The Grant County Library operates May 15, 2025. The John Day City Council at its meeting July 8 approved a letter to the county court in support of funding the library.

JOHN DAY — The largest city in Grant County has given its support to the continued funding of the Grant County Library.

The John Day City Council at its meeting July 8 reached a consensus to have City Manager Melissa Bethel draft a letter to the county court on behalf of the council in support of the library. Grant County Library Director Chris Ostberg gave a presentation to the council, outlining what the library does for the community.

Many of the things the library does go beyond simply checking out books.

“We do everything,” she said. “There is not one person who walks in there and is not helped.”

Ostberg said the library functions as an information center in addition to helping people with routine actions, such as paying a bill online. The library also acts as something of a rest stop for people traveling through the community, in addition to being a place people can go to escape scorching summertime heat or bitter winter cold.

Another key function of the library is providing visitors with internet access. With the demise of Grant County’s cybermills, Ostberg said the library is the only source for reliable internet some in the community have access to.

Ostberg said the library is never going to make money but the services it provides are essential to the community.

“Everybody needs to have a library,” she said.

Councilor Chris Labhart suggested the library be placed on the council’s agenda and was very clear in expressing his support for the facility.

“I don’t care who funds this baby,” he said. “I really don’t care — we lose the library in Grant County, Oregon, what does that say to the rest of the state?”

Support for the Grant County Library from the John Day City Council comes ahead of hearings to consider defunding the library. The first hearing takes place July 22 at 6 p.m. at the Grant County Fairgrounds. The second public hearing is Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Grant County Fairgrounds.

Ostberg made a call for the public to attend both hearings.

“Truly, you don’t have get up and you don’t have to say your life story or anything, but the more people that can show up down at the fairgrounds (at) six o’clock, the better,” she said. “That will show the county court that there really is support for the library.”