Teen supports Dover Public Library levy

I would love to address what this small library means to a teenager like me and the impact this levy has on our community.

Dover Public Library has been a part of me since I could hold a book. I have checked out countless books, spent time in programs they offered, and I even tried to check out the maximum number of books I could take as a kid.

I love this library, and I would do anything to keep it around. I feel as though if we, as a community, want a resource, we should support that resource. Think about the future, think bigger than yourself, and think of the kids who benefit from this library. It is vital to maintain this resource for the bigger impact it has on the community. If funding gets cut, then so does the impact, and that means teenagers like me will lose programs, new books and so much more.

Dover Public Library is a core part of my life, from one month old all the way to now. I have participated in all of their summer reading challenges, a lot of their Teen Tuesdays and their library Open House. I go every day after school with my friends, sometimes just to hang out and other times to get books or CDs. A lot of my life has been surrounded by this library from a young age. It has had such an impact on my love of reading. Books are not a cheap hobby, and I am so grateful to be able to check out all these books and materials with no cost to me.

I also have been involved with the Tornado Alley for four years and have been a senior editor for two years, which is a big part of my spring schedule. Tornado Alley is a literary magazine that teens like me can submit art and all kinds of writing. It is the pinnacle of creativity, and all these teens who submit are so talented. It really shows how we can come together, even with differences, to make something wonderful. It has been such an amazing outlet for me. I used to get so scared sharing my work with people, and it’s really helped me open up.

Now, what would happen if this levy doesn’t pass? Many like me would suffer. Budget cuts would affect staffing at the library, its circulation collection and programs that I love. Teens who go there to do homework on the PCs could lose the opportunity to do so. It could even affect Tornado Alley, which would make me so sad. This library is my home without being a house. The public library is such a valuable gem, and it would break my heart to see it start to lose its shiny luster.

Georgia Meyers

Age 16

Dover