1. United States
2. Ala.
3. Letter

Good afternoon, I'm writing you today to please ensure the Appropriations Committee continues to fund our public libraries. My parents are military and I've lived all over the country: I can say, with no small amount of pride, that Jefferson County has one of the best public library systems I've ever had the privilege of using. We do not have the state money to uphold this service- our tax base simply isn't wealthy enough. We need federal funds. Our collection is wonderful, our staff is amazing, and the services our libraries offer our community are invaluable. It's a place for the community kids to gather, it's a place for my boss's retired father to interact with his neighbors, and it's a place where people in hard times can get a leg up. I'm already looking at losing my job, my health insurance, and my kids' public programming. Please don't take away my community.