In a letter to The League of Women Voters, Susan Hauer, Administrator Library System of Lancaster County, disclosed:
“The 2006 per capita expenditure for library services from County funding is the lowest of the surrounding Counties. Lancaster/$4.89; York/$5.66; Berks/$8.08; Bucks/$8.67; Adams/$10.35; Cumberland/$13.40; Chester/$14.33; Dauphin/$15.72.”
She describes how “The media has been filled recently with stories of increased library customers and funding cuts from all levels of government and private donors.”
She then challenges the mind set of the current Board of County Commissioners by claiming that “…they have no mandate to support library services in the County. That is untrue due to a 1997 County Resolution and unfair to a democratic society that demands free public library services in return for their hard earned taxes. “
Hauer requests that “the League continue to follow and support the Library System and member Libraries in our efforts to attract appropriate funding for Library Services in Lancaster County” and “encourage candidates who are seeking public office to include appropriate funding for libraries as part of their platform.”
