4-12-05 – Budget cuts, and disinterest by the public have forced public libraries to come up with creative ways to stay alive.

On National Library Week, local librarians are working to raise funds and keep libraries vibrant.

In Bonham, thousands of donated books will be sold this week in hopes of raising money to buy new books.

“We just received word that next year our funding will be cut by 54%. At the smaller libraries, we feel they are cutting our throats,” said Barbara Mc Cutcheon, the Bonham Library Director.

With the popularity of the internet, fewer people rely on libraries as a resource and libraries are usually the first entity to see cuts when budgets get tight.

"I think it's ironic that the state is arguing about how to spend billions of dollars on public education and at the same time, cutting millions of dollars out of the state library budget," said Alvin Bailey, the director of the Denison Library, “The sense is, if you cut off library services, no one’s going to die. It’s not like cutting off fire or security people.”

The Bonham Library hopes to raise a few thousand dollars to pay for new books. Sale hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. On Saturday, books will be on sale from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.