The County Where I Spent

the first twenty-nine years of my life, Jackson County, Oregon, is about to earn a dubious distinction: If funding doesn't come soon from the federal government, it will close down its entire library system.

This is no mean feat, for this is largest such closure in the United States.

Congress needs to get off its collective ass and push through the funding.

Despite the convenience of the internet, it is no substitute whatsoever for libraries and other traditional avenues of obtaining information:

Kniffel, the American Libraries magazine editor, said most people feel the same way, and despite the advent of electronic information, library visits nationwide increased 61 percent between 1994 and 2004.

"Say you search something online and get 550,000 hits. How do you know which one is the right one?" he said. "You need a knowledgeable navigator to help you."

Incidentally, Talent doesn't have a population of 20,000; it's only about 5,000 or 6,000, if that. Nearby Ashland is about that large.