Trenton Library in jeopardy of closing

By Carrie A. Mizell

As manager of the Trenton Library for the last 19 years, Wilma Mattucci is asking the residents of Gilchrist County to rally in an effort to save the local library from closing its doors.
Mattucci said she was at a meeting of the Three Rivers Regional Library System in Lafayette County last Thursday night when she heard that appropriations committees in the Florida House and Senate are now trying to eliminate all funding for Florida’s State Aid to Public Libraries program. Not only would this loss of funding severely weaken libraries’ ability to serve citizens, but it would also mean the closing of library branches throughout the state.
Faye Roberts, executive director of the Florida Library Association, pointed out the loss in funding will be the most damaging to libraries in Florida’s rural communities, like Gilchrist County where there are lower tax bases to draw revenue from.
The Trenton Library was opened in 1958 in the room that is currently the Gilchrist County code enforcement office.
“We’ve been here a long time and served this county for a long time,” Mattucci said on Friday. “Our parking lot is always packed.”
While the library manager said she does not count the number of people who use the library each day, she does keep track of the number of people who use any one of the library’s nine public computers. During the month of February the library was open 18 days, Mattucci explained, and a total of 940 people used the library computers. A plethora of books and free Internet access are not the only things the Trenton Library offers the community. According to Mattucci, the library’s preschool and summer reading programs draw children from throughout the county.
As Roberts pointed out, the cut in library funding comes at a particularly bad time for Floridians who are turning to their public libraries for help during challenging times. Job seekers go to libraries to learn about and apply for jobs. Also, Floridians needing to apply for critical E-Government services and benefits are getting help from library staff, computers and Internet service. Local families are relying on library books, CDs, and DVDs to stretch household budgets.
“People can’t afford to do anything else now,” Mattucci said. “And now they [lawmakers] are going to take that away.”
Mattucci said she sees families come into the library now and stay an hour or two, whereas they used to come in, pick out books and leave.
Library funding was saved last session when the program was threatened at the last minute, and Florida residents rose up and legislators restored the funding. The Florida Library Association along with Trenton Library manager Wilma Mattucci are calling on Governor Charlie Crist and legislators to find a way to fund the library program.
Contact lawmakers and tell them to save libraries throughout the state from closing. Who to contact: Governor Charlie Crist by phone: (850) 488-7146 or e-mail: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com; Representative Larry Cretul by phone: (850) 488-1450 or e-mail: larrycretul@myfloridahouse.gov; Senator Jeff Atwater by phone: (850) 487-5100 or e-mail: atwater.jeff.web@flsenate.gov; Senator Mike Fasano by phone: (850) 487-5062 or e-mail: fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov