Open letter to the city council of Lincoln

lincolnletter.tex

\documentclass{letter}

\signature{Sam Whited}
\address{Atlanta, GA}

\begin{document}

\begin{letter}{Lincoln Town Office \\ PO Box 25 \\ Lincoln, NH 03251}
\opening{To whom it may concern:}

I am writing to you today to express my displeasure at your decision to charge a
fee for computer use at the local library located at \texttt{22 Church St}.

The purpose of a library is to facilitate the betterment of humanity through
open access to information. This has traditionally been accomplished through
written word, archival materials, and knowledgeable support staff. In recent
years the means of spreading knowledge and information has expanded to encompass
the internet and other computer services. One would not charge for the use of a
typewriter (though tape is much more expensive than electricity) or for the use
of an encyclopedia (which cost a small fortune to purchase in physical form, but
may be obtained freely online); the same goals apply to the use of a computer.

The internet changed the world more than any other invention of the past century
--- it shrank the world more than the telephone, or even the genesis of
commercial flight.  As Stewart Brand famously said, ``Information wants to be
free." You are in charge of a library, a repository of free knowledge and
information, not an internet caf\'e; please treat it as such. A library and, by
extension, the city or organization which empowers it has a responsibility to
all people, local or alien, and this responsibility transcends the boarders of
your municipality. Please consider making the library computers free for all
patrons, as is your duty.

\closing{Sincerely,}


\end{letter}
\end{document}

lincolnreply.txt

September 17th 2014

Dear Mr. Whited,

Thank you for your letter to the Town of Lincoln addressing your concern about the charge for non-resident computer use. I am happy to inform you that the Town manager and the Library Board of Trustees have decided that the policy was no longer necessary, and the library will not continue to charge anyone for use of our desktop computers. We are happy to provide all our means of research now free of charge to everyone. Thank you for bringing our attention to the matter and we hope that next time you are in Lincoln you will be able to stop in and use all of the library's resources.

Sincerely,



Emily Sennott
Library Assistant
Lincoln Public Library
22 Church St
Lincoln, NH 03251