Tears rolled down her cheeks as I read the local newspaper,
“And Esper library is scheduled to permanently close by 2013.”

Zalzala’s daugher stands with poster supporting Esper Library.

“Why, Mama?” my 8 year old sniffled.  She snatched the local paper from my
hands to reread the Dearborn city budget cuts.  I thought for a moment.  So I began a simple explanation to this complex issue.  “Well, the city needs to cut down
on using its money.  So think about
your dinner time.  Let’s say that
police and firefighters are the main parts of the meal, like meat and potatoes;
you have to have those!  But the
last course is dessert, which can be the libraries.  Do you always need dessert?”

Wow, what a silly question to ask a kid!  What child will rationalize cutting out
dessert, the most important part of her meal?  Therefore, I would like to ask: “How can we, citizens
of Dearborn, budget wisely and tighten our metaphoric belt, to keep the entire
dinner—main course AND dessert?”

As an educator, I like to simplify tedious lingo to focus on
the main ideas for my students to understand.  But after attempting to decipher the codes of at least five
different Dearborn budget-issue worksheets I find myself in a fog—it’s heavy
reading.  I simply uploaded and
saved the .pdf from 
//www.cityofdearborn.org/component/content/article/49/619-current-budget-discussion-documents.

 Without a
financial/accounting background, Dearborn residents will not understand the
context/content of the matter. 
Bottom line: It’s not clear-cut and there will hardly be a simple
explanation.  Before I give false
information, I will need to consult with financial/accounting experts and city
officials to “teach” this complex matter.

Instead, I would like to provide a short list of suggestions
that could possibly be implemented to keep Esper Library open:          

• Enhance the volunteer program to recruit even more senior
citizens, college/university students, and high school students.  (Side note to ALL college/university
and high school students: you NEED volunteer hours so why not help your
library?) ;• Reduce the hours (even more) to the most busiest times;

• Install more motion-detector lighting and other more
power-saving lighting;

• Adjust the settings of heating/cooling to a more
cost-efficient temperature;

• Design a city-wide fundraiser program inviting all
Dearborn residents and businesses;

While this list can continue, I only wanted to share a
snippet. 

Esper Library is more than just a library—it’s a community
center for the new fawns (children) and the seasoned bucks (older
generation).  I’m proud to have
“lived” in Esper Library most of my childhood—the summer reading
program was my summer’s highlight of those years.  At that time, I lived in poverty and both my parents worked
and struggled to make ends meet which left no budget for paid programs.  Now, my struggle continues, not in
poverty but in the threat of unnerving budget cuts throughout Michigan, which
could jeopardize all of our jobs. 

From an educator’s standpoint, so much informal learning is
taking place that can never be supplemented in any school experience.  The joy of, no, the love for, reading
twinkles in children’s eyes as they cuddle up in a cozy niche hugging toys and
books waiting to dive into their imaginations.

The social atmosphere buzzes with diverse conversations,
from casual school-life chats to intellectual negotiations of famous authors’
view points.

That’s not to mention the multi-lingual collection housed at
Esper Library; of a special note, the largest collection of Arabic language
books.  In regards to bilingual (or
even multi-lingual) materials, educational research supports the benefits of
knowing more than one language, that it will enhance brain development.  

As my final statement, a plea to city officials, please
don’t deprive Dearborn residents from our much needed Esper Library, our
dessert! 

The writer is a 25-year resident of Dearborn with two of
three children in the Dearborn Public Schools system. She is adjunct instructor
at HFCC and UM-D and a WSU Doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction in
Elementary Education.