Letters reflect the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Crozet Gazette.
The Library Is a Centerpiece of the Town
The news came with as much gloom as another cold dismal winter day. Our wonderful little railroad station branch library might be closed! It couldn’t be true, could it? Closing the Crozet library would be as much a setback as closing Crozet Pizza, the Dairy Queen, or painting over the famous underpass mural.
The library is a centerpiece of the town, and is one of its greatest assets. The old trackside structure is a small, yet symbolic, reason for Crozet’s existence. As an efficient transportation infrastructure was the catalyst for growth in the early years, so a library is to the cultural and educational health of our town today.
Libraries are about books, obviously, but in today’s high-tech world they are also information sources. Audiobooks, movies, documentary DVD’s, and Internet availability for those who don’t have computers at home are available to everyone. Our small library provides programs for children, youth and adults that encourage learning and community participation. If we need to wait longer for a larger new library, that’s one thing. But to close what we have already would be far worse. Charlottesville has the Central library and other branches. If Crozet closes, there would be no library for miles. This would make library access even harder for anyone without a car, or for anyone to walk or bike to.
Budget cuts are needed. Yet I wonder if Albemarle County is already so efficient that there are no other ways to save money than to cut off library access here? Please don’t close this important resource.
