Stand Up and Be Counted - Library Budgets & the Latest Depression

I just watched American Library Association Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels discuss making a case for libraries in bad economic times.  I found it uplifting -- despite the topic.

Fiels identifies education, democracy, and driving force in economy as 3 main public services that libraries deliver.  He also points out that attendance and circulation has grown significantly during this economic downturn.

The irony: as libraries become more valuable to the community, their budgets are increasingly jeopardized.