If you haven’t voted for the Whitman County Library levy yet, you should. Today is the last day to vote to restore the levy, which is currently 46 cents, to 50 cents. The libraries offer too much to our community for us to condone their continued decline.

Without the 50-cent levy, Whitman County Library will be forced to cut hours, leaving many community members without fundamental programs.

“Libraries bring so much to every part of the community,” Director Kristie Kirkpatrick said. “We’re the hub of what’s happening in town, and especially for kids who don’t have after school activities … the library really presents them with a lot of options.”

Whitman County Library has already frozen staff salaries and cut its materials budget by 20 percent, Kirkpatrick said. There’s nothing left to cut.

Libraries offer the community something special that other forms of entertainment can’t. Not only does the library make learning fun for kids, it offers high-speed internet for rural communities that might not otherwise have access. Library members can download e-books as well as search for jobs.

Most importantly, libraries are one of the few places left where people aren’t expected to pay for anything. Unlike the mall or the movie theater, you can go to the library and not feel any pressure to spend money. The library is a release from the hyper-materialistic society we live in, and it asks barely anything of us in return.

Whitman County Library is important for everyone, regardless of income or background. Please vote in favor of the levy restoration.