Statement to Warwick Area School Board 05-07-2024

 Following is the statement that I made to the Warwick Area School Board during the public comment portion of their meeting on May 7, 2024.

Good Evening. My name is Marian Shatto, and my topic is support for good libraries.  I have lived in Lititz since 1973. I own my home and gladly pay school taxes to support our public schools. My mother was a librarian and my father was a high school science teacher. They made sure that my sisters and I had ready access to a wide variety of books, both at home and in libraries. We learned about people, places, and ideas far beyond our little community, and that knowledge has served us well throughout our lives.

So my heart breaks a little each time I hear of a threat to a library. My message to the Board this evening is this: cherish and protect your libraries. Hire, trust, and support trained professional librarians. Make sure every child has easy access to books with as broad a range of topics and knowledge as possible. Encourage in them a delight in reading that will last a lifetime.

As the world grows ever more complex and challenging, we need to equip our youth with all the tools available for them to navigate difficulties with discernment and understanding. Access to good libraries, and the skills to make best use of the resources they provide, are essential.

I am well aware of the divisive, discriminatory agenda of the Independence Law Center. The policies they advocate sow conflict, distract from the learning that should be taking place in our schools, and leave the district vulnerable to expensive lawsuit. Warwick School District doesn’t need that and should not invite it.

We are privileged to live in a town that has valued education. The early Moravians started schools here for both girls and boys, before the town was even founded. They wanted to make sure that every child knew how to read, and learned information and skills that they would need as adults. Well-stocked libraries and well-trained librarians in our schools will carry on that tradition. Please use my tax dollars wisely and support them in every way that you can.