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Commissioner’s Proposal to Sell County Library Falls on Deaf EarsA county commissioner’s plan to sell the Macomb County (Mich.) Library in order to avoid a budget shortfall found scant support at a May 24 meeting of the board of commissioners. The facility, which serves as the primary research and reference facility for all the county’s communities, receives a $2.5-million annual subsidy from the county, which posted a $3-million deficit last year.Commissioner Don Brown proposed closing the library in April, arguing that the concept of a county library is obsolete and that the prime location in the center of the county is too valuable to be occupied by a library, the Macomb Daily reported May 25. He suggested that the library’s services could be parceled out to other locations, such as the adjacent Macomb Community College campus. County Finance Director Dave Diegel offered the strongest support for the plan, proposing that a fiber-optic network currently being laid by the county could supplant the library’s print offerings by providing a high-speed internet link between area libraries, and that consolidation with the college could offer substantial savings. Library Director Darlene LaBelle defended the facility, citing its ideal location and arguing that local libraries could not afford to take over its services. She added that a suggested merger with the community college would present “a lot of barriers to overcome.” Posted May 27, 2005. |
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