Jake in West Chicago

St. Charles, IL

St. Charles Public Library

The libraries are growing now like a lot of areas did in their high-growth times. The economy is bad right now so people get out to someplace like the library to socialize and do research as they're looking for jobs. These same people if they were working wouldn't have the time to play around at a library. IT jobs grew like crazy in 1999 because of the Y2K scare, Real Estate and RE agents went crazy selling lots of homes between 2003-2007, Taxes went sky-high to meet. All of these things happened because of what was going on for the moment and no consideration was given as to prepare for the future, more lean times. I've been in the IT industry for over 25 years, my kids used the library generally because the school pushed them too. Today they're both in College and they're able to do their studies from the texts they buy to searches performed on the internet. Some colleges are now pulling their computer labs since the students already have computers of their own. How long before libraries follow suit? Probably a while. It's a status and "nice to have" type of thing. But in todays advancing society it really is becoming less needed for more of the people.  (Sunday Nov 22 | post #5)

St. Charles, IL

St. Charles Public Library

Oh, I agree, but that percentage is significantly lower than it was 5, 10 or 20 years ago. Yet how is it that libraries are still growing? Why should we expand something at continued expense and growing costs when much less of the population cares to go to the library. And why is it every town thinks they need to have one?  (Wednesday Nov 18 | post #3)

St. Charles, IL

St. Charles Public Library

"We're running out of space"? Huh? Just like the newspaper libraries are becoming less of a resource. Get with the program, they just cost us more money for the select few people who still use them. My kids have a library at their school. Do I need one in the town, for what? To check out outdated information? To use the internet? Check already have that. To read a book, umm, ever heard of books.google.com? They're scanning them. Use a kindle or Iphone if you must read it portably. Argue why we need one, the trend is moving towards them going away. When will you figure that out?  (Wednesday Nov 11 | post #1)

Libraries

Column: There is much to be thankful for at the library

You have the internet as a source of information, and it is always more current. You have Amazon to buy books at a discount, especially if they are used. And our kids have libraries specifically targeted to their ages and needs. Why do we need to expand libraries except to make old people feel good about where they donate their money? Every one of these points can be refuted I'm sure with a differing opinion, but they certainly provide some level of merit when costs and this economy are squeezing from all angles.  (Wednesday Nov 11 | post #1)

St. Charles, IL

Our View: St. Charles can't afford cleanup program

This is total BS. I have a house in St Charles, and every month they charge me $3 for this supposed clean-up in my monthly water charge. Will they now drop that charge?  (Wednesday Nov 11 | post #1)

West Chicago, IL

DuPage lawmaker: Consolidate fire districts

Slash departments across the board. They've been living fat on all of the over inflated real estate taxes so long they forgot to save any for the time when the money is tight. Cut pensions, pay, workdays, libraries, forest preserves, etc. Extras such as new buildings, expansion of Forest preserve areas, new work to solve problems which have been there all along (like culvert work, bringing water into areas where wells exist aka Carol Stream). Why should only the residents feel the pain of being out of work and yet still having to pay the high cost of services that aren't being affected. Next to California, Illinois is now the second worst in having a budget shortfall. When will the spending end?  (Wednesday Nov 11 | post #2)