FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 12, 2016
Contact: Laura Burns
781 749-0880
Lburns887@gmail.com
HULL— “Robust funding for public libraries is essential to vibrant local communities, because libraries enrich our communities in a myriad of ways,” said Joan Meschino, Democratic candidate for State Representative in the Third Plymouth District. “We have a responsibility to increase funding for operations and for capital projects to ensure that community residents enjoy lifelong learning for years to come,” she said. “I look forward to working with our libraries in the district to guarantee adequate funding for the future.”
“Libraries are a gateway to information and exploration and must keep pace with their ever-expanding role as a trusted resource for research, literature, and programs that inform, entertain, and inspire members of our community,” she said. “Community libraries are particularly important to low-income families and seniors on fixed incomes. The local library is often essential for news, public information, and for a job search for residents without access to a smart phone or a computer at home.”
Today’s libraries must reflect our changing world and evolving technology. “Our public libraries play a vital role in the information age,” said Meschino. “We must level the playing field by providing access for every citizen, particularly those who lack the means to acquire new technology and must rely on public access to this essential resource.”
“The library is where we first come together as toddlers for story hours and where our children and grandchildren carry on this tradition today,” she said. “It’s a center for lectures, concerts, and art exhibits, for book discussion groups, and for meeting up with neighbors. Contrary to speculation that the internet might supplant libraries, the opposite has occurred,” Meschino said. “The public library has become a transformational place where people of all ages go to learn, grow, and socialize.”