I’m a bit apprehensive about this. Basically, the Milwaukee library system (city, not county—suburban libraries, including the one where I work, would be unaffected) is going to be revamped, with a lot of neighborhood libraries being replaced by “mixed-use libraries,” “area libraries” and/or “express libraries.” It always makes me nervous when library budgets are discussed, because libraries ususally end up getting the short end of the budget stick, but it sounds like the decision to tear down most of the neighborhood libraries has already been made.

The “area libraries” sound best to me, because they’re big (mmm… big, spacious libraries), but they would each replace two or three neighborhood libraries, making it harder for people to walk to their local library (and the people who can’t afford to get there are the ones who most need libraries, of course). In my ideal world, we could just make each neighborhood library bigger and better, but I know that’s not going to happen.