Eliminating ILL Makes Me Sick

The following is a letter that I have been sending to my legislators and the governor of CT

Dear [Appropriate Person]:

It has come to my attention that the proposed budget cuts includes a proposal to zero-out funding to libraries and eliminate the Inter-Library Loan system (ILL). I am writing to urge you not to dispel this vitally important program for the sake of our future.

ILL is one of the few programs that levels the playing field for readers--especially young readers--throughout our state, regardless of location, condition or socio-economic status. All people need access to information and materials in order to be competitive in the work and school environment, which is so important in our society and the success of our citizens. Poor children can borrow books that their local library cannot access, struggling, out-of-work parents can gain access to educational materials or the latest programs, students researching materials for schools, colleges or future careers may do so no matter where they grow up, and voracious and curious readers can feed their minds with the stories and media they long to have even if their families cannot afford to buy it themselves.

For those of us living in small towns whose libraries are beset by under-funding, relocation, construction, being consistently undermined or compromised, ILL is the only way that we can serve our children, students and elderly to keep them attuned to the world of reading and information despite all challenges. By removing this program, this accessibility will only go to the wealthiest towns that can afford to keep a collection of the latest books and materials, shared only amongst themselves, and isn't the purpose of libraries to open up that world to us all?

Our state *needs* open-access to the wealth of materials that support curiosity, education, self-improvement and entertainment in order to become happy, contributing members of our community. To deny this is to deny so many people--including my own family of voracious readers in our rural (and often contentious) farm town--a vitally important resource that we have come to depend on weekly if not daily in support of our desire to learn, read and grow. Please consider the greater ramifications when considering this issue because to deny a person access to a book is to deny them access to the world. Therefore, I strongly urge you NOT to vote to eliminate the ILL program and, instead, become its advocate--take a stand for our future and the future of Connecticut. I will be paying especially close attention to this issue in the coming weeks.

Think of where you are today. Could you have gotten here without books?

Sincerely,

Dawn Metcalf
Author, Educator, Mother, Reader


*** If you are a person living in Connecticut, the greater New England area, or even a person who is willing to take a stand for folks like my family and friends who depend upon our ability to borrow books throughout our library system, please consider sending a note to the following people:

Governor Malloy: http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/cwp/view.asp?a=3998&q=479082
State Rep. Tami Zawistowski: http://cthousegop.com/contact-tami/
State Senator John Kissel: http://ctsenaterepublicans.com/contact-kissel

Be aware. Be proactive. Pay it forward. My family and I greatly appreciate it!

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3 Responses to “Eliminating ILL Makes Me Sick”

  1. Carol Munro says:

    I’ve probably ordered close to 500 items through ILL in the past few years. I couldn’t survive as a writer without it.

  2. Ellen Karadimas says:

    The Inter-Loan Library System is one of the greatest tools that libraries offer. It aids us in finding the resources we need to further our education, our talents, and our research. It also allows us to acquire and expand our personal reading list. Do you really expect anyone to jump from library to library to find books or DVDS they want or need….what about the elderly, the infirm or the handicapped, who rely on others to acquire these for them? How many of us have that much time to spare in this day and age….when the libraries, working together, can be of such great service? Please help us in keeping the Inter-Loan Library System intact. It will be deeply appreciatef

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