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glenviewlantern.com Sound Off<br />
the glenview lantern | December 29, 2016 | 15<br />
Social snapshot<br />
Top Web Stories<br />
From GlenviewLantern.com,<br />
as of Dec. 27<br />
1. Girls basketball: Missed free throws<br />
doom Titans vs. Wildkits<br />
2. Boys Hockey: Green outduels Gold in<br />
heated rivalry game<br />
3. Boys Swimming: Versatility helps Titans<br />
prevail over Giants<br />
4. ‘Elf Jr.’ spreads holiday cheer in Glenview<br />
5. Mareci a staple at Meier’s Tavern<br />
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From the Editor<br />
The pros and cons of restructuring<br />
CHRIS PULLAM<br />
chris@glenviewlantern.com<br />
As you’ve most<br />
likely heard (if<br />
not, you didn’t<br />
read our Dec. 15 issue),<br />
the Glenview Public Library<br />
recently released 10<br />
staff members: seven from<br />
Youth Services and one<br />
each from Reading Services,<br />
Technical Services<br />
and Reference.<br />
While nine of the<br />
employees only worked<br />
part-time, the cuts did include<br />
one full-time Youth<br />
Services position.<br />
When I spoke with<br />
Library Director Vickie<br />
Novak a few weeks ago,<br />
she attributed the cuts<br />
to the rising demand of<br />
the Library’s services<br />
and technology, as well<br />
as operating and maintenance<br />
costs. However,<br />
the Village of Glenview<br />
chose not to increase the<br />
Library’s operating levy to<br />
help counter the inflation.<br />
But since then I’ve received<br />
multiple emails from<br />
Glenview residents who<br />
feel that other alternatives<br />
should’ve been considered.<br />
Several sent Letters to the<br />
Editor and, beginning this<br />
issue, we will run them in<br />
the space below.<br />
Personally, I very rarely<br />
visit libraries. But, in hindsight,<br />
I never lived near<br />
an advanced facility, like<br />
the one in Glenview, until<br />
I moved to Champaign-<br />
Urbana at the age of 20.<br />
One of my favorite parts<br />
of covering Glenview is all<br />
the technology available to<br />
the youth. From Glenbrook<br />
South to the Park District,<br />
kids in this area have access<br />
to things Cherry children<br />
likely won’t see until they<br />
attend college. It provides<br />
local students with priceless<br />
advantages and scaling it<br />
back in any way seems like<br />
a mistake.<br />
But the Library does plan<br />
to hire a new 25-hour-perweek<br />
paraprofessional in<br />
January to help counterbalance<br />
the loss of the 10 parttime<br />
staff members. While<br />
it’s definitely a change to<br />
the current structure, this issue<br />
has caused more public<br />
response than almost any<br />
other issue we’ve covered<br />
over the past year and I’m<br />
confident residents will step<br />
up to mitigate any negative<br />
consequences.<br />
And in many ways, the<br />
restructuring will allow the<br />
Library to provide children<br />
with even more technologically<br />
advanced resources.<br />
While many of the board<br />
games will disappear,<br />
more STEAM (science,<br />
technology, engineering,<br />
art, mathematics) resources<br />
will give Glenview kids<br />
a chance to master these<br />
fields well before many of<br />
their counterparts.<br />
I really doubt many<br />
Cherry, Illinois parents<br />
understand the value of<br />
STEAM initiatives. I’d bet<br />
most have never even heard<br />
of the acronym. Yet these<br />
same initiatives serve as the<br />
cornerstone of nearly every<br />
Glenview child’s education.<br />
And it’s up to the community<br />
to make sure we<br />
maintain our standards.<br />
Letter to the Editor<br />
Opposition to library cuts<br />
As a Glenview resident,<br />
retired Glenview school librarian<br />
and a public library<br />
substitute, I’m protesting<br />
Glenview Public Library’s<br />
ill-advised action to save<br />
money by firing so many<br />
long-term, highly qualified<br />
librarians, particularly<br />
from the Youth Services<br />
Department.<br />
For 15 years, as the librarian<br />
at Pleasant Ridge<br />
School, I worked extensively<br />
with GPL, which<br />
has many resources not<br />
available to schools, an<br />
extensive print and online<br />
collection, programs for<br />
all ages and ability levels,<br />
and year-round access.<br />
Many families of all economic<br />
levels discovered<br />
programs and resources<br />
for life-long learning that<br />
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go figure<br />
Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook<br />
snapped this photo at its holiday gift<br />
event on Dec. 19.<br />
350 elementary school visitors today<br />
catching our acclaimed, fun and family<br />
friendly musical - Goldilocks. Come<br />
back for shows tnite & tmrw!<br />
@Glenbrook_south tweeted on Dec.<br />
16 about their winter musical.<br />
$5,064<br />
An intriguing number from this week’s edition<br />
The amount raised during a<br />
fundraiser at Middy Mags Pizzeria<br />
that benefited Sister Paulanne’s<br />
Needy Family Fund, Page 4<br />
they had no idea existed.<br />
In my own role working<br />
at Niles Public Library, I<br />
know that full-time librarians<br />
need such staff (the<br />
majority of the former<br />
GPL librarians weren’t<br />
full-time) to assist them<br />
so they can create and offer<br />
these outstanding programs<br />
and services. Just as<br />
important as helping staff,<br />
these experienced GPL librarians<br />
have introduced<br />
so many children to the joy<br />
of books, and in this “posttruth”<br />
world, every librarian<br />
is needed to work with<br />
children and adults to find<br />
authoritative information.<br />
Over years of working as a<br />
team with other staff members<br />
to serve every child<br />
and adult, they became familiar<br />
and trusted to many<br />
library patrons.<br />
Yet these valuable librarians,<br />
both in the Youth<br />
Services Department and<br />
other areas, who are a<br />
crucial part of exemplary<br />
library service in our community,<br />
were the main targets<br />
of the cost-cutting.<br />
As a Glenview resident<br />
whose family, from my<br />
children to my 94-year-old<br />
father, have used GPL extensively<br />
over the years,<br />
I’m proud that my community<br />
offers this wonderful<br />
resource to all of us. I urge<br />
the Glenview community to<br />
consider the impact this will<br />
have on our children and<br />
all residents, and join me in<br />
protesting this measure.<br />
Thank you.<br />
Shelley Riskin<br />
Retired Pleasant Ridge<br />
School librarian<br />
Glenview resident<br />
The Glenview<br />
Lantern<br />
Sound Off Policy<br />
Editorials and columns are the<br />
opinions of the author. Pieces<br />
from 22nd Century Media are<br />
the thoughts of the company as<br />
a whole. The Glenview Lantern<br />
encourages readers to write<br />
letters to Sound Off. All letters<br />
must be signed, and names and<br />
hometowns will be published.<br />
We also ask that writers include<br />
their address and phone number<br />
for verification, not publication.<br />
Letters should be limited to 400<br />
words. The Glenview Lantern<br />
reserves the right to edit letters.<br />
Letters become property of The<br />
Glenview Lantern. Letters that<br />
are published do not reflect<br />
the thoughts and views of The<br />
Glenview Lantern. Letters can<br />
be mailed to: The Glenview<br />
Lantern, 60 Revere Drive ST<br />
888, Northbrook, IL, 60062. Fax<br />
letters to (847) 272-4648 or email<br />
to chris@glenviewlantern.com.<br />
www.glenviewlantern.com
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