On Wednesday afternoon, the Oak Lawn library was quietly busy. A toddler crawled on the carpet in the children\u2019s zone, adults sat at the row of computers, keys clacking, and a college student wandered the shelves, tracing the spines of the books with colorful stickers. Watching the library patrons come and go with tote bags filled with books, you wouldn\u2019t know that Oak Lawn is one of four library branches on the chopping block as Dallas considers moving to a regional library system amid budget constraints.<\/p>\n
The city has proposed closing<\/a> Oak Lawn, Skyline in Buckner Terrace, Renner Frankford in Far North Dallas and Arcadia Park in West Dallas. The Skillman Southwestern branch<\/a> closed last year. The city said closing these branches would save an estimated $2.6 million by consolidating services at larger, regional libraries with longer hours. The J. Erik Jonsson Central Library would continue operating normally. <\/p>\n City staff said the recommendations are based on circulation numbers, visitor counts and proximity to other branches. On paper, the plan sounds tidy, but as neighbors got the news that their local library could be shuttered, the future of the libraries feels less settled. <\/p>\n Some City Council members seemed surprised by the recommendations when they were presented to the council\u2019s Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee on Jan. 20. Is the proposal moving faster than conversations about the libraries? <\/p>\n Opinion<\/p>\n