Eloquent Sentiments on Carmel-by-the-Sea's Legacy to Learning

Appearances, City Council 6 June 2006 meeting:

“My name is Sarah Imbert. I’m a resident of Carmel-by-the-Sea and I am requesting that the City Council adjust its’ budget priorities for next year and seek to find adequate funding to fully restore Harrison Memorial Library hours of operation as they were in 2004. I thank the City for sparing the library in the most recent round of budget cuts."

"As a parent of two children who use the library frequently, I join with many other parents, most of whom could not be here today, or on the 13th because they are either working or caring for children."

"A free and open library is fundamental to Carmel’s core values and is a living icon of its’ literary and cultural heritage. But parents who they themselves learned to read at Harrison Memorial Library want to pass that tradition on to their children, but they can’t if they are working full-time and the children’s library is closed on Saturdays. I ask for increased funding because I have had to explain to my child more than once why the library is closed."

"Carmel is filled with children. As of May, the Carmel School district has 2,117 students, the Carmelo pre-school has 120, private schools account for an additional 1,600. That’s 3,837 students to start with. For them to excel they need a free and accessible library. Working parents need the children’s library open on Saturdays. Even during the Depression Carmel managed to keep the library open 6 days a week."

"Taking children to the library also means spending money in Carmel. Juice or a bottle of water at Brunos is inevitable, lunch at Pernilles, The Forge or Buon Giorno is probable, and even if they’ve been extra good they might even get a present at Thinker Toys."

"However, a simple quantitative approach to the library is misguided, it isn’t about money spent per child per capita, rather thinking about the future of Harrison Memorial Library requires a qualitative study about how the City seeks to sustain its’ core values of literacy and the opportunity to educate oneself. The internet is not making the library obsolete. The library is going to make the children of Carmel obsolete."

"Please support your librarians, they know what the children need, they need more library hours."

"Thank you."