When the Trustees vote goes 5-0-1 and the Mayor endorses the proposal almost before the vote takes place, it's time for real leadership. We need public statements. We need declarations like those of John Tobin, Chuck Turner, and Felix Arroyo to veto any budget that includes the current BPL proposal. This is not the will of the people that these councillors represent and we need councillors who will stand up for what we want and have been saying that we want for the past two months. We do not need people whose support remains absent or is only given in private, these will be our targets in Novembers to come if more support is not given.
First, here are councillors that we feel need to be more specific in their support and committed to keeping the library system that the people want:
Stephen J. Murphy
Robert Consalvo
Maureen Feeney - Overall Supporter - Decide for yourself if it's strong enough; we want a veto
Bill Linehan
Other officials:
Governor Deval Patrick
Mayor Thomas Menino
Rep. Byron Rushing - Though he has co-sponsered the new amendment, he has said told me personally that we must lay off workers. I understand the pragmatism, but we need optimism.
In addition to the statements given below, Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, Senator Jack Hart, Representative Linda Forry, Representative Michael Moran, Representative Jeff Sanchez, and Representative Liz Malia have been active supporters. I am sure there are others as well who support their constituents, these are just the ones that I have seen speak or spoken to directly. I will post any statements of support that I receive. Continue to contact your Senators and Representatives as they have power over the mayor that the councillors do not. They may not have cash, but they may have a way to let the will of the people rule the libraries and they may have ways to support legislation that builds, not destroys, our library system
Friends of the Chinatown Library, who know all about the BPL and the city's empty promises
CHINATOWN LOOKING AT THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES
Amidst the debate over branch library closings, people should remember the experience of Chinatown.
Chinatown once had a library. It opened in 1896 and served the Syrian, Greek, Jewish, Italian, Chinese and other immigrant residents of the neighborhood. The library was located on Tyler Street, and—as in every other neighborhood—it was well loved, until it permanently closed its doors in 1956 and was razed during the misnamed Urban Renewal process. The library’s demolition signaled the arrival of years of destruction and neglect for this tight-knit urban community as the nation built highways to benefit the suburban frontier.
In the years that followed the library closing, the Boston Public Library provided intermittent mobile van services that brought books into Chinatown. Later, the bookmobile program was cut. Many of the library’s public cultural and community-building services were not replaced until the community built new service centers many years after.
Today, some sixty years later, Chinatown remains one of the few Boston neighborhoods without a branch library.
For the past decade, as Chinatown has gradually increased its political clout, one of the community’s top priorities has been to re-establish a branch library. This need has been particularly highlighted by the youth, who kicked off the most recent decade-long campaign for a Chinatown library in 2001.
Now, the Friends of the Chinatown Library are in the difficult position of advocating for a new branch library at a time when the talk is all about closings. Boston Public Library head Amy Ryan has the unenviable job of making a plan to serve the entire city with not enough dollars. But the people who are impacted most by the decisions need to be part of the process from the beginning.
Boston launched the first public high school and the nation’s first public library. As former principal of the Josiah Quincy School, I cannot stress enough the role that education plays in shaping young people’s future. Today, we are closing branch libraries and opening casinos; spending as much on prisons—and more on war—than we do on public higher education. What does that say about our society and the future of our children?
As people who know what it means to have a library closed, the Friends of the Chinatown Library cannot in good conscience support the closing of any neighborhood’s branch library. What we do support is the exploration of new models for the branch libraries of the future. We know that libraries are more than repositories for books. They are educational centers and important public and civic spaces that cross generational, culture, class, and language lines.
This winter, Chinatown had a library for three months. Created by a group of community-minded artists and architects, the Chinatown Storefront Library was a project to provide temporary library services in an empty storefront as a way of demonstrating what it would mean for Chinatown to again have a branch library. Chinatown was buzzing with children’s story hours, poetry readings, art exhibits, elderly residents learning to use a computer or stopping by to read the newspapers. In just 11 weeks, the Storefront Library circulated 1,374 books and issued 540 Storefront Library cards.
As Chinatown looks toward the future, far beyond the current budget crisis, we are not giving up our demand for a permanent branch library. In the meantime, we are working to create a community-led pilot library, out of which we will continue our campaign, and offer to partner with the Boston Public Library as a way to experiment with new library models.
Libraries are changing, but we all need to work together to figure out the right mix to move forward. The city that launched the first public library in the nation should be the city that figures out how continue to bring library services to every neighborhood in the midst of changeful times.
