Lon Dickerson, director of the Chatham-Effingham-Liberty Regional Library in Savannah, Georgia, submitted to Chatham County administrators a budget that calls for a 78% spending increase and closing six branch libraries, four of them in the inner city. According to the September 28 Savannah Morning News, patrons of the downtown branches are within two miles--walking or bicycling distance--of the newly renovated and much larger Bull Street facility.
However, not all library board members agree with the plan. "It just isn't right," said member Richard Riley, to close down branches "without input from the community. The libraries planned for closure in January are located in areas where we need to promote reading the most."
Dickerson countered that opening up the issue for public debate would only make "the budget increase 200% instead of 78%," which is primarily for new personnel and salary hikes. But according to at least one commissioner, a tight county budget will make approving the increase unlikely.
Posted October 5, 1998.