We, the citizens of the city of Leeds, Alabama, recognize the huge impact that our community library makes for all of us. It is a community hub for education, job hunting, networking, socializing, and the arts, among other things. We understand that during the pandemic, budget cuts were necessary, but now that the rest of the city departments have had their budgets restored, we are asking that our library receive its full budget as well, so that it is able to continue full operations. Without proper funding, harsh cuts will have to be made, and we are united in our desire to see our library thrive and not have to make any such cut-backs. Investing in the library is investing in our town.

We are asking for the full amount of the previous budget be restored to the library budget. In 2020, the library was supposed to receive $519,083 from the city of Leeds (info from the Alabama Public Library Service survey from 2020) and suffered budget cuts during the pandemic, such that the operating budget for 2022 is currently at $225,205.

Our library is one of the most-used small public libraries in Jefferson county (again, info from ALPS survey from 2020, for towns 10,000-20,000 population), and its funding is mostly via the city of Leeds -- that's our tax money! Our families, our children, and our community deserve a well-funded library, and as tax-payers, we have every right to ask that our tax money be used for this cause. 

Please join me in supporting our library by signing your name below. Please include your address so that I may share it with our mayor and city council. If you would like to sign in person instead of via the internet, please email me at lindsay.bolcar@gmail.com and I will meet you at the library to sign.