The future of Chattahoochee Valley Libraries is in jeopardy, and local families could feel the impact first.
✂️ What We Know: A recent executive order threatens to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services. That would strip the region’s public libraries of a critical funding stream. Without it, library officials say they will lose access to more than $100,000 in federal support, which currently covers broadband access, the statewide book courier system, programs for the blind, and summer reading initiatives for kids.
Library Director R. Alan Harkness says the loss comes on top of already rising costs. A recent jump of $481,000 in employee health benefits has stretched the budget thin. Without help, the system may be forced to cut services tied directly to digital access and childhood learning.
🧠 Why It Matters: For many families, the library is the only place to access free internet. Without it, kids fall behind in school. Seniors lose access to vital health resources. And people looking for jobs or government services are cut off from the online world that increasingly powers them.
Libraries also play a key role in literacy, offering programs that help prevent summer learning loss—especially for students in lower-income households. Without funding, those programs may disappear.
📈 By The Numbers:
- $100,000+ federal funding shortfall expected
- $481,000 increase in health care costs
💡 Take Action: Library leaders are urging residents to contact local, state, and federal officials. They want supporters to demand full funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services and to speak out for library programs that serve everyone, not just readers.
✊ Remember the Golden Rule: If you or your family rely on the library—so do your neighbors. Protecting access means standing up not just for yourself, but for every student, job seeker, and parent who needs it.
📞 Speak up. Stand with your library. Keep opportunity open for all.
Why do libraries matter?: In the era of ebooks, Amazon, and digital reading, you may wonder why news coverage of libraries is still important. Libraries are about more than just books. If you think all you can do at a library is check out books, you haven’t been to one in a while. Your local library is a community center that offers classes and programs, and more to individuals and families.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
