· The Dallas Public Library is tied with Houston as the most poorly funded urban library in the country, spending about $18.29 per citizen.

· Dozens of peer cities spend far more than Dallas on their libraries: Seattle, Denver, Tulsa, Phoenix, Oakland, Detroit, San Diego, San Jose, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City…the list goes on and on.

· The Central Library is open just 40 hours a week, the fewest operating hours in the DFW area. More than a dozen of our neighboring suburbs, including Allen, Arlington, Plano, Richardson and McKinney, open their central libraries more than 60 hours a week. Most other suburban libraries are open more than 50 hours a week.

· More than 3.4 million people visit our libraries each year, using more than 10 million items. That’s more than attend Rangers or Mavericks games or the State Fair. By contrast, about 2 million people use Dallas recreation centers.

Join us and make your voice heard by signing this petition. For more information or to join this effort please send an email to friends@fodpl.org.