Suzanne Lee is a former principal of Josiah Quincy School and a member of Friends of the Chinatown Library.
"Its Time to Plan, Not Close
Chuck Tuner, City Councillor
All systems evolve over time. As a philosopher once said, "The only constant on the earth is change". Thus, we want and need leaders who have vision; who dare to gaze into the future in order to understand what needs to be done today.
From that perspective, I applaud Mayor Menino and BPL President Amy Ryan for their willingness to develop their vision of a 21st century library system. However, while both have their areas of expertise and authority, I do not believe that they have a right to impose their vision without dialogue with the people who use the system. Top down planning has proven itself to be not only ineffective but also destructive.
We are being told that the ship is sinking financially; we are being told that the only answer is to either completely close eight to ten libraries (over a 1/3 of the branches) or so drastically curtail the hours of operation at 18 branches (2/3 of the branches) that people would feel that they were watching the branches slowly die.
Is the ship sinking financially? Is there no other answer than to cut the heart out of our library system? I don't think so! The 3.6 million dollar deficit represents approximately 8% of the library's budget. Last year, the Mayor and the BPS Superintendent worked together to put $45 million dollars into the school department's budget in order to provide stability as the Superintendent implemented her plan of change. My question has been and continues to be, if the Mayor could take $45 million from reserves last year to fill an 18% gap in the school department budget, why can't the Mayor take $3.6 million from this year to fill the library system's 8% gap.
In addition, we only have three months left in this fiscal year, yet the library system potentially has an $800 thousand dollar surplus in energy costs and the Department of Public Works, I have been told, has approximately $7 million dollars left in the snow removal line. These are two additional examples that the ability to identify the $3.6 is not necessarily as difficult as we are being told. Perhaps, the sky is not falling despite the predictions.
Let me be clear. I am not making fun of the financial situation that the Mayor and the BPL President find themselves in. Stabilizing any budget in these difficult times is hard. However, my point is that hard times force people to define their priorities. Unfortunately, keeping the branches open is not a priority of the Mayor and BPL President. This is why it has been so encouraging to see people standing up and defending not just their branch but the integrity of the system.
Let me close by emphasizing that this year is not the year to close 10, 8, 5, 3, or even 1 branch. This is the year to stabilize the library's budget and use year to plan with the Friends groups that are supporting each of the branches. This is a moment to put confidence in the rationality of the people of our City and our neighbors and bring them to the table to design a library system that works not only for Boston, the world class city, but also works for the neighborhoods that are trying to survive the weight of a financial crisis that they didn't create."
Statement made by Felix Arroyo, At-Large City Councillor:
"Clearly, there is something pretty important happening in our city as it relates to libraries. I want to state as clearly as possible; the more and more I think about this, I am at the position where I cannot support the closing of libraries without understanding why this is happening. Frankly, I do not think I can sit here as an elected member of this body and tell you I understand why this is happening. I know there are people in the community who care about these libraries who could not tell you why it is happening.
Also, I cannot support it without feeling like every single cost cutting measure that was possible—whether we deem it as symbolic, trivial or large—have been explored before we have gotten to the point of closing the libraries.
That being said, I do not support the closing of libraries because I have not yet been convinced of either of those things yet.
Growing up in the city, this is the only city that I have ever known. The libraries to me play an important role in my life. I remember the joy when my mother would bring me to the Hyde Park library as a kid. To me, I had no idea it was an educational experience. It was like a field trip when I went. As I completed my Master’s Degree in 2007, were it not for the people at the Copley Library helping me and walking me through my many research projects, I would not have been able to complete it. And those were every day working people helping me. When we are talking about closing libraries, we are not only talking about the loss in the community of that treasure, we are also talking about the working men and women who gave their life to the city and are being told in this short period of time that their livelihood is at stake. They do not know why. I do not think that is appropriate.
I am also not ridiculous. I know how to look at math. I know numbers have to add up. I get that, but I want to agree with my colleagues in this hearing who have stated it earlier. This is not enough time. I do not believe two months is enough time to develop an answer to these questions. My ideal situation is we would find a way for these questions to be dealt with in a reasonable period of time and be more transparent—open to the public, with the workers, with the over 300,000 members of the library that have taken out library cards. They are all a part of this conversation figuring out what is the best way of delivering services, what is the best to make this budget balance, what is the best way to raise revenue. Until we get to that point, I think I have made my position as clear as I could possibly have made it."
