The First Presbyterian Church was packed with nearly 300 Garner residents to hear county officials as the community rallied to save the Southeast Regional Library.

Holding up his own Wake County library card, Councilman Ken Marshburn said the Wake County Commissioners have a contract to its constituents just like the contract on the back of the bright yellow, plastic card.

Closing the Southeast Regional Library would be a terrible decision, he said.

Wake County Commissioner District 2 representative Lindy Brown said she fully supports keeping the library open.

"This library will not be closed as long as I am a County Commissioner, but I need your help," she said.

Wake County Library Commission Chair Susan Dunathan said the library staff and Community Services Frank Cope didn't pick the Southeast Regional Library on a whim.

"They looked at 87 different scenarios and that was the least horrible," she said.

But Dunathan said there was no simple solution.

"Nobody wants to close the Southeast Regional Library," she said. "There is no bad guy here."

The library system has faced 15 percent in cuts in the past two years. Dunathan said Wake County libraries circulate twice as many books as Mecklenburg County while operating on 52 percent of that county's budget.

Wake County School Board Representative for District 2 John Tedesco said the library is a great equalizer in the community and it helps so many children.

Tedesco said he has learned that Garner is full of fighters and he hopes they will continue to fight for the library.

One of those fighters was Morgan Hinton who stood with her mother addressed the audience.

"It's just a good library," Hinton said.

Vice President for Member Services at the Garner Chamber of Commerce said she hopes the Board of Commissioners don't allow the County Manager to see this proposal.

"Lindy, we are asking you to work with your fellow commissioners to make sure this never makes it to David Cook's desk," White said.