We interrupt this blog for an important message!

Yep! Times are tough. A day doesn’t go by where we don’t see another news article about how states are having to trim services to make up big budget shortfalls. Often, an alert about jeopardized library funding hits our inbox or turns up on our social media page.The latest alert advises of U.S. House action to cut federal library dollars.

If you read the Okie Reads blog, you know how we feel about the importance of public libraries to a self-governing people.

Author Scott Turrow believes in the importance of libraries, and we were taken with this column he contributed to The Huffington Post:

Let-Them-Eat-Cake-Attitude threatens to Destroy a Network of Public Assets.

Read, enjoy, and think long and hard about the budget decisions our lawmakers are discussing as they work to balance our collective budgets. Some services that are on the chopping block may just be the services we need to keep most as we strive to reclaim our economy.

Thank you for joining our conversation on Okie Reads. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.