To those of you who took the time to go out to the polls on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 -- especially those who cast a yes vote for libraries and Measure L -- we salute you. The landslide victory of this progressive civic measure ensures that Sunday/Monday library closures will soon be a thing of the past, the laid-off employees (28% of LAPL staff) will get their jobs back, and that no future Mayor will be able to balance his budget at the expense of that essential public good: a free public library for Los Angeles.

Dear "saveLAPL" Friends:

As City Librarian, each of us had the good fortune to work with all of the communities throughout the City of Los Angeles to build or renovate neighborhood libraries and to expand library services and hours. Neighborhood libraries are at the heart of each community.

Dear friend,

In 2008, you were one of more than 1300 Angelenoes who used the grassroots tools of the SaveLAPL.org website to tell Mayor Villaraigosa and City Council's Budget & Finance Committee how much you value the Los Angeles Public Library system. And thanks to your powerful and moving emails, the SaveLAPL campaign was successful in reversing a proposed $1 per book inter-library loan fee, branch closures, staff firings and a freeze on book purchases. Librarians and library patrons breathed easier... for a while.

SaveLAPL is dismayed by news that a budget crisis in the City of Long Beach has inspired its Mayor to propose closing the heavily trafficked Main Library. A website has been launched to share information about this threat, and to allow interested citizens to contact the Long Beach Mayor and City Council to share their thoughts.

The successful SaveLAPL campaign benefited greatly from the support of folks in surrounding cities, so we hope many of you will support the readers of Long Beach in this difficult time.

For more info, visit
http://savelbpl.blogspot.com/

Dear Library Supporters,

When Kim Cooper and Richard Schave informed me several weeks ago that they were launching SaveLAPL, the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) was facing a severe cut to its book budget and the elimination of Sunday service at branches.

Dear Library Supporters,

When Kim Cooper and Richard Schave informed me several weeks ago that they were launching SaveLAPL, the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) was facing a severe cut to its book budget and the elimination of Sunday service at branches.

Dear Library Supporters,

When Kim Cooper and Richard Schave informed me several weeks ago that they were launching SaveLAPL, the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) was facing a severe cut to its book budget and the elimination of Sunday service at branches.