As president of the Carlisle Library Committee, Brown helped show Hamilton Library Board members in May that the there is a groundswell of public support to keep the local branch open despite suggestions by library administration that it might close, along with the Millgrove branch, when a new Waterdown library comes on stream within the next few years.

It's important to let the Carlisle community know that their efforts to keep the library open have paid off, Brown said, noting that after the public meeting in early May, the library board passed a motion to keep the local branch open "as long as practical" and "that once the new Waterdown branch is completed, the library investigate options for future library service in the area."

At the meeting, it was revealed that if extensive renovations are required at the village library, the board is obligated to bring the building into compliance with wheelchair accessible standards set by the Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It was also noted that funds most likely wouldn't be available for the conversion and the library, as a result, would be closed.

While that threat loomed large at the time, Brown feels that a petition against the branch's closure signed by 1,070 residents and opposition to closure demonstrated at the May meeting has caused the board to take a softer stance. She also says that one of the main reasons that the branch is staying open is because it has a healthy circulation.

In 2005, the last time the Hamilton Public Library (HPL) produced a report on population and circulation figures, Carlisle had eight loans per capita, putting it on par with branches in Terryberry, Stoney Creek, Ancaster and Waterdown. "The important point is, that in order to continue to keep Carlisle Library open, residents have to take out or order...on the internet, sufficient numbers of books, DVDs, etc. to increase Carlisle's circulation figures so that the HPL has no argument for closure," Brown said last week.

A recent change in library policy has resulted in library materials, ordered over the Internet, being retained at the branch where they are ordered or returned. This practice could deplete resources at smaller libraries and discourage their use, Brown charged. "To maintain a good selection, it is important for citizens to order their books or DVDs online, ensuring the shelves remain full," she said. "Get out there and use your library," Brown urged. Otherwise, its chances of survival are weakened.