Sad news
Maybe it’s a sign of the times, but there’s some sad news coming out of the Dunbar area. After 20 years in operation, the Dunbar Community Library announced in a letter to the editor last Sunday that it may have to close its doors due to a funding crunch.
In the letter, Peggy Rankin, the library’s treasurer, said the library is caught in a financial bind between paying things such as rising utility bills, which cost a reported $3,600 a year, while still trying to purchase new books.
“Unfortunately, the library will not be able to cover its expenses much longer without help,” said Rankin.
The library has served residents of Dunbar Borough and Dunbar Township well over the years, being a place where anyone can go to read or borrow books, and as Rankin noted in her letter, “it is so much more than that.”
She pointed out that the library’s a place where children can learn to love reading and teens can study and do research projects. Additionally, she said it has computers available for use free of charge and offers printing, copying, faxing and laminating services for a nominal fee.
The library’s board of directors would like to do more such as adding a movie night, renting movies or both and bringing back the tutoring program, as well as the children’s story hour.
But to do that would cost even more money and right now the library is barely staying afloat.
To their credit, Dunbar Borough officials have promised to see what they can do to help out. Council President Patrick Fitzgerald asked councilwoman and civics director Amy Gross to examine ways the borough can financially help the library and report back to council next month on her findings.
That may help some, but it’s doubtful the borough will be able to financially maintain the library on its own. The state facing its own budget woes is also unlikely to come to the library’s rescue.
So, in the end the library’s solvency is going to rest with the residents of Dunbar Borough and Dunbar Township. And with people everywhere facing economic hardships that could be a tough sell.
But the alternative is for the library to close its doors and no one wants to see that happen.
First, we urge local residents to work with library and municipal officials to determine exactly how much money is going to be needed to keep the library open. That way, it can be determined if the library can operate on at least a break-even basis.
If that seems possible, then every option must be explored to raise the money needed to keep the library open. Dunbar area residents are noted for their generosity, and that should be a reason for optimism.
Certainly many people have benefited from using the library in the past and now is the time for present and former residents to extend a helping hand so that future residents have the same opportunities they once enjoyed. With everyone pitching in together, the library may be able to get through this financial crises and once again be a place for all residents to read and enjoy.
Anyone interested in helping the library can send a donation by mail to P.O. Box 306, Dunbar, Pa., 15431, or drop it off at the library at 60 Connellsville St., Dunbar, between noon and 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.