Public library gets Obama shout-out
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- February
- 25
Maybe not the most significant mention of last night’s speech by Pres. Barak Obama, but certainly one that brought a smile to my face.
The president said he heard about a nearly 100-year-old school in South Carolina that sorely needed refurbishing because of a letter written by a student, Ty’Sheoma Bethea. The eighth grader apparently went to her public library to write a letter to Congress about her community’s sad situation at the J.V. Martin Junior High School in Dillon.
The letter found its way to First Lady Michelle Obama and then to the president. And the rest is history.
Last night Ty’Sheoma Bethea sat next to the first lady and was introduced to the nation — and the world. Here’s a photograph from www.michelleobamawatch.com, ( the site credits MOW reader Sandy from Obama Mamas provided the photo.).
Needless to say, the American Library Association, based in Obama’s Chicago, is thrilled with the shout-out, especially at a time when library budgets are being slashed in many communities just as libraries are seeing increased usage.
“This anecdote not only shows how engaged the young people in our country are, but it also sheds light on how important the library is to these students,” ALA President Jim Rettig said in a press statement.
“The public library is the only source of no-fee access to the Internet for 73 percent of communities and a place where individuals like Ty’Sheoma can access computers and technology as well as benefit from the trusted guidance of a librarian. I thank President Obama for sharing Ty’Sheoma’s inspiring story. I hope it encourages our nation’s governors to use stimulus money wisely to ensure that every community has a local library – a library open ample hours with a librarian to help every child like Ty’Sheoma who needs a place to study or aspire. Our libraries are important not only to our youth, but also to adults; libraries are helping to rebuild the economy through assistance with online job searching and resume development, education on personal finances, and other services that respond to today’s pressing needs.”
The teenager came to Washington with her mother. To read more about her journey, check out Monday’s Bellingham Herald.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, February 25th, 2009 at 2:53 pm by Barbara Nackman.
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