Lovers, Muggers, and Thieves

Silence of the Libraries

2010-06-14T08:08:00.000-04:00

"I hope the State Legislators do the right thing and help the library, but let's not forget that it was the dramatic cuts from the State budget over the last two years (about $9M) that put the library in the situation it's in right now."

What do you think? Please feel free to comment!

Silence of the Libraries: New Public Meeting Announced

2010-06-10T20:06:00.000-04:00

Gintautas Dumcius reports that there will be another public hearing to discuss new developments in the closing of Boston libraries. The new hearing will be held later this month.

The hearings are at the request of Councillor Felix Arroyo (At Large), and in response to the state legislature offering aid to keep the libraries open.

Arroyo last week had pressed Boston Public Library President Amy Ryan to re-convene a meeting of the BPL’s trustees after state lawmakers attended a City Council hearing on the BPL budget and noted they were getting a noncommittal response when offering state aid to keep libraries open.

Ryan said she did not have the authority to say whether the money would be accepted and used to keep open the four branches slated for closure, including the one in Lower Mills. That authority is with trustees and their chair Jeffrey Rudman, she said.

“I ask that because I think the state should know the answer to that and the city should know that answer to that,” Arroyo said, adding that he wasn’t posing the question about a meeting as a “gotcha.”

...

Asked by Arroyo whether the libraries are being closed because of the budget or because of planned programmatic changes, Ryan said, “It’s an economic decision, councillor.”

Ryan added that this “is not a one-year situation,” and economic indicators did not appear to be optimistic. Lawmakers who attended the hearing, including state Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry (D-Dorchester), disagreed, saying the economy is on an upswing.

What do you think? Please feel free to comment!

Silence of the Libraries

2010-04-30T17:38:00.000-04:00

John Ruch discusses the Boston Legislators' amendment to save library branches.

The amendments offer to restore a state aid cut that the BPL claims is forcing the closures—if the BPL agrees to keep the branches open. But BPL officials previously acknowledged that they want to cut branches as part of a modern “transformation” even if they have the money. ...

The budget amendment effort has little chance of succeeding in the State House. It is largely a criticism of the controversial closure process, and another example of the soured relationship between BPL officials and most of the Boston state House delegation. BPL officials, it seems, have alienated many of the key elected officials who could help them with funding troubles.

David Taber reports on Menino's transformation plan for the libraries. I suspect this plan would be better received if Menino and Ryan had led with it, instead of pretending he would close the branches for budgetary reasons.

...[I]n an e-mail to the Gazette, BPL spokesperson Gina Perille laid out the beginnings of a possible roadmap for the system “transformation.”

“The budget proposal for the coming year sets the library up to save money, stabilize and begin to move forward,” she said. But BPL plans in the coming year to run pilot programs in neighborhoods where libraries have closed to test out new services it might want to offer outside of physical branch libraries, she said. ...

BPL is also planning to spend about $1.5 million in capital funding to design a new interactive computer library catalog system. “With the new interactive library catalog, library users will be able to track the books they love or the books they have read by making lists, writing reviews, and rating material” and interact with other library users through a social networking system, Perille said.

... So... basically it would be GoodReads for library books? Where we'll be able to say "Don't borrow this copy, some jerk wrote spoilers in the margins"? See, I could get behind something like that. Maybe not at the expense of closing a neighborhood branch to have BPL Goodreads, but it sounds neat.

And consider which one you would have preferred to hear:

"We're closing these branches for budgetary reasons." "NOOooo!" "But we're also transforming the library!" "WTF?!"

VS.

"We're transforming the library system. We will be closing some branches, and then we'll be able to offer better services while still offering services to the neighborhoods who will be doing without branches."

... OK, it's not much consolation. But it's more honest, and would probably receive the same or less opposition.

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Silence of the Libraries, ctd.

