Parking fees hurt library patrons

As an employee of the Waukegan Public Library, I’m appalled that the Waukegan City Council voted to take away free parking privileges for our patrons without even notifying us.

These same council members, concerned about their re-election chances, also voted against a citywide tax increase last December. Now, scrambling to scrape up that lost revenue, they decide to shake down that segment of our community with the fewest resources to help.

Who relies on that free parking privilege? Adult literacy students for one. They come to the library for free classes to learn how to read, in the hopes of landing a decent job or maybe earning a GED. Families with young children visit, often because they can’t afford preschool and want to take advantage of free classes in the Early Learning Center.

While at the library, they check out books, DVDs and music because borrowing is their only entertainment option. The jobless also come, in increasing numbers. Usually they don’t own a computer, so the library is one of the only places to research job listings and learn how to write a resume.

For library patrons like these, plugging a meter isn’t just a nuisance. It’s a moratorium. They’ll just stop coming! The Waukegan City Council needs to reinstate free parking privileges immediately, and prove they’re advocating for their constituents and not just themselves.

Ellyn Ruhlmann

Grayslake