Municipalities must protect public libraries

Re: Markham library board in bad books with union over layoffs, ‘threats’ to staff (Feb. 1)

Where else on Earth can you find a wealth of items to borrow — for FREE — any time your heart desires?

The place I speak of is right in your community and welcomes everyone. Despite the many riches this place has to offer, I can’t think of a resource that is more underappreciated.

This place is your public library. It’s incredible really — where else can you simply sign up to borrow endless books, magazines, movies, music and more, for absolutely no charge?

I don’t know of any other place in this world where you can get anything of value for 100 per cent free anymore, much less an assortment of riches that will feed your brain and keep you entertained.

The local library offers thousands of ebooks, electronic magazines and other periodicals (as well as courses of study on a myriad of topics) that are all easily downloadable without leaving home.

And did I mention that everything is FREE?!

These days, I download all my books and magazines electronically to my Kobo eReader, simply by logging onto my library’s database and clicking on whatever I feel like reading.

You can borrow electronic books from your library no matter where in the world you happen to be — all you need is WiFi access and your library card number.

Any municipal government that does not make its public library system a high priority for continued support poses a threat to one of the last truly valuable resources in our community, and it should be ashamed of itself.