Column: Humor gets the point across

Christopher Rayner sounded an alarm, so to speak, when he wrote about dwindling library hours and potential cuts. The REaders’ Board heard his message and liked how he delivered it, awarding him the Golden Quill. His letter is reprinted below.

“I tried to make it humorous because I think people respond to humor, but there is a serious under note,” he said.

“My thinking is that we're probably going to see some tightening across the board – city, county, state … – with lower home values in the past year and lost tax revenues.”

That will prompt the question: What essential services should a city offer?

Rayner put in his plug early for the public library.

He learned about libraries and their importance from his father. The senior Rayner served on the library board for years. He would say, “The library is the great equalizer.”

“What he taught me is that good libraries make good communities. Informed citizens make good citizens,” Rayner said.

Red Wing Public Library is more than its immediate collection of books, periodicals and resource materials. The access to information and therefore people’s potential knowledge grows through SELCO and MinnLink, too.

“You have more information at your fingertips than some universities and colleges. Anybody can inform themselves on any topic,” Rayner said.

REaders’ Board members noted that the library will be a critical resource for many citizens again this election season. Rayner’s letter alerts citizens that budget cuts and therefore the library itself could be part of the debate.

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