Closed Books

It seems most unfortunate that the employees of our public libraries were forced to take so many unpaid furlough days in the month of December (seven at the Goleta branch, six at the Central and Eastside branches, and four in Carpinteria and Montecito). This must have created a great hardship for them. Furthermore, why were there no notices in the print and online media about these closures? It’s all very well to post notices on the door of the library or on bookmarks or on the library Web site, but this does not help a person or family who is not able to visit the library regularly (and who therefore looks forward to this opportunity during the holidays) and who does not suspect that the library will not be open at the regular times. – Susan Shields