We are here, We Are Here, WE ARE HERE!!!

I remember one of my favorite books growing up was Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who.  Horton, the loveable elephant, is determined to save Whoville from extinction no matter what the cost to himself.  In an effort to make themselves heard, all the Whos in Whoville cry from their roof tops, "We are here, We Are Here, WE ARE HERE!!!"  The battle seems hopeless as those who only accept what they can see are determined to destroy an entire culture.

Today one of my library patrons passed an article on to me which relates the destruction of over a quarter of a million books by a Virginia library system.  I told of another library who is required to do the same thing in a previous post.  The Virginia library states budget cuts and moving toward a digital world as their reasons. 

What is so tragic about this scenerio is that there are private libraries such as mine that would have been thrilled to rescue many of these books.  I feel, as the Whos of Whoville, that I should cry from the roof tops, "We are here, We Are Here, WE ARE HERE!!!" 

What is the benefit of rescuing old books?  Can we only accept what we can see and therefore be willing to destroy the heart and soul of an entire culture?  Do we not see our need for life beyond the visible, knowledge and wisdom beyond mere facts?  Should we only depend on a digital screen to direct us in the way we should go? 

Please...stand with us in making a difference in your community.  Help us save as many of these treasures as possible before they can no longer be found.  Contact your local public libraries and see how you can become involved in book rescue missions.  Impact the culture through the printed word.

We are here...