Send a letter to your Legislators about the threats to library funding.

Find out the addresses for your legislators

Sample Letter:

Date
Address
City/State/Zip code
Senator or Assemblyperson Name
Address
City/ State/ Zip code

Dear Senator or Assemblyperson (Name):

It is with great concern that I write to you as a constituent who has learned of
Governor Christie’s proposed budget that would eliminate funding for statewide services for NJ libraries. Our family uses the (name of library) in (locality). A 74% reduction in funding will eliminate the core services and infrastructure that support a majority of NJ libraries, including the Internet, loaning and delivery of collections between libraries, support for Summer Reading Programs for children; databases and electronic resources, and as much as a 50% reduction in State Aid, which many libraries use to purchase books, computers, and audiovisual collections.

(Tell your story of how you use the library.) We visit the library to borrow books, DVDs, and to use the free wireless internet access to download software. The librarians have been very helpful in downloading the software. This saves us money at a time when we have little to spend for family recreation. We really appreciate being able to go to the library to get so many services from such professional librarians. Many people are using the library because they do not have the Internet at home. The homework resources are great for our students.

We also understand that a bill may be introduced to end the formula for dedicated public library funding (A2555.) It is important to keep local libraries strong by leaving the dedicated funding as it is. We implore you to keep libraries vital and preserve this funding. We and others who use libraries see that they are a very good use of taxpayers’ money.

While we recognize the terrible budget problems that Governor Christie, the NJ Legislature and NJ citizens face, the answer is not in eliminating vital services for libraries, which truly serve NJ residents of all ages and stages of life. We are counting on the Legislature to restore these funds in the budget. Thank you for your consideration and support.

Sincerely,

Your name