2010-04-27T19:32:00.000-04:00

Reader Cassandra Mortmain writes:

You should make some distinctions here between sacrifices the libraries would make in order to keep all 26 branches open (cutting hours significantly, delivery only available to "lead" libraries) and cuts they would make if Amy Ryan decided closing four branches was more important than securing the $2.4 million in state funding (further layoffs, reductions to purchasing budgets, inability to borrow from neighboring systems). But those aren't things the state is taking away, those are things Amy Ryan would choose to sacrifice if these amendments do get passed.

Keeping 26 branches open with no additional support from either the city or the state will mean unpleasant sacrifices for everyone. That's a simple fact. If Mayor Menino really decides that none of the money he's raising from the increased restaurant taxes, hotel taxes, and gambling revenue can afford to be given to the libraries, it won't be pretty. But it's better than permanently depriving any community of their library without actually examining the options at length, in a genuinely transparent way. It's still better than leaving certain communities with nothing more that a list of local non-profits potential partnerships COULD be formed with.

And, of course, there's no reason that has to be the outcome. The same representatives who crafted these amendments also spoke to Amy Ryan and asked her directly: How much additional funding do you need to guarantee the safety of these branches? What do we need to get for you? First, she told them $1.6 million, and they were happy. They were happy to set out and try to find that money for her. And then she said that, even if they received that money, they could not promise no branches would be closed. So, the state reps moved on the plan B.

The simple fact is that all the budgetary talk is a smoke screen. The libraries do not need that much money, and if Amy Ryan's priority was protecting the library system and keeping it whole, she could get the money necessary with ease. But that's not her goal, and it's not Menino's. That's why libraries are closing, when they could afford to keep them open. Because they aren't interested in keeping them open.

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Silence of the Libraries

2010-04-27T18:05:00.001-04:00

Gintautas Dumcius reports that the BPL is circulating a memo threatening more layoffs if the State Legislature adopts an amendment to refuse funding should the BPL close any branches.

In the memo, library officials say the system will see 31 additional job cuts if the amendments are approved. The borrowing of books from other libraries for BPL users would stop, they add.

There would also be:

A reduction in the purchase of new books, such as novels, travel guides, atlases, how-to books, best sellers and award winning titles, CDs, DVDs for the Central Library and branches
Commercially-licensed databases and highly popular digital downloadable books, music, and video used throughout the state by students of all ages, the business community, and the general public, are likely to be further reduced and limited in use
Possible ending of digitization efforts, which have made more than 20,000 historical titles of interest to students, genealogists, and historians accessible via the internet

Wait, they'd have to cancel the ability to order books shipped to your library? Amy Ryan is playing hardball with her clients. Seriously, OUCH.

Dumcius has uploaded the two=page memo.

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Loot and Ladders

2010-04-27T13:47:00.000-04:00

People of Boston Branches, a pro-branches organization (website here) tweets, "Close libraries and you'll need 3x as many cops and won't have a city worth saving from fire. No public service stands alone[.]"

Little extreme (about the city worth saving bit), but I'd like to see some stats about more libraries decreasing crime in an area. A cursory googling didn't enlighten me.

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Silence of the Libraries

2010-04-26T18:25:00.000-04:00

The City Council will have a hearing on library finances on June 3, reports Gintautas Dumcius in the Lit Drop.

Dumcius also includes a file of all the scheduled budget hearings.

The Metro-West Daily News's David Riley reports on the state's library district consolidation.

In the transition, state and regional library officials say their priority is to protect popular programs like interlibrary loans and deliveries so library users feel little or no impact. Most cuts will be behind the scenes, they said, such as professional development and technical training for library employees.

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Silence of the Libraries (XIII) UPDATED

2010-04-22T16:15:00.002-04:00

In the Lit Drop, Gintautas Dumcius reports that next week is when the House will debate a budget amendment to withold municipal aid should the BPL close even one library branch.

"It's enough to make any conflict-hungry reporter squeak with glee." Add blogger to the list, too.

In another post, Dumcius shows a letter from BPL President Amy Ryan to the Boston Legislators. They asked questions, she provided answers. Ryan continues to defend the closings of the branches.

UPDATE: Ed Forry also writes an Op Ed in the Dorchester Reporter asking Menino to stop the closures. Forry should be asking the Council to stop it.

