It’s an old expression: “You can’t fight City Hall.” Bureaucracy rules. But what happens when ordinary citizens stubbornly forge ahead anyway, odds be damned? A beloved branch library is granted a reprieve, that’s what. Power to the people.
Back in August, East Dallas neighbor Maggie Watson first heard the news about the possible closure of Skillman Southwestern Branch Library as part of the proposed City of Dallas budget and, like many, was dismayed. “Honestly, I cried on the bus on the way home from the library after finding out. As a resident who relies on transit, having an accessible library is incredibly important to me.”
Living in Dallas, she points out, can be expensive. “City services like the library and the community that they build are what keep me here. Those services offset in quality-of-life what savings I might make in moving to an outlying community. When I imagine losing that anchor to my community, the kind of place that brings together people from all walks of life, our city seems less vibrant.”
Watson reads over a hundred books each year, favoring literary fiction like Colson Whitehead and nonfiction about political history. She also borrows DVDs, audiobooks, uses computers, and participates in book clubs. Losing the branch would be devastating to her.
Unwilling to merely wring her hands, Watson decided within a couple of hours of hearing the news that she was getting involved. “I knew I had to try to do something or I’d always wonder ‘what if.’ “ She got busy creating a “Save Our Library” petition.
It was new territory for her. “I’ve never been involved in civic activity of this kind—I vote and engage with the news but I’d never taken something into my own hands.”
After collecting signatures from friends and neighbors, Watson shared the petition on social media. She printed flyers with a link to the petition and canvassed her neighborhood. She passed out flyers on the bus, and she asked neighborhood businesses to post them.
All told, the petition would ultimately collect 3,349 signatures.
Watson accumulated a small army of supporters and stood outside the branch several times with “Save Our Library” signs, providing information to those interested. She attended budget town hall meetings hosted by council members and encouraged others to do so. Several inspired citizens became involved and spoke at council meetings. “So many people took to promoting the petition and campaigning for the library. It really took off,” marvels Watson.
Two people, in particular, says Watson, worked especially hard: Ashley Grossman and Caitlin Dolt. Frequent flyers of the library, they reacted immediately when they heard the news: they were in the middle of a salon appointment and left abruptly to start planning. Dolt says, “When I found out they were coming for my library, it wasn’t hot rage that hit me—it was a quiet, simmering anger. The type of anger that motivates you to do something, rather than the fiery and mean kind.”
She adds, “Libraries are a vital resource for education, community gathering, and empowerment, and I will not stand by when those things are threatened. The library represents values I hold dear—equal access to knowledge, support for underserved populations, and the fostering of connections in a city that raised me.”
Grossman agrees. “When we heard the news, we could not stop ourselves from doing everything we could to understand why the decision had been made and advocate for a different path forward.”
While Dolt started gathering emails for their representatives, Grossman got to work on a flyer with information about the situation. “We printed the flyers and started passing them around that night. Later that week, we started going to budget town halls and we signed up to speak at the City Council Meeting.”
All the hard work paid off. City Hall listened to the voices of the people. Council member Paula Blackmon, who represents parts of East Dallas, proposed using COVID-era funds to keep the library afloat. The budget passed, and Skillman Southwestern Branch Library lives for another year.
Sue Ramirez, president of Skillman Southwestern Library Friends, reminds us that the best way to keep the library open is to use it.
“Visit often, attend programs; stay awhile – read a book, newspapers or magazines; check out and return books; use the computers,” she advises. “Let’s show how important SSL is to the community. Also, keep reminding our Mayor and City Council members that we love and want to keep our library. Attend City Council meetings, even if the Council isn’t discussing libraries that day. Make sure they know we’re still here and plan to stay! Join Skillman Southwestern Library Friends and help us raise funds so the Skillman library staff can provide even more outreach, programs and services.”
Remember, if the usage numbers go up, threats of closures go down. “We absolutely should not have to go through this trauma each year,” Ramirez says.
And let this serve as a reminder of your power as a citizen. You have a voice. Use it. “I truly thought only a handful of people would respond to my petition,” Watson admits. “I believed it was futile but I did it anyway. I couldn’t quietly accept the loss of something so special to me. Every step of the way, I doubted the efficacy of what I was doing. I didn’t listen to that doubt, however. I just kept showing up. If something is meaningful to you, it’s worth working for.”
Watson is quick to praise the efforts of others. “Collaboration from the community is how we got here—not my online petition. Showing up is what counts. So many residents just showed up, just made one phone call, sent one email. It has made all the difference.”
PATTI VINSON is a guest writer who has lived in East Dallas for more than 20 years. She’s written for the Advocate and Real Simple magazine.
