Baldwinsville, N.Y. (NCC News)- Baldwinsville Public Library is one of several Onondaga County Libraries to open with a limited capacity. The library’s assistant director, Nancy Howe, said patrons have told her how happy they are to be allowed back inside. One patron in particular sticks out in her memory.
“She said ‘I just need to breathe some library air,’ and that it was her first time out of the house since the pandemic started,” Howe said.
Not everyone has access to their local library right now. Libraries in the city of Syracuse are still only open for curbside pick up, and when Onondaga County began job cuts in mid-September, they focused on Syracuse library staff members.
“They were already stretched thin before the pandemic,” Baldwinsville librarian Jacquie Owens said. “So when they cut it down to that amount of people, all the sudden you can’t provide the service that you need.”
In recent years, community library’s have become more than a place to rent movies or books. Howe said they are an important community staple for people without internet access.
“People come in and they have to find a job, or they have to renew their license,” Howe said. “They’re depending on using library computers and our internet to function.”
Owens stressed that library’s ability to provide internet access is even more vital in a city like Syracuse.
“In the city the services are even more crucial than in the suburbs because there are so many other issues,” Owens said.
According to Howe, reminding elected officials of the importance of community libraries is a constant struggle.
“We are a low hanging fruit,” Howe said. “The politicians unfortunately think it’s ok to cut our services.”
Central New York Librarians make trips to Albany and Washington D.C once a year to advocate for themselves, but Howe said this isn’t enough.
“We need our patrons to call or write their elected officials and ask that their libraries be protected,” Howe said.
Visit the Onondaga County Public Libraries website here to see what local libraries have re-opened.
