The Cache County Library, located in Providence, is at risk of shutdown after Cache County Executive George Daines has announced his intent to recommend defunding it.
The library costs about $250,000 a year to operate, according to Daines. He suggests defunding the library for reasons including the county budget deficit and fairness to taxpayers.
In his draft budget recommendation to the County Council, Daines said, “The continued support of the Cache County Library with general funds collected from all county taxpayers involves fairness and double taxation issues.”
He stated that 80% of Cache County citizens are paying taxes to support the municipal libraries, and questioned if these citizens should be double taxed to support the remaining 20% of residents not served by the municipal libraries.
Daines also noted that these residents can purchase full access to all library services at reasonable cost from any of these existing city libraries.
Still, his recommendation that Cache County cease operating the county library has left many of its patrons concerned, confused, and frustrated.
After hearing about Daines' intentions, Library Director Brynnan Sainsbury and the rest of the board held an event at the library, encouraging Cache County residents to write letters to their representatives, urging them to save the library.
The event ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with attendees from a variety of backgrounds and ages, many of which had strong feelings about the library possibly being shut down.
“I am heartbroken that they are even entertaining the idea of shutting down this little library.”
“I mean, if you get rid of libraries, what do you get rid of next?”
“I was really, really angry that someone would try to take this away from other people. I don't know the reason, but it feels really, really, just genuinely evil to try to take away a resource from so many people that benefit, and maybe it's because it's not generating revenue. But who cares? Everything doesn't have to be about money. It should be about the people.”
“It just is an incredible place to have here in our own community”
Sainsbury urges community members to write to their representatives and spread the word in hopes of saving the Cache County Library.
In Daine’s draft budget recommendation emailed to UPR, he said he is personally in favor of public support for libraries, generally.
Daines is expected to present his budget recommendations to the Cache County Council on Oct. 28, followed by a vote.