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One Library Order

2010-04-21T15:08:00.000-04:00

(HT: Adam Gaffin)

Jessica Baumgart reports that budgetary constraints might force consolidation among the six library regions in Massachusetts.

From the Transistion Planning Committee's final report (reposted from Baumgart's blog):

“The Transition Team has made every effort to preserve core services for all member libraries, however the only service that will be entirely sustained at its current level in FY2011 is delivery. Budget limitations will require that every other service be provided at a reduced level and some services cannot be sustained at all. The following services will not be provided in FY2011:”

Bibliotemps
Digital library support
Fiscal Agent Work (Digital Commonwealth, ARC)
Home on the Web (not supported after December 2010)
Interlibrary Loan Net Lender Offset
Interlibrary Loan Return Shipping
Performer Directory
Physical Presence in Each Region
Regional Reference Centers
Supplemental Deposit Collections

I'm wondering what this means for each region. It certainly won't be easy to hook all the collections to each other in the online database.

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Silence of the Libraries (XII)

2010-04-16T22:43:00.001-04:00

Brandon Abbs wrote to me to clarify something I misread. Apparently, there are not multiple amendments, just the one. Bernstein was reporting that the other legislators co-sponsored the Forry-Moran amendment.

Universal Hub's Adam Gaffin reports on the Boston Representatives who didn't co-sponsor the bill:

None of the five reps who didn't sign the measure - Marty Walsh (D-Savin Hill), Marie St. Fleur (D-Uphams Corner), Angelo Scaccia (D-Readville), Michael Rush (D-West Roxbury) and Eugene O'Flaherty (D-Chelsea) have BPL branches faced with closing in their districts.

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Silence of the Libraries (XI)

2010-04-16T17:36:00.000-04:00

I just received a Facebook message from Brandon Abbs, the organizer behind the Facebook group, "Say 'NO!' to branch closings of the Boston Public Library."

In summary, Abbs says that Representatives Linda Forry (D-Suffolk 12) and Michael Moran (D-Suffolk 18) have filed an amendment to the state budget denying aid to the BPL if even one branch is closed. Abbs full statement is below the jump.

David Bernstein beat me to the punch on this one, though. He notes that other legislators have also filed similar amendments to the state budget.

Hello All,

About 45 minutes ago I received word that Rep. Forry & Rep. Moran will be submitting 3 amendments to the Massachusetts State House Budget. These 3 amendments are to the state funding lines of the Boston Public Library. The amendments state that the money on these line items (i.e., $2.4M) will not be distributed if a city budget is passed that closes a branch library.

The People of Boston Branches endorses these amendments as a short-term solution and as an assertion of the people's democratic choice. Of the 3 options that were presented to the people, the 1st option was clearly our choice.

Over the long-term we still support more funding for libraries and will continue to push for this from our city.

Watch this group and our webpage for the official press release when it becomes available.

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Silence of the Libraries (X)

2010-04-15T10:41:00.000-04:00

The Dorchester Reporter's Gintautas Dumcius reports that the Mayor's proposed budget, which includes four library closings, puts the City Council in a tight spot. But Dumcius notes that Councillors who plan on running against Menino in 2013 might do well to vote against the budget anyways.

In this WBUR article, the Mayor notes "But, you know, three or four libraries in a neighborhood, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to our planning process but also the distribution of resources."

Tweeter Mrs. Friday Next (who is also reader Cassandra Mortmain) notes that none of the branches that are closing are in one of the neighborhoods with "three or four libraries."

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Silence of the Libraries (IX)

2010-04-12T21:39:00.001-04:00

Conor Yunits reports that Nick Collins, a representative for State Representative in the Suffolk 4, is calling for public library budget meetings in Boston.

The release says Collins believes that libraries are absolute havens unto themselves. “Trying to do homework in a bustling community center is laughable,” Collins stated. “Sending a librarian to a senior center denies them the social benefits of interaction with other generations. Story time and quiet reading time are at the very heart of the library experience and foster social as well as learning skills at an early age.”

