In support of the Albany Public Library

This coming Tuesday, there will be a vote to increase the budget for the Albany Public Library.  This vote has the potential to keep the Library and its branches open during the weekends and at evening times, and it will help keep these learning organizations available for anyone who needs to use them.

While discussing this issue, I want to mention a few things.  So please bear with me.

The Albany Public Library has been a personal haven of information for as long as I can recall.  There were many times when I would spend a Saturday afternoon there, reading old microfilms of the Times Union and other publications and gleaning Albany’s historic past, one microfilm at a time.  And this was back in the day – before the Internet or Google or any other online search tool.

Any time I needed some background information on a blog post – whether it involved Robert Ripley visiting Albany or where some film played in the Capital District – the Albany Public Library was my source.  Any time I needed a few moments away from my stressful world, I could drive down to Washington and Lark, walk inside, grab a book off the shelf and read.

The Albany Public Library was only a walk up the Swan Street stairway from my high school.  It was next door to the Washington Avenue Armory, and I could read the newspaper or a book at the Library while waiting for the Patroons game to start.

Think about this for a second.  Look at that beautiful new building in Arbor Hill – a library for the community.  Look at the other branches in the city, and what they do to improve the viability in the neighborhoods.

But don’t take my word for it.  Go to this link and see what the increase in the budget will do to keep the Albany Public Library system alive.  Make your own decision, and make sure to vote this Tuesday.