Election Day is Tuesday November 3 — just two weeks from now!  Thanks to the many wonderful volunteers who are putting out signs, emailing their friends, and helping our community to understand how passing this renewal levy will keep the Library’s doors open in these tough times.  Your hard work is making a difference: we have distributed almost all of our 1700 signs, people are stopping library staff to let them know that they support us, and in every speech I give there is someone in the audience who has already heard our message — thanks to you!

Please keep up your efforts, and we’ll keep you posted on our progress!  Thanks so much!

Karl Colón, Continue Library Services Committee

Hi folks –

This morning Jim Otte from WHIO-TV interviewed Tim Kambitsch, the Director of the Dayton Metropolitan Library, and me about our upcoming library levies.  Our interview will be broadcast on WHIO-TV on Sunday October 25th at 11:00 a.m.  I was told this show will not be posted to WHIO-TVs web site, so please drop check out the show on the 25th.

Please keep writing those emails and passing out those signs!  With your help, we can pass this levy!  Thanks!

Karl Colón

One of the quickest, cheapest, and most effective ways to get help us get our message out is to email your friends and encouraging them to Vote for Issue 7.  Hearing from a friend is the best way for folks to know just how much you support the Library, and what a Vote for Issue 7 means to the Library and the Citizens of Greene County.

Here is the email I sent to over 200 friends in Greene County.  Feel free to use some or all of it if you like.  Again, thanks so much for your help: you are making all the difference!

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Dear friends,

As some of you know, I am a huge fan of the  Greene County Public Library, recognized as one of the Top Ten Libraries in the United States serving a community our size by Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings.

We need your help.

On November 3, the Library will have a renewal of its operating levy on the ballot as Issue 7.  Without raising taxes, patrons will be able to continue using library services.

There is a lot of support for the Library in the County, and getting the word out to as many people as we can will make a huge difference to passing this levy.   Here’s what you can do:

•    Vote YES on Issue 7 on November 3, 2009
•    Please email all your friends and let them know that you support our renewal levy, which won’t raise taxes, but which is key to helping us keeping our doors open to the public every day.
•    Please drop by the levy web site: http://www.votegreenelibrary.org to learn more about the levy.
•    While you are at the web site, please sign up for a yard sign, get on our email list, and — if you are able in these tough times — consider donating to the levy through our secure web site.
•    Stay up-to-date and get connected with other supporters on our Facebook page http://bit.ly/VoteGreeneLibrary

The Library uses this support to make a huge difference in our community.  Every day, the Library:

•    Helps establish early literacy in children
•    Promotes lifelong learning for the entire community
•    Provides after school programs
•    Provides outreach services to homebound patrons
•    Provides computer resources for writing resumes, applying for jobs, and staying connected with family and friends

It is no secret that even with the renewal of our levy, the dramatic fall in State funding for Ohio’s libraries this year means we will still have to make tough choices, and we will have to cut back on hours, materials, and staff.  But passing this levy means we will be open every day, and there for our community at a time when unemployment is over 10%.  We’ll go through the tough times together, and renewal of this levy will give us a stable financial platform to build from when times get better.

Thanks for your time and all the support you’ve expressed for Ohio’s libraries. With your help, we can pass this levy and build for the future.

Karl Colón, Continue Library Services Committee

Visit the Greene County Board of Elections website and use the online Poll Finder Lookup Tool to determine your polling location. All you need to provide is your residence information.

If you are uncertain as to whether or not you are registered to vote, they also have a Voter Lookup Tool.