As Michigan Radio's Sarah Cwiek reported last February, "libraries face a tough paradox. People tend to use them more when the economy is bad. But a bad economy also means they get fewer resources to work with."
Cwiek was reporting on the Detroit public library system which at the time was facing a $17 million budget shortfall.
This past spring, the city proposed closing 18 libraries, but then backed away from that proposal.
Staffing cuts were made, and now, according to the Detroit News, the city is proposing to close six of its 23 libraries because the "layoffs of about 40 staffers in spring hurt service and forced some branches to temporarily close on some days."
The News visited one library slated for closure and talked to people there:
Erin Carter...searches forjobs using computers at the Chase branch in northwest Detroit that is recommended for closure. "There is so much stuff closing down," said Carter, 22. "I don't know where to go." The small library at Seven Mile and Southfield Freeway was packed Tuesday afternoon and every computer was in use. Fifteen-year-old Brandon Thomas and his neighbor, 12-year-old Kalan Lewis, rode their bikes to the library for the first time Wednesday to pick up some books and look for the Civil War movie, "Glory." "They shouldn't close it," Kalan said. "It's for kids. We need to be able to learn what we don't learn in school."
The libraries on the list for potential closure:
