I was shocked when I saw this article! How horrid! How completely outrageous!!! Libraries should never be closed down. And definitely not all public libraries! (Are there even private libraries?) Reading/literacy is such an important part of culture! Or should be!

In a way that makes me glad that Beloit has only one public library and we've the inter-library loan.

Re-reading this article I'm still horrified. An entire city, and a rather large city, without any libraries...

Philadelphia libraries to close Oct. 2

Pennsylvania's budget deadlock also means 3,000 city employees could get pink slips on Friday.

Posted by Elizabeth Strott on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 10:16 AM

The City of Brotherly Love isn't showing much to book lovers.

All 54 of Philadelphia's libraries are scheduled to close because the state of Pennsylvania has not been able to pass a budget to fund the library system.

"All branch and regional library programs, including programs for children and teens, after school programs, computer classes, and programs for adults, will be cancelled," the Free Library posted in a notice on its Web site. All 250,000 books, disks and other items that have been borrowed are now due Oct. 1, and nothing can be borrowed after Sept. 30.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are still deadlocked over a proposed state budget that was supposed to have been enacted on July 1.

Gov. Ed Rendell on Monday said he would veto a legislative budget plan proposed last Friday, calling the $27.9 budget proposal an overestimation of the sources of revenue needed to balance the budget.

Philadelphia had been banking on a 1% sales tax increase and a change in pension payment plans to help it fund library operations. If the budget does not pass within the next two weeks, the city said it will lay off all library employees.

The state budget mess could also force Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter to move forward on his so-called "Plan C" doomsday budget, beyond the closure of the libraries. Plan C would lay off 3,000 city workers, eliminate court-system funding and shut down all recreation centers. The city will send out pink slips to the 3,000 employees on Friday unless the budget passes before then.

Philadelphia's library system is the sixth-largest public library in the nation. Benjamin Franklin created its precursor, the Library Company of Philadelphia, which was the first public library in the country.