Who Am I?

My name is Jeanne Wingate. I am a retired public school teacher/librarian and a resident of Bedford, Texas, for almost 30 years.

A life-long supporter of public libraries, I devoured books at the Hillsboro Public Library (Texas) since there were no school libraries in the small Hill County schools that I attended. In fact, I was a junior in high school before I attended a school large enough to have a library. Prior to moving to Bedford in 1979, I served on the Grapevine Public Library Board in the 1970s, helping to plan for a new library facility. 

I firmly believe that the librarians and staff employed by the city of Bedford, Texas, are perfectly capable of managing and providing services to library patrons. Shifting library management and services to a for-profit company with no ties to this community might save some money, but would it provide improved services? I think that Bedford residents can and will support their library if it remains locally controlled.

If you have any questions, please contact me at jwingate AT sbcglobal.net.