Letter of support from 9 of 13 City Councillors, all were given an opportunity to sign.
“There is no ambiguity in these numbers. Millions of people see libraries as an essential tool to connect them to information, knowledge, and opportunities,” said Marsha Semmel, acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. “Policy makers must fully recognize and support the role libraries are playing in workforce development, education, health and wellness, and the delivery of government services.” Full story on new research showing 77 million users of library internet resources in America.
"The proposed closings of neighborhood branch libraries are much in the news recently (Trouble Balancing the Books, Loth and Make Book on These Cuts, Walker, 03/13/10). As librarians at the Boston Public Library and members of the Boston Public Library Professional Staff Association, we are writing to let you know that we join with the library-using public in every Boston neighborhood in our strong objection to the proposed closures of any library branches. We are outraged that in these difficult economic times, when people are losing their homes, jobs, and health benefits, the thought of shuttering these valuable neighborhood institutions was even considered for a moment. We know firsthand how many people depend on our neighborhood libraries for free access to computers, books, movies, newspapers, museum passes, homework help, storyhours, and a safe, welcoming place for the whole family. We are also deeply concerned that the library administration is calling this a "transformation of library service" while proposing to close one-third of our libraries and lay off one-quarter of our workforce, most of whom live in these communities themselves.
We fervently hope that the Boston Public Library Trustees will work with us, the library-using public, and city and state officials to oppose this plan and creatively find a solution without depriving the neighborhoods of these vital public spaces.
Sincerely, Anna Fahey-Flynn, President Boston Public Library Professional Staff Association"
"And I can remember this: wandering over to the El Paso Public Library on one of those scorching West Texas days, and stumbling down into the dusty basement of that building, and finding -- most unexpectedly -- that my life meant a lot more than I thought it did. This was the late 80s and I was in my early 20s, working as a reporter for a daily paper dedicated to the USA Today model. Lots of graphics, not so many words, almost no real human context. I didn't mind that, though. I was enjoying being a big-shot reporter with my name in the paper. I didn't read much, and it hadn't occurred to me that reading was especially important unless I was taking a class or something.
The only reason I set foot inside the El Paso Library, in fact, was because I was writing a story about a local writer, Rick DeMarinis. I'd never heard of DeMarinis, of course. But apparently, the folks out in Hollywood were going to make a movie out of one of his novels, "The Year of the Zinc Penny," and anytime anyone in Hollywood took an interest in one of the locals (however fleeting), that was considered news.
So anyway, I headed downstairs to the dusty shelves where they kept fiction, and tried to find "The Year of the Zinc Penny." They didn't have it, and this was a problem because I was actually on my way to interview DeMarinis -- due to arrive in about twenty minutes. This will give you some sense of how seriously I took my reportorial mission, and specifically the importance of research.
Anyway, they did have another one of his books, a story collection called "The Voice of America." I sat down and opened the book, more or less at random, to a story called "Insulation." The first line read:
"I am haunted by lightning."
I'm still not exactly sure why this line so arrested me, why it made my heart thump. It wasn't because I have any fear of lightning. I think it had to do, more generally, with the radical candor this sentence expressed. Because, truth be told, I was scared all the time at that age, and even more scared of admitting to my fear. Whatever the reason, I simply sank into the story, which was (and is) about a man who believes he has inherited a genetic disposition for getting struck by lightning and therefore spends his life in a state of terror that is something like purgatory. It was funny and terrifying and told so simply, without a trace of the glib cleverness that I've taken to signify good writing. I read the entire story straight through and when I looked up 20 minutes had past and I realized that DeMarinis had completely kidnapped my consciousness -- that he had taken me away from the musty air, the hot drag of summer, the anxious reverberations of my insides -- and that, as a result, I was going to be late for my interview with him, and, most importantly, that I had made some pretty shabby decisions about how to use my time on earth.
This is what our public libraries can do. They are places where literary art lives, rather than simply renting shelf space. They are here to remind us what it means to be human, that we are part of something larger, a community of hearts, a history of possible mercies. If we allow them to perish, we not just depriving our children of spiritual awakenings, such as the one I had, all those years ago, in El Paso. We are telling our children that reading, as an act of moral imagination, doesn't matter, that awakening our hearts to the great human project of mercy, doesn't matter. We are telling them, in essence, that they need not trouble themselves about anything too much -- the mystery of their own hearts, their anguish and rage, and finally the suffering of others.