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Silence of the Libraries (VIII)

2010-04-12T07:32:00.000-04:00

The Globe's Sam Allis proposes a privatization of libraries to save the branches. Well, at least private industry in Boston could donate money to keep the libraries open.

Yet the figure is not minuscule for Menino, who faces brutal budget realities. But let’s be clear here: He could find those funds tomorrow if he wanted to, but his priorities are elsewhere and this predicament provides him the cover he wants in order to make structural changes in the BPL system. Virtually everyone knows that the system is unsustainable as now structured and financed. I’ll bet some passionate branch library advocates concede as much at 2 a.m. when no one’s listening.

Still, this crisis should prompt Boston’s corporate community and the Boston Foundation to pick up some slack. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s priceless PR. Companies always tell us they need an educated workforce. They’re right, and much of that workforce is created in the petri dish of our libraries. Few acts would galvanize their commitment to an educated workforce more than this one. I see win-win here.

...

At some point, this hemorrhaging has to stop. If people think the closing of four branches and major staff cuts will secure the future of the BPL, they’ve been sipping too much Lapsang Souchong. There will undoubtedly be more carnage for the same reasons unless help arrives.

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Silence of the Libraries (VII)

2010-04-10T16:40:00.000-04:00

Reader Cassandra Mortmain argues that you can transform the libraries without shutting them down.

There is NO REASON why the library cannot "transform" while also preserving all its existing branches. Branch libraries can serve as a vital dispatch point for services and outreach into the community. There is nothing "transformative" about denying huge neighborhoods high-quality service. If the BPL is serious about transforming, these programs need to be developed first, and successfully in place before a single branch is shut.

If not, then the Mayor needs to stop smoke-screening and just admit, straight out, that he is not concerned with providing library service to the city.

And, if Adrian Walker had bothered to read anything about the issue whatsoever, he would know full well that these libraries were quite popular before any talk of closing them came about. Since the budget cross, library use throughout the entire system has been going up consistently. In the at-risk libraries in particular, that story is no different. The Faneuil Branch has the 5th highest circulation of any library in the system, and has had consistently high circulation for many, many years. Washington Village is a tiny library and has the highest foot traffic to square foot ratio of any in the system. Orient Heights, if it's taken away, will deprive 1/2 of one of Boston's biggest neighborhoods of quality library service. Lower Mills is already organizing a fund-raising to protect their branch as we speak. That's not the action of an apathetic community.

And lastly, I'd love to hear what Adrian Walker had to say about the Globe before it nearly shuttered last year v. how he spoke of it when his job was secure, and the paper's survival a given. Plenty of people come out of the woodwork to speak of their devotion and love for services only when they are under threat. That's human nature, and it's idiotic of Walker to behave as though that is any reflection on the sincerity of these comments.

For what it's worth, I agree that you don't need to start closing libraries. For example, and I'm not saying that it cost $3.3M, but the West Roxbury branch recently underwent some renovations. I know because during that time I had to trek over to the Roslindale branch to pick up my books. Were those renovations really necessary in light of the library's current budget crisis?

I think it's worth looking at Councillor Arroyo's plan for an independent audit of the BPL's books.1

Also, at the risk of angering my Rozzie readers, closing both East Boston branches is kind of silly, with West Roxbury and Roslindale so close together. I mean, if closing branches is necessary, wouldn't that be the kind of thing you look for? Branches that have another branch in close proximity?

Oh, and I'd like to underline a specific point from Cassandra. She says that library use has been going up consistently through the budget crisis. I don't have numbers to verify, but it seems like common sense to me. I'm currently unemployed, and the library is a free way for me to sate my literary appetite. So, I'd like to see numbers, but I can see why that would be so.

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_______________________________________________
[1] via Mike Mennonno. "Lie-buried." April 8, 2010.

Silence of the Libraries (VI)

2010-04-10T15:07:00.000-04:00

Universal Hub's Adam Gaffin responds to Adrian Walker's Globe article. Apparently Walker missed the public hearings.

