In tough economic times, the best things in life are free. What's freer than the local public library? What can possibly justify budget cuts at these repositories of entertainment, study and research, including online job searches for the newly unemployed?

Nothing can, city Councilor Shannon Heagney has said by her actions. The rookie Ward 6 councilor intends to donate most of her $7,727 council salary next year to the city library to help restore cuts made in its budget.

We join others in applauding her generosity and her sentiments: "I grew up in the library," she said. "I learned to read there, and I just don't want there to be so many cuts." Neither do we.

Attleboro Mayor Kevin Dumas's budget erases 12 library jobs, 11 of which are part time, and includes eight pages who re-shelve 3,000 books a week. The library is also losing its only computer technician. This rending has riled residents, some of whom spoke their piece Tuesday evening in city council chambers.

We encourage the mayor to re-examine the city's priorities, with another review of the benefits the library accords residents: Adventures discovered there transport us millions of miles away from headaches of everyday life, without the burden of gasoline costs, wear-and-tear on the car or airline tickets headed sky-high. Public libraries, including Attleboro's, see a rise in patronage with the arrival of summer and certainly during crunch times for the family budget. The library offers the luxury of hauling home stacks of books or DVDs free and, for those without computers at home, online access to research or job postings.

Some 40 people, workers and patrons, pushed councilors to find a solution to the reduction which translates into $118,000, part of the city's $104.9 million spending plan in which departments were cut to make up a $2.6 million deficit.

Librarian Walter Stitt said the reduction in funding is not likely to result in decertification because the state is aware of widespread municipal funding problems. The library will lose about $8,200 in state funding, however.

Across the country, municipalities are grappling with cuts of all sorts, most of which will be unpalatable to someone, especially those losing their jobs as a result.

City officials here aim to set up an account for library donations. Contributions can be made immediately by writing a check to the City of Attleboro, with "library" on the check's note line.

We anticipate that library supporters will respond with gusto.

We'd like the mayor to do the same, by revisiting the administration's cuts.