Finance Committee Chairman Bob Thurston has said that the library is like a Hummer the town bought without being able to afford the gas to run it. Personally, we think of Hummers as inefficient gas-guzzlers that people buy as status symbols, rather than as something having any real intrinsic value. The library like a Hummer? That comparison is lost on us.

The library is one of the few resources in town that serves, and is enjoyed by, all segments of Harvard’s population. It would seem that the data the library has provided—which show increases in patron visits, circulation, interlibrary loans, and attendance at children’s programs—bear this out.

The library has offered to reduce its spending by $13,916 to keep its MAR-qualifying budget intact. Seems like a fair offer to us. Pushing for further cuts could jeopardize something that is certainly no Hummer. The library is one of the town’s crown jewels, and we think care should be taken to ensure that it retains its value.