I grew up in Menlo Park but live in Palo Alto. I use the Palo Alto Library from time to time. However, I remain loyal to the Menlo Park Library and use it far more, and so does my husband, Carl H. Sandberg. I am bringing this point up because I understand the library is under review for budget cuts. Please do not target the library for further cuts to the city's budget. Clearly this is not a call to "defund the police." I understand the critical role of the police in the community. However, think hard about slashing the library's budget. The library may be perceived as a "fluff" part of your budget, but far from it. The library brings the community together from all walks of life. Granted Menlo Park is a wealthy community, but possibly the library is the only place where the "rich mingle with the poor". The library helps migrants and their children through its reading programs. We need to prepare the next generation for their responsibility as citizens. So if a little reading program helps them so be it! Even the homeless, who use the library as a refuge and a reading space, play a role. They remind us of our frailty as human beings and our need to act as a community to protect even the weakest. On a personal note, let me explain why I love and continue to support the Menlo Park Library. I joined a literary discussion group led by Todd Pierce. Of all the programs available by the Menlo Park Library, this is by far the best one I have joined. Todd goes above and beyond the call of duty to prepare for these discussions, which are always lively and thoughtful. I look forward to these discussions every month, and now with the pandemic and unemployment, I look forward to them more than ever via Zoom. One more point. Todd thoughtfully promotes the Community Reads sponsored by the Library and Kepler's bookstore. Am I participating? Absolutely. Think of this. By pointing us to Kepler's, we are contributing our dollars to a business that needs to survive these tough times. Without Kepler's, Menlo Park would have one less business to contribute to its budget, and furthermore would lose a powerful link to the Menlo Park community. So as you can see one group helps another. Again, please think hard about cutting the library's budget. All the best, Charito Monroy 275 Hawthorne Ave. Apt. no. 134 Palo Alto, CA 94301 Received on Wed Jun 10 2020 - 13:45:07 PDT