Okay, a little old, but a good quote for explaining our current situation: “As for Mayor Menino? I couldn’t get Bernie to say “nyah, nyah, na, nyah, nyah,” but he did say that he felt a sense of vindication from the new appointment and that the current Boston city administration “is anti-intellectual at its core.” But “that’s part of the world we live in,” he added. “Sometimes people are afraid of anything intellectual, and libraries have been dealing with that for centuries.” “

Bostonians Deplore “Downloadables” as Branch Substitute By Gordon Flagg [UPDATED March 17] “Not the computers, not the high-tech, not the downloadables,” said Boston resident Maria Rodriguez at a March 9 Boston Public Library board meeting. “Libraries are about books and librarians. I didn’t hear anything about that in your vision.” Rodriguez was one of nearly 400 people [...]

Boston Library Officials Dial Back Service-Cuts Proposal By Beverly GoldbergWith 48 hours to spare before the Boston Public Library board is scheduled to finalize the system’s FY2011 budget for Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s review, BPL President Amy E. Ryan has recommended a modified service cutback. The change follows a sustained outpouring of public criticism regarding an earlier [...]

Boston Trustees Approve Closure of Four Libraries The Boston Public Library board of trustees unanimously approved a plan April 9 to close four branches and eliminate dozens of positions to address a $3.6-million budget shortfall for FY2011. The plan, proposed April 7 by BPL President Amy E. Ryan, calls for the closure of four branches—Faneuil, Lower [...]

Will Social Media Activism Rescue Besieged Libraries? By Cindi Trainor Although budget crises abound, libraries have become richer for the outpouring of support from devoted—and networked—patrons Posted Tue, 04/20/2010 – 10:48 Library workers and supporters nationwide are turning to social media to spread the word about proposed funding cuts and recruit advocates. Despite what looks [...]

Rallies, Rallies, Everywhere as Final Budget Votes Loom By Beverly Goldberg July 1 is fast approaching, bringing a new fiscal year for many libraries around the country. However, that’s the only certainty in many communities as advocates tenaciously continue their campaigns to keep as many library facilities open and staffed as possible. The libraries of New [...]

Boston Branches’ Reprieve Dimmed by Layoffs, Closures Elsewhere Boston Public Library By Beverly Goldberg Grassroots advocates in Boston were thrilled to learn June 21 that library officials were indefinitely postponing the closure of four branches that had been planned for months. The news came as hundreds of library workers at the Charlotte (N.C.) Mecklenburg Library and [...]