[Libs-Or] OLA Statement Regarding Douglas County Library Closures

[OLA President]

Hello Oregon Library Community,

I felt the need to make a formal statement about the impending closure of
the Douglas County Library system to you all. I wanted to ensure that you
were all informed of it, what OLA has been doing, and our hopes moving
forward. The entirety of the statement, along with other correspondence, is
able to be viewed on OLA's Communication page on our website:
http://www.olaweb.org/communications



March 24, 2017



To the Oregon library community and the residents impacted by the closure
of the Douglas County Libraries:


As you are no doubt aware, we are approaching the date of closure for
eleven public libraries in the state of Oregon. On April 1, 2017, the
libraries that serve the cities and towns of Canyonville, Drain, Glendale,
Myrtle Creek, Oakland, Reedsport, Riddle, Sutherlin, Winston and Yoncalla
will close their doors. The main library in Roseburg will close on May 30.

On behalf of the Oregon Library Association (OLA), I would like to express
my sadness for the loss of the services and community support that these
libraries provide. Local libraries are a vital presence for the public.
They exist to support early learning and literacy for children, places for
young adults to explore their interests; and they provide collections and
services for adults to expand their skills and broaden their knowledge. A
library is more than a building with books in it, it stands for service and
democracy, equitable access to information, and a safe forum for ideas and
community gathering.

OLA is aware of funding issues in Douglas county, which resulted in the
complete defunding of the libraries. In November, Measure 10-145 that would
have created a special tax district was rejected. The voters had to make
some very difficult financial decisions, and unfortunately, the library is
without a stable source of funding at this time. OLA leaders have been in
contact with the county commissioners, the Oregon State Library, and the
American Library Association about the situation so we are informed. We
have done our best to make our members aware of the issue via posts in the
OLA Hotline, on our Facebook page, and through listserv posts on Libs-OR.
Our members have been present at support rallies and public hearings. We
support the libraries of Douglas County and hope to offer any advice and
guidance that we possibly can going forward.

Oregonians love their libraries. Funding them can be a challenge, we
understand. We also know that in the past twenty years, four of our county
library systems have faced similar situations and have revived thanks to
the work of dedicated library champions--library workers, residents,
elected officials,  and local activists. We remain optimistic that Douglas
County will find a way forward, but that it will take time and hard work.
OLA reaffirms its mission which is to provide advocacy, education,
leadership, and collaboration to continually strengthen Oregon’s libraries
and the communities we serve; and we hope to help in any way we can.

If you would like to view the entire statement, please see:
https://ola.memberclicks.net/assets/Communications/2016-17_communications/
douglascountyclosurestatement_2017_03_24.pdf

-- 
Elsa Loftis
OLA President 2016-17



*I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.-Jorge Luis
Borges*
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