That's how much this all matters. Our lives depend on it.
-Steve Almond, Author"
"4/07/10 – Full remarks of Peter Golden, forming the basis of a brief speech delivered at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Boston on the proposed closing of various Boston Public Library branch locations. Peter is a native Bostonian, former BPS teacher, former resident user of the library, and current non-Boston resident user of the library.
Contact for Peter: petewrites@aol.com
Good evening friends and fellow readers. My name is Peter Golden and I grew up in Boston and lived in Brighton, The South End, Dorchester and Roslindale at various times in my life. During the decade of the 1970s I taught in the Boston Public Schools. I now live in the suburbs, but tonight I return to the city of my birth with a heavy heart.
Nearly one-third of Americans age 14 or older – roughly 77 million people – used a public library computer or wireless network to access the Internet in the past year according to a recent Gates Foundation study. The use of library technology had significant impact in four critical areas (according to the study): employment, education, health, and making community connections.
Numerous sources indicate increasing use of libraries in times of economic crisis and all of us with children and grandchildren know well the value of Boston Public Library branches to young families seeking to introduce youngsters to reading and to elders on limited incomes in search of a good read.
To suggest to a young mother or an enfeebled older person that while their neighborhood branch may be closing they still can access another ìonly a mile or so awayî verges on cruelty.
As a kid growing up in Brighton in the 1950s, a tiny, second floor branch library on Harvard Street in the midst of a busy commercial district inspired my imagination and gave direction to my life. I read my way through the sports and science fiction shelves, and when the librarian from the BPL bookmobile that came faithfully to the Harriet Baldwin school every Wednesday in the 1950s shoved an anthology of modern fiction under my nose one day I was instantaneously hooked on literature. That I am a writer by profession today is a direct result of my access to a neighborhood BPL branch.
Libraries are gateways into the highest levels of learning. Salutati knew this seven hundreds years ago in the dawning days of the Renaissance, when he selectively promoted various books of classical literature from Petrarch’s collections to lend spirit and practical know how to the beleaguered Florentines. With new knowledge of democratic practice, agriculture and warfare from ancient sources, Florence was able to fend off the menacings of the Milanese. The modern era began in a library.
Boston bears a proud tradition of reading and literacy. Horace Mann, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, James Jackson Storrow and many others insisted that Boston’s children and adults alike, not just those of means, but all of them, be educated and have access to books. Before the Civil War, the great humanist and writer Lydia Maria Child was banned from one of this city’s best private libraries for promoting the freeing of the slaves. No one has ever been banned from a Boston Public Library, to my knowledge, for any political or social leaning.
Today, many of our public schools are without libraries. Is anyone within sound of my voice seriously suggesting that one, never mind four of our precious neighborhood branches and their dedicated staffs are expendable when some of our children go to schools without libraries?
The real meaning of the current shortfall in the BPL library budget is not just that insane foreign wars and ruinously unregulated financial markets have had a pervasive, destructive impact on our economy and caused dramatic cuts in state and municipal tax revenues. Nor is it a factor of "sharing the pain" across various city departments.
It is that our political leaders at the federal, state and municipal level, most especially the Boston City Council and the trustees and staff leaders of the Boston Public Libraries need to rethink their vision for our neighborhood branches, these precious oasis of literature, sociability and opportunity. We should not be talking about closing branches, but rather strengthening them."
"James Carroll
c/o Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
April 7, 2010
Dear James:
From one member of the Paulist Center community to another, I extend to you my warmest Easter greetings. From one Catholic of conscience to another, I am writing to express my concern for the Boston Public Library and its staff. On behalf of the religious communities in the City of Boston that my organization represents, I call upon you as a Trustee of the Library not to lay off any workers, close any branch libraries, or reduce any services.
My organization has been following the news, and people of faith are deeply distressed to hear that you and your fellow Trustees may close up to 10 branches and lay off up to 70 workers in the Main Branch. Given the public’s expressed will to find new and alternative sources of funding to keep these libraries open and fully staffed, we believe these measures are defeatist and narrow-minded. In our view, the Trustees’ debate over whether to close branch libraries and lay off workers seems strangely disconnected from the vision that President Amy Ryan is advancing. We are worried that library closings and layoffs are a foregone conclusion, belying the Trustees’ effort to conduct their decision-making process publicly.
