O’FALLON, Mo. – In the wake of a proposal to permanently close three branches of the St. Charles City-County Library District, city leaders in O’Fallon have joined residents in voicing opposition to the plan.
During last week’s O’Fallon City Council meeting, the council unanimously passed a resolution in support of keeping all library facilities open.
“Closing a library in a growing community goes against the fabric of American values. For generations, we have used literacy rates to gauge the success of public institutions. Literacy has a beneficial impact on employment, educational attainment, and access to healthcare,” O’Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy said.
The three libraries at risk of closing are McClay Library in St. Charles, Kisker Library near Weldon Springs, and Deer Run Library in O’Fallon.
Nearly two weeks ago, library district CEO Jason Kuhl said rising costs of electronic books were partly to blame for a projected budget shortfall. The library reports spending roughly $50,000 per month on e-books.
Proximity is also a concern, Kuhl said, adding that the three branches are close to other county libraries.
Mayor Hennessy doesn’t see things that way.
“These closures will not help with families looking to move to the county, nor help recruit new business to the vibrant area,” he said. “In a time where families are seeing increasing property taxes, they should also be seeing growing services, not reductions.”
The library board is expected to vote on the proposal next month.
