Representative Steve Howitt Visits Norton Public Library
NORTON, MA ??? Representative Steven Howitt and Director Lee Parker met to discuss issues affecting libraries at the Norton Public Library on Friday, December 16.
Discussed were the public library???s central role in the community serving in an educational capacity, as well as providing essential services such as technology training and assistance with accessing municipal and social services, including but not limited to unemployment services, government aid, tax forms and assistance, and RMV services.
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Director Parker shared with Representative Howitt the need to improve library funding (.07% of the state budget), particularly state aid to public libraries, library technology & resource sharing and state aid to regional libraries (delivery).
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Public libraries in Massachusetts rely on this funding each year to meet the needs of their communities, whether it is in providing high speed Internet for patrons (bandwidth is currently 50% less than
what has been set as a minimum), physically delivering library materials to neighboring libraries, or paying for rising utility costs to keep our library buildings open to the public throughout the year.
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Representative Howitt had some suggestions for getting the word out to the public, including the Board of Selectmen, and potential sources of alternate funding.