Save LAPL Campaign Reminds Lawmakers To Protect the Los Angeles Public Library
In 2008, a city budget proposal threatened to force the Los Angeles Public Library to stop buying new books and begin charging $1 per book for interbranch loans. The SaveLAPL.org website was launched to inform the public of this grave threat to the free public library system, and give them the tools they needed to send a one-click email message to the Mayor and City Council members who would be deciding if the budget cuts went through. It only took a month for passionate library lovers to get their point across, and the proposed cuts and fees were not implemented.
But today the Los Angeles Public Library is in a far more most vulnerable position. Funds are being stripped from this essential city service, which has already resulted in Sunday closures and limited weekday hours. Coming next: elimination of hundreds of staff members, and the possibility of another day without any library service. SaveLAPL.org is back online offering concerned citizens a one-click email opportunity to tell the Mayor and City Council that they support full funding for LAPL. The website was created by LAVA founders Kim Cooper and Richard Schave, who hope you find it useful.