To the editor:
The recently proposed budget cuts to Abbot Public Library will be a direct blow to our community’s well-being.
Reducing the library’s budget means more than just fewer library staff. The result will be reduced operating hours, fewer literacy programs for our children, and limited access to the high-speed internet that many of our neighbors rely on for job applications and schoolwork.
A more likely worst-case outcome is loss of certification (elimination of state aid and technology grants) and closure of the library.
At a time when the cost of living is rising, the library remains one of the few places where every resident can access resources. Trimming this budget may seem like a quick fix, but the long-term cost is a less-informed and less-connected community.
We urge Marblehead residents and leaders to reconsider these shortsighted cuts. We should be strengthening our public institutions, not hollowing out the very spaces that make our town a better place to live.
Colleen Polk, president
Friends of Abbot Public Library
Valley Road
