people and is a hub for community education, business support, and social interaction. New moms connect at storytelling times, elderly people find new friends, children and adults alike learn to use technology to help them access Internet information from their homes.
Our library offers opportunities for remote access, making it possible for those who can’t get in to the library to access its cultural and education offerings. Among these electronic resources is Press Reader, which provides full content access to thousands of international newspapers and magazines, including the Globe and Mail and Vancouver Sun. Also, Ancestry.com is available in the library. It enables people to trace their ancestry.
Our library also teaches teens important life skills to prepare them for success in high school and college. The internship program gives positive experiences to these teens, while also providing the library with a diverse staff.
These are just a few examples of what our library offers our community. We need to do all we can to support this essential resource.
Sig Soli, Halfmoon Bay
