(no subject)

[magenta]

Today was errands of an unusual nature. Three Minneapolis Public Library branches are closing as of this week. I am truly hoping they will be re-opened in the coming year, and I will write my state legislators, because right now, more LGA (local government aid) is what it is going to take. I have written all the Minneapolis officials I can.

So I went to Roosevelt Library. I