The following letter to the editor by our Board President, Susan Redfield, appeared in the March 22, 2018 issue of the Press-Telegram. To view the original letter on the Press-Telegram’s website, Click HERE.
Re “California librarian not a prim post at all” (Opinion, March 17):
Thank you for Larry Wilson’s piece about Greg Lucas, California’s state librarian. Like Greg, our libraries are so much more than the dated stereotypes people sometimes recall.
In Long Beach, our libraries have joined the 21st Century, offering more than just books. Over 1 million patrons visited our city libraries last year to access digital resources, 3D printers, free coding classes, homework help, job skills training and more.
In 2016, the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library branch opened in north Long Beach, an area that very much needed the community resources it offered. More than 5,000 people visited opening day, including many who made small contributions to the Long Beach Public Library Foundation’s $1 million fundraising campaign for the library. Since then, the library’s visits have increased by 70 percent and program participation has increased by 90 percent.
The Long Beach Public Library will further modernize with a new main library in downtown Long Beach. Praised as one of the most innovative public-private partnerships in the state, the new library will be a beacon of education and economic development in Long Beach, transforming the lives of patrons and our community.
Even if you are lucky enough to rely on your smartphones as the main source of information, it’s time to visit your local public library. You’ll be impressed by what you find.
— Susan Redfield, Long Beach
The letter writer is president of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation Board of the Directors.
