April 8, 2010

Census Data Show Boston Public Library Plan Will Disproportionately Affect the Poor and Uneducated

Boston – An analysis by People of Boston Branches member Sam Zager shows that according to the most recent census data (the year 2000 census), Boston’s poorer and less educated citizens would be further disadvantaged by the Boston Public Library’s preferred plan to close 4 branch libraries and reduce services at the Central library. This plan has been formally endorsed by President Amy Ryan in a press release issued April 7th and Zager points out that it would work against state initiatives to close the achievement gap in schools.

The plan to close 4 libraries (Faneuil, Lower Mills, Orient Heights, and Washington Village Branch libraries) would affect zip codes where the education level is markedly lower. Specifically, 40.2% in at-risk branch census blocks had only HS diploma, and 23.3% had a college degree whereas 33.7% in rest of branch census blocks had only HS diploma, and 31.8% had college degree.

The plan would also affect zip codes where income is markedly lower (median household income is $37,338 in at-risk branch census blocks v. median income is $42,398) and where home values are markedly lower in at-risk branches’ neighborhoods (median home value is $156,900 in at-risk blocks v. median home value of $204,695 in rest of blocks).

Under the plan to close 7 branches (above 4 plus Egleston Square, Jamaica Plain-Sedgwick, and Uphams Corner) the education gap remains approximately the same (39.6% in at-risk branch census blocks had only HS diploma, and 24.1% had college degree whereas 33.0% in rest of branch census blocks had only HS diploma, and 32.9% had college degree). However, the income gap increases (median household income is $34,548 in at-risk branch census blocks v. median household income is $44,225 in rest of branch census blocks) as does the home-value gap (median home value is $159,057 in at-risk blocks v. median home value is $211,447 in rest of blocks).

At meetings held by the Boston Public Library to receive public comment (that has been ignored) patrons have described the plans as “an attack on the poor” and “a civil rights issue”. At a community stakeholders meeting held at the Cathedral of St. Paul on April 7th, Brandon Abbs of People of Boston Branches questioned why the city can agree that citizens have a right to be educated by the city, and thus rightly continue to fill gaps in the budget of the Boston Public Schools, but do not agree that citizens have a right to educate themselves, and thus allow the library President to propose the laying off of almost 70 workers who provide vital support for the library system and the closure of branch libraries.

The branches most likely to close (those under the 4-library plan endorsed by BPL President Amy Ryan) represent branches that have been within the library system for 89 – 125 years. At times, these branches have been kept open or were re-opened as a direct result of the action of the citizens of Boston. Closing these branches destorys a model of providing services to the community that defines the Boston Public Library as a world-class library system and that has been in action for 110 years. Closing these branches breaks promises that are more than a century old through a process that has lasted all of two months.

History:

Boston Public Library: Commitment to the 69 workers that now face layoffs at central library was made when the library was founded in 1848 – Commitment to Boston’s neighborhood was made shortly thereafter when 22 branches built between 1870 and 1900.

Washington Village Branch: Opened 1901, closed by fire in 1972, reopened by “a task force of Old Colony [public housing] residents [who] applied for a federal grant that enabled the Housing Authority to remodel two apartments into a small library facility. The Branch was reopened in 1983.”

Faneuil Branch: Opened 1931 during the height of the great depression, being closed during the current depression.

Orient Heights Branch: Opened 1912 – Current building donated to the city by the Druker Family in 1986.

Lower Mills Branch: One of the earlies branches, opened in 1875, moved to a new and expanded facility in 1981, renovated in 2005.

---