Closing the branch libraries and reducing staff at the Main Branch will devastate all of our communities. We stand in solidarity especially with the neighborhoods of Dorchester, East Boston, Jamaica Plain, and Roxbury, whose branches are most at risk. These libraries are an oasis for young people, the elderly, the unemployed, recent immigrants, the homeless, and many others in our communities. Numerous community, labor, and religious activists have pled with you to consider the human impact of layoffs and closings, and we urge you not to ignore their cries.
We believe the Boston Public Library is more than its books. It is more than a repository of knowledge. It is an extension of the community. The community is prior to the Library and is its ultimate caretaker. The position you hold is a public trust, and you must heed the will of the people, who have spoken with clarity. Books and people—the Boston Public Library can afford both, indeed must afford both. If you choose to disinvest in one, you lose the other. Layoffs will undermine any effort to preserve the Library’s core resources.
I pray you will receive the concerns of the religious communities in the spirit of brotherhood by which they are conveyed. Please listen to the voices of the community, follow their lead, and act wisely. Thanks, and peace be with you.
In faith and solidarity,
Anthony Zuba, Lead Organizer
Massachusetts Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice"
"I am writing in response to your inquiry regarding potential budget cuts to the Boston Public Library (BPL) and, in particular, the Egleston branch. Like you, I am very concerned about these cuts, and I am working hard to ensure that we avoid the worst possible outcomes for our libraries and that we maintain our libraries as the valuable community resources that they are. Thank you for bringing your views and concerns to my attention. I appreciate and applaud your commitment to this issue.
While I wish there were stronger assurances to give you at this time, I can assure you that the issue of BPL funding cuts has been, and will continue to be, a priority for me and my office. In addition to hearing from constituents like you and meeting with many community stakeholders, I recently met with the BPL President, Amy Ryan, to review the BPL’s budgetary shortfalls and hear her perspective firsthand. The state government has made large cuts to library funding over the past two years, with the possibility of more cuts this year, but much of the money that the state gives to the BPL is in exchange for services to the Commonwealth in its role as the “Library of Last Recourse” and as a coordinator of the state-wide library network. In light of the state budget cuts, I asked that the BPL look closer at appropriate reductions of its services to the state before making cuts to local branch budgets. I also asked that Ms. Ryan provide a more in-depth review of the budget numbers to help me understand why a $3.6 million budget deficit could result in the closure of up to 10 branches or a drastic reduction in hours. I have also been advocating, and will continue to fight, for increased state funding for public libraries.
As I continue my work here at the State House and in the community, I will be sure to keep your rightful distress and concern about the state of the BPL in the front of my mind and will keep you updated on our progress. In the meantime, I urge you to continue your advocacy and make your voice heard. The BPL with its local branches is one of our city’s most valued and cherished public resources, and we must all fight to keep these resources alive in our community.
Thank you again for reaching out to me. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my Legal Counsel, Angela Brooks, at (617) 722-1673 or angela.brooks@state.ma.us, should you have any additional questions or concerns.
Saludos,
Sonia Chang-Díaz
State Senator
Second Suffolk District"
"Thank you for contacting me in regards to the situation facing Boston’s libraries. There is no question these are historically difficult economic times, and I recognize the need for financial belt-tightening at the city level.
But at a time when nonprofits and community centers are being forced to shut their doors because funding has dried up, I am extremely concerned the impact of closing libraries would go far beyond simply making it more difficult for residents to get their hands on books.
Libraries are community stabilizers and community anchors. There are many neighborhoods in this city without any public meeting spaces, without any place for support groups, children’s playgroups or resume-writing workshops to take place.
I am following this situation closely and speaking to as many stakeholders as possible in order to gain the fullest possible picture of the situation facing our libraries. I am hopeful that no libraries will be forced to close and am working towards that goal. Thank you very much for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Ayanna Pressley"
"Thank you for contacting my office regarding library cutbacks. I share your concerns and I am doing everything possible to keep our branch libraries open. They are invaluable resources to our communities.
We are all aware that these are difficult economic times, but when we slash programs from our libraries we are delivering a blow to those who have already taken the brunt of this downturn. We must not sacrifice these important services to solve short-term problems.
I will continue to advocate for our local libraries, and I hope you will as well. Please contact my office via email or at 617-635-3200 if I can be of assistance on this, or any other, matter.
Sincerely,
Salvatore LaMattina
District 1 City Councilor"