Dear Editor,
A successful library is a library that is used. The Goodrich Library is just that, successful.
In the June 27 edition of The Citizen, page 9, Sharleen Gonzalez, president of the Goodrich’Atlas Friends of the Library stated that over 33,000 people have come into the library in 2008 and checked out over 60,000 books or materials . Free DVD rentals alone are enticing more families to come into the library and take advantage of library services. Based on the current lifestyle changes families are making, that number will be increase in 2009. That is, if we still have our library for Atlas and Goodrich residents!
Currently the village of Goodrich is paying 75 percent of the costs associated with maintaining the library and the township pays 25 percent. (All services ‘inside? the library are the responsibility of the Genesee County Library system.) The library seems to have a low priority for the governing bodies. We need to stress its value to the people of the township and village. We, as residents of both Atlas and Goodrich, need to ask our township officials to work with our village council and come up with a working arrangement that would allow the library to continue being part of our community. We need to ask the township approve a small ‘assessment? – about the cost of a meal at McDonald’s or Whopper!
This yearly fee under $10 would certainly be a fair assessment to both Atlas and Goodrich residents.
This is a small price to pay for the community to continue taking advantage of all the services our library can provide. Attend the next Atlas Township meeting! Make your voice heard by speaking up and supporting your library!
Robbie Payne
Goodrich