Posted February 2, 2007.

Jackson County Residents Rally Against Library Closings

Some 300 supporters of the Jackson County (Oreg.) Library demonstrated in downtown Medford January 31 as county commissioners held a public hearing at the courthouse on the fate of the headquarters library and its 14 branches. The entire library system is scheduled to close its doors April 6 because of a fiscal crisis triggered by federal legislators’ failure in November to renew a subsidy to communities whose revenue relies on the logging industry.

At the hearing, Medford resident Judith Corbin told commissioners that the area’s libraries were one of the reasons she chose to move there, the Medford Mail Tribune reported February 1. “It reminds me of book burning,” she said. “You commissioners should be ashamed.” Commissioner C. W. Smith responded, “Don’t make this personal.”

Becky Kleinhesselink, another Medford resident, reminded the commission that Medford schools no longer have librarians as they used to. Closing the libraries would be another blow to local education, she added.

Another public hearing is scheduled for May 2, but commissioners are expected to take steps to keep some libraries open in mid-February. Possible options include a levy, an income tax, a gas tax, or renewed legislative relief.

Posted February 2, 2007.