JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Medgar Evers Library in Jackson has been closed for months.

Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes, Ward 3, said the library needs to be reopened and the air conditioning needs to be fixed.

“As we close out the current budget year, the new budget starts October 1s, that we take some of the fund balance money, money that’s not spent in the current budget year, and let’s use it to repair these libraries,” he said.

The councilman said it’s important for libraries to be open because the facilities help chidlren fit into educational settings better.

“That means those students cannot use computers because very few poor people have a computer at home. You cannot do a book report. You cannot do the basic things to a quality education. There’s a parallel between dropouts, crime and prison,” Stokes stated.

After the Medgar Evers Library is up and running again, Stokes said he will be working to get other libraries repaired in the City of Jackson.