The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, January 23, 1997            TAG: 9701230013
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A12  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                            LENGTH:   30 lines

GIVE NORFOLK LIBRARIES NEEDED FUNDING

I am writing in support of the recommendation made to the Norfolk City Council to fund the Norfolk public-library system at 1 percent of the city's budget. As senior coordinator of media services for Norfolk public schools, I work diligently with the individual schools and with the public library to provide students with the motivation and the skills to become lifelong learners.

I have been greatly saddened by the lack of support granted by the city for the public-library system to date. This city deserves a good public-library system to provide all of our citizens with growth opportunities, and specifically a system which allows our students the resources to continue as lifelong learners. Our citizens should not have to leave the boundaries of the city to have access to information resources.

Knowing that many cities dedicate as much as 3 percent of their revenues to their public-library system, I wholeheartedly endorse an effort to dedicate 1 percent of Norfolk's budget to this purpose.

I appeal to the City Council to commit to providing a public-library system of which we can be proud.

ANNE J. MADSEN

Senior coordinator of media services

Norfolk public schools

Norfolk, Jan. 2, 1997


by CNB