Help the Ferndale Public Library

It's not really new news to anyone that the economy in the U.S. is a little less than great right now. And, to top that, the economy in Michigan isn't doing quite as hot as that of some other states. We've seen drastic cuts being made in big businesses and even in mom and pop businesses. One aspect of the economy that you don't hear a ton about is city services. Ok, ok... obviously everyone has heard about how Detroit recently filed for bankruptcy. But, many of us that live in the suburbs of Metro Detroit, or hell, even the people living in Detroit, might not be completely aware of cuts and cost saving measures that are going on in their local government.

Well, not to bore you or claim to be an expert on something I'm not, I'll keep it simple here. The value of homes went down. The property taxes you pay are determined in a large part by the value of your home. Thus, the amount of money people are paying in taxes went down. Not to mention that many houses are empty with no one paying taxes. These two factors lead to less money (taxes) going to the city you live in. Those cities are essentially businesses, with hundreds of employees spread across dozens of departments. They got used to operating a certain way. They aren't making the money they used to. So they can't operate the same way they used to. Lucky for most residents, many cities are trying to make these cut backs by hitting departments and services that they don't necessarily see as essential. Most are trying not to touch Police and Fire, although some are, and instead they are going after areas that seem to be more of a luxury or that not every resident seems to care about. Sadly, one of the things that seems to keep falling into this category is the Public Libraries.

Which leads me to my point. The Ferndale Public Library's revenues have been going down every year. In an effort to not decrease staff or hours of operation, they have had to make cuts elsewhere. One area is in the purchase of new materials coming in to their library. Now, maybe you haven't been to a library in a while... honestly, I haven't gone much since finishing school. But, they are full of all sorts of media now, not just books. You can even rent movies and CDs. Pretty cool stuff. Not to mention the fact that many people utilize the library for the internet and computers in general.  And, in case you forgot, going to the library and checking items out is free.

To keep up the great collection at the Ferndale Public Library, and to keep new items coming in, there is a fundraiser going on at The Loving Touch this Saturday night. Admission is only $5 for 21+ and $8 for 18+. 100% of the proceeds will go towards keeping the shelves stocked with new books, music and movies. There are a lot of great bands playing at this fundraiser including The Audionics, Due North, Caveman Woodman and Old Empire. On top of the music, magician Tom Plunkard will also be performing magic and illusions throughout the night. Doors to this event open at 8 p.m. and music will start at 8:45. We commend the organizers of this event, Jeff Milo and Jordan Wright, for putting this together and trying to make a difference. We hope a lot of you can make it out to this show to support the FPL and while you're at it make sure to stop by the library and check it out if it's been a while.

~C