To the Point

Are America's Public Libraries in Danger?

Outside the John Steinbeck Library in Salinas, California, a life-size statue of the Nobel-Prize winning author wears a black armband. The library will be closing next summer. Buffalo, New York will start closing all 52 of its libraries next Tuesday. Public libraries in 41 states are reducing staffs, cutting their operating hours and closing branches. Has the anti-tax movement eroded America's most basic priorities? Are local officials using beloved institutions to cover up waste in other places? We hear more about the danger facing America's libraries from administrators, civic leaders, sociologists, experts in government finance, and the head of the American Library Association. Making News: Ukraine's Supreme Court Declares Election Invalid The Supreme Court of Ukraine today threw out the vote count that led to days of massive protest on the streets of Kiev, and ruled that the presidential run-off election must be repeated. David Holley updates the story he's been covering for the Los Angeles Times since last month's contested voting and looks at possible victors in the new run-off election, scheduled for December 26. Reporter's Notebook: Sluggers Admit They Took Steroids He's been named Most Valuable Player seven times and hit almost as many home runs as Babe Ruth. Today, the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds told a federal grand jury he took substances from a trainer under indictment for distributing steroids. Frank Deford, sports commentator for Sports Illustrated, HBO and NPR, laments the damage the scandal will do to Major League Baseball.