"Libraries are for everybody – and when we say everybody, we mean everybody," added LaPointe. "We're not going down without a fight, and let me just tell you – I get inspired by looking out across this field here, because I see grandkids, I see kids, I see parents, I see people that are older – I see a coalition of people that depend that use the library – because it is a fixture of our community because everyone can go there and feel welcome – the number of resources, the services, the access – that's what our library should be about," Villavalam said. Lindsey LaPointe (D-Chicago) also each attended and spoke at the rally.
"They're cutting the salaries of our lowest-paid and most vulnerable employees, while keeping management salary levels the same," Block said. "The library is all about the community, and this board wants to cut the programs that serve you all."īlock identified some of the services and items up for cuts as children's librarians visiting schools, the teen audiovisual collection, service hours for the library's teen space, and outreach deliveries for nursing homes and homebound people.īlock also said staff are worried about losing their jobs or losing most of their hours. Our community does care – am I right?" Niles-Maine District teen services librarian Donna Block at the rally. They claim that the community doesn't need and doesn't want – doesn't care about the services we provide. "They seek to make drastic cuts that would be a disaster for our library.
A rally was held Tuesday evening at Nico Park in Niles taking issue with a proposed library budget that would impose drastic cuts on building hours, staff, and even money for new books, among other things.