04-08-2025, 04:35 AM
First, thanks to all that made the time and the effort to help our voices be heard.
There were many signs carried by many people on Saturday that supported education in general, and libraries in particular. The federal total cut of $ to the Institute of Museum and Library Services directly affects all three Puna libraries - Pahoa, Kea'au and Mt. View. While we have the only state-wide system that is funded by income taxes ( rather than property taxes as in other places ), the $1.2 million loss as a result of the elimination of all grants will have impacts on centralized services ( e-books and audio books, so useful in our rural communities ), and will impact the Summer Reading Program for children in ways that are still being determined.
While there are law suits being filed on the federal level to restore the monies that have been cut, court cases take time. Please contact your state people ( Iligan, San Buenaventura, Todd, and Green ) to support bridge funding in the interim . Thanks.
There were many signs carried by many people on Saturday that supported education in general, and libraries in particular. The federal total cut of $ to the Institute of Museum and Library Services directly affects all three Puna libraries - Pahoa, Kea'au and Mt. View. While we have the only state-wide system that is funded by income taxes ( rather than property taxes as in other places ), the $1.2 million loss as a result of the elimination of all grants will have impacts on centralized services ( e-books and audio books, so useful in our rural communities ), and will impact the Summer Reading Program for children in ways that are still being determined.
While there are law suits being filed on the federal level to restore the monies that have been cut, court cases take time. Please contact your state people ( Iligan, San Buenaventura, Todd, and Green ) to support bridge funding in the interim . Thanks.