The ‘big box’ should become a ‘bigger box’

I would like to express my utmost disgust at the idea of Sullivan County Community College shrinking their library where most towns, notably Monticello and Liberty, to name a few, are expanding their libraries to meet the needs of libraries in the modern age. In addition, Sullivan County Community College wants to fire their full-time librarian with a lofty goal of discontinuing a full-service, convenient library, which Jay Quaintance calls a “big box” library. Perhaps, Mr. Quaintance should drive around town and see the magnificent fuller-service “bigger box” libraries that are being built.

The library is the soul of any educational institution,  and it is clinically proven that reading books is good for brain development in the young and good for keeping the brain healthy in the aging population. We should be encouraging people to borrow library books, not shrugging our shoulders with the “It’s really not a thing anymore” attitude.

This is not to say that the digital age should not be celebrated. We can do it all. Create a bigger space. A library is a resource area for all, especially a minority demographic. A library is a place where the rich and poor have equal access to information. A librarian is essential in helping individuals to find resources and to understand those resources. A library is a place to study, a place that should accommodate rooms for tutoring. Most of all, a library is a safe haven, a quiet place, which should be expanded in our busy world. A library should be revered.

The Sullivan County Community College Board of Trustees got an earful at their July 19 board meeting. The community will keep the pressure on. There is a petition online to encourage the board of trustees to expand and modernize the library: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/to-the-board-of-trustees-sccc.

Toss the big box and make it bigger, Trustees, keep your valuable librarian, modernize and expand your library. Sullivan County Community College is a gem in the county and the library should be a diamond! Thank you.

JoAnne Omar

Liberty, NY

Why Trump?

Millions of Americans have lost their stake in the economy, both from outsourcing to cheaper labor markets and technology that makes humans superfluous. The history of capitalism is rife with examples: how many farriers are around? But it is more widespread today, and many of the jobs that have survived have been low paying. People are resentful (e.g., Wisconsin voters who felt that Scott Walker was right in claiming that government employees were over-paid and pensioned), angry (at the powers-that-be who ignored them) and frustrated (because they felt tossed aside and powerless to do anything about it.)

Trump, with some help from Cambridge Analytica, has cleverly identified and tuned in to that anger. He says and does things that the media and left-wingers find absurd, ridiculous, laughable, but the “base” recognizes as Trump’s raised middle finger. One can point out that there is a huge bait-and-switch going on, but as long as Trump’s middle-finger is in the air his folks are with him; hearing “up-yours,” figuratively speaking, is more satisfying than what Democrats and moderate Republicans have offered up to now.

Roy Tedoff

Hortonville, NY