A recent letter urges Beaufort County Council to rethink the budget cuts that have greatly reduced accessibility to our wonderful libraries.

My mother got me a library card long before I started school. Public libraries are one of the greatest, and oldest, institutions in our civilized society.

I am well aware of the reduced library hours. In fact, the hours are posted in our kitchen for easy reference. But more often than not, I'm on Hilton Head Island on other business, and I attempt to visit the library. Darn, I'm too early. The library will not be open until afternoon.

The experience always triggers the same thought. We are willing to spend billions on schools, bridges, roads and other infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan. But we are unwilling to keep our public libraries open. To me, it says it all about our nation's messed up priorities. We need to do some nation building here at home.

Rory Ferguson

Moss Creek