Gaffin also notes a release by the Mayor's East Boston liaison, Ernani deAraujo, which spells out what they'll try with the Orient Heights branch.

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Silence of the Libraries (V)

2010-04-10T11:29:00.000-04:00

The Herald is treating the trustee's vote yesterday as a done deal.

The Globe's Adrian Walker makes Mayor Menino's case for transforming the BPL citywide. He notes that some library branches are only popular when under siege, and notes that the Mayor concedes that the closings are for transforming the BPL, and not to balance the budget. Walker also argues that the rainy day fund is a way to not make tough decisions, and other institutions could use funding, as well.

Universal Hub's Adam Gaffin reports on the wet candlelight vigil to save the branches yesterday, which was joined by City Councillors and State Legislators displeased with the board's decision.

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Silence of the Libraries (IV)

2010-04-09T11:35:00.000-04:00

WBUR reports that the BPL Board of Trustees has voted to close four branches. The plan to close the branches still has to be approved by the Mayor and the City Council.

As Dave Wedge reported in the Herald, some Councillors have threatened to vote against the budget if it includes any bank closures, and nine Councillors have written letters asking BPL President Amy Ryan to not close any branch.

And Mike Mennonno posts that Councillor Felix Arroyo is asking for an independent audit of the BPL finances.

This could shape up to be an interesting year for the City Council if they stand against Mayor Menino on this.

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Silence of the Libraries (III)

2010-04-08T15:57:00.000-04:00

State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz offers her take on the closings in the Dorchester Reporter.

Our branch libraries are not just centers of learning, though that alone would be plenty of reason to protect them; they are centers of community, of self-help during dire economic times, of refuge for our young people, and of equal access for all.

Chang-Diaz argues for cuts in statewide and regional services, as opposed to cuts in branches and hours.

Universal Hub's Adam Gaffin reports on plans for a protest march and candlelight vigil at the Oak Square branch. Gaffin also links to Mike Mennonno, who supports Councillor Arroyo's plan to halt the closings until after an independent audit, and Mike Ball who says "Looks like Boston Mayor Tom Menino and hired gun Amy Ryan will anger the most residents since Bill Buckner's ball bobble."

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Silence of the Libraries (II)

2010-04-08T11:46:00.000-04:00

A reader, Cassandra Mortmain, responds with a fourth option:

Very important note: library activists, and the nine city councilors on our side, aren't necessarily in favor of keeping libraries open with slashed hours. We would still prefer that to closing any libraries, but what we are agitating for is a release of funds from the city's "rainy day" fund to cover our comparatively tiny budget shortfall. We only need 3.3 million to prevent these cuts-- and Boston, we know for a fact, saved 7 million this winter by not meeting our projected plowing expenditure.

This money is out there. We have enough to give a $50 million tax break to Liberty Mutual. So Menino needs to get it together and get that money to the library. In times like these, the services of the library are more important than ever. They are an affordable, cost-effective way to provide vital resources to our most underserved populations. Cutting the hours, closing the branches, and laying off 100 staff would be absolutely reprehensible.

Don't buy the party line-- there aren't just three options. There's a fourth, NO CUTS, and it's the only moral, sensible choice.

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Silence of the Libraries (I)

2010-04-08T10:05:00.000-04:00

Lots of news regarding the impending closure of at least four branches of the Boston Public Library.

WBUR's Monica Brady-Myerov reports on the three options the BPL trustees will be voting on.

1. Reduce hours in 18 branches, up to an 85% reduction.
2. Close four branches and keep hours.
3. Close seven branches and keep hours.

It sounds to me like option 3 there only exists to make option 2 more palatable. Option 1 sounds a little extreme, as well.

The Herald's Dave Wedge notes that some City Councillors have threatened to vote against the Mayor's budget if it includes any branch closures.

The Dorchester Reporter's Ed Forry pens an editorial against closing any branch. The Globe's Andrew Ryan has more.

WBUR's Monica Brady-Myerov reports on the community members protesting the closings.

The Dorchester Reporter's Mike Deehan and Nick Marshall report on the hearing that took place yesterday.

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