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Don't close the book on the county's libraries!

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Libraries are not "extras" to be tossed overboard at the first turbulence.

Yet as the world squints into the dawn of the Information Age, Beaufort County Council members are considering just that -- hacking public access to information and ideas.

I don't think they really want to do it. Tax limits imposed by the state are forcing the county to cut expenditures. This comes as growth demands expensive services -- like more jail cells. At a recent County Council retreat, it was suggested that municipalities take over some county services, like libraries or parks.

One member went so far as to say, "I've often told Bluffton (officials), 'Someday we're going to lock up the library, we're going to lock up the fire station and we're happy to drop the keys on your desk.'"

First, don't forget that citizens in the towns pay county taxes. In fact, the property owners in booming Bluffton and Hilton Head Island collectively fund a majority of the county budget, and they deserve services in return.

Second, it should not be assumed town governments are sitting back doing nothing. Without help from the towns, we would not have nice libraries today on Hilton Head and in Bluffton.

And third, recognize how much citizens themselves are doing to fund libraries throughout the county.

On Hilton Head, the old Community Association -- a citizens' organization that was a forerunner to municipal government -- purchased the island's first library facility. It was a 24- by 54-foot trailer bought from Freddy's Mobile Homes of Savannah in 1969 and parked at the corner of Folly Field Road and U.S. 278. The Hilton Head Co. (read: the Hack and McIntosh families) gave the land for the island's first stick-built library, which opened in 1976. And the whole time the Friends of the Library organization has helped -- today providing $70,000 to $80,000 per year. Bluffton and Beaufort also have strong Friends organizations.

Libraries are a county function for good reasons, including consistency in services, standards and training, as well as cutting foolish duplication of services. This system underscores the most important value this state has ever realized: providing equal access to information for all South Carolinians.

By state law, the legislature exclusively funds county libraries. The current per-capita allocation of $2.25 is available only to county library systems.

The state and federal governments are not doing nearly enough for libraries. If the municipalities can kick in more, that would be fine by me. A recent study showed that every dollar invested in public libraries results in a return of $4.48. But there can be only one master: a unified, well-funded county system.

County libraries are riding a positive momentum that should not be slowed now. The county, to its credit, includes expansion of the island branch in its long-term plans. That's what we need. Libraries are an essential service. They must be seen as crown jewels, not an extra burden to be passed around and dropped.

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