Thousands profit from library’s services

To the editor:

You know why you love the library, how often you visit, how much it enriches your life. What you may not know is how valuable the Cedar Rapids Public Library is to the community. Did you know that in the past year alone almost 663,000 people visited one of our two library branches? Nearly a million and half items were checked out? That's 11.4 items per Cedar Rapids resident. About 44,000 people attended library programs. About 100,000 people made use of the library's free meeting spaces. About 110,000 people made use of free access to library computers to apply for jobs, do homework, and connect with the world.

So, yes, you want the library to be able to continue to meet your needs for convenient seven-day-a-week access, great services and programs, materials that are available when you want them. But this isn't just about you. It's about the 662,871 people whose lives were enriched by CRPL last year and about the hundreds of thousands more who will profit from its services in the future. That's why I'm urging you to do the right thing. Vote yes for the library levy.

Melinda Tomsic

Cedar Rapids