Save Our Libraries

I don’t know about you, but I have a library card and am a proud user of it. My branch, the Fort Hamilton Branch has been closed for some time and doesn’t plan on reopening until spring of 2010, so I am forced to use the 72nd Street Branch. It’s a longer walk, which will do me some good health-wise, but that’s not why I am writing. It seems our Mayor feels we need to cut funds to our library system here in NYC that would eliminate both employees and hours (and possibly days) of service. That is not acceptable. Councilman Vincent Gentile has remarked “The newest rounds of proposed cuts, in addition to the cuts already endured during the last year and a half, if they all come to fruition, then we’re looking at the absolute end to six-day service and we would probably be looking at something in the realm of four to five-day service at our libraries and that would be a shame.”
Councilman Gentile has set up an electronic petition on his website so everyone has the opportunity to show their concerns over these proposed cuts and support our libraries. His website is www.vincentgentile.blogspot.com
Over at the Dyker Beach Branch on Tuesday, Carlo Scissura, community leader whose official day job is Chief of Staff to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and Christina Tettonis organized a fundraiser through the Support Our Shelves campaign. Scissura and Tettonis are both trustees of the Brooklyn Public Library and had “adopted” the branch and led, along with members of the Brooklyn Public Library like Dionne Mack-Harvin and City of New York Counselor Anthony Crowell who is the chairman of the board for the BPL, the fundraising event which brought in half of their proposed $8000 goal. They have until the end of May to achieve that goal. “Thank you all for coming tonight,” Scissura told the standing-room only crowd, “this shows your concern for a vital community institution. Where children come to study, seniors come to read, immigrants come to learn our language. It’s so important for our community.”
To make your voice heard and pledge a donation you can contact Aron Bukspan, a director of BPL, at 718-230-2718 or at a.bukspan@brooklynpubliclibrary.org