I ended my previous guest column with a statement about how proud Springfield residents can be of our Main Street. I called it “the physical core that establishes Springfield’s identity,” with “evidence on every block of American resilience, and … the importance of what a strong, revitalized downtown has to the health, benefit and spirit of the community at large.” 

The fuel our successful Main Street relies upon is foot traffic – people coming to Main Street’s unique selection of coffee houses, restaurants, gift shops, antique emporiums and other services. Constant, predictable traffic is essentially an element of economic development, and a prime contributor is the Springfield Public Library.

Data from the State Library of Oregon show that the Springfield library welcomes about 47 visits per open hour, more than 1,800 per week and about 108,000 per year. Each day we have nearly 500 book checkouts and 200 eBook transactions. The statistics also show that the library programs throughout the year bring in more 14,000 adults and children. 

A soon-to-be released City Council decision to solve a future citywide $4.5 million budget shortfall, however, will require the Springfield library to reduce $500,000 of its $2.3 million budget, a staggering 22% cut! But the total $4.5 million citywide cut is only about 10% of the city’s general fund! Does that sound fair? 

It appears the city plans to introduce a payroll tax to cover the $4 million non-library portion of the shortfall, ignoring the widely shared opinion of also covering the library amount by the payroll tax to maintain current library service levels.   

What is at stake with a massive 22% budget cut? Less staff, fewer hours open per week (potentially closing an additional day), less programming, a reduction of new book purchases. All of that would definitely reduce a substantial portion of traffic that the library brings daily to Main Street.  

Again, we often hear from council and from the business community leadership that the key for Springfield’s future economic success depends heavily on economic development. Yet what the library brings in traffic to Main Street is sheer economic development. People, customers, on the streets.

Speaking of economic development, think about the daily library traffic that uses our computers and especially our printers for job searches and resume printing. People seeking jobs help a growing community.

If we did not have a strong library, we would likely pursue one to help invigorate a latent Main Street. Bottom line? We are a key factor in Springfield’s current Main Street success. Why diminish it?

James Lauinger is a Springfield resident and the former mayor of Kirkland, Wash. He has served on numerous volunteer boards and commissions, and currently volunteers at the Springfield Public Library.