»Thick enough to cut with a knife

The same day that the New York Times published a front-page scoop on Google's project to digitize library books, the nearby city of Salinas announced that it will close its three public libraries, including the John Steinbeck Library. For lack of $775,000 annually.
Anna has student-taught in three schools in the San Francisco Unified School District; not a one has a library or librarian.