It was just printed in our county paper that there are plans to close down the library in both my town (Saltville, VA) and the town next door (Chilhowie, VA). This is, as it always is with these things, a case of austerity hitting the poor before the rich. This library does a lot of very important work for our community. It needs to remain open if ONLY for the work it does with young people in the summer, giving them a place to go when school is out to read books, and learn about animals and the natural world. Furthermore, this library provides internet and computers for those who would otherwise not have access, which is vital for citizens in our community to thrive in such a technological society. And that doesn't take into account all of the things that lending libraries do -- at what is, for governments, actually a pretty low cost.

Libraries are not a luxury, and -- and this is just being honest here -- the smaller the community, and the less money it has, the MORE important that library becomes.

Please sign this petition urging our local leaders to help prevent the closure of this library.