To the editor,
As a resident of Old Town, I am extremely disappointed in the citys move to slash both hours and staff for its Queen Street librarys local history and special collections and to freeze the collections acquisitions.
Alexandria owns a precious asset in its primary sources of early American history and in the many valuable studies that historians have developed from these. Few other U.S. communities can claim such treasures.
The department is a magnet for scholars from around the world and its staff members are extraordinary in their helpfulness and their passion for research.
I hope that you and the librarys board will reconsider these decisions. Surely, there are other areas where fiscal pruning would do less damage to the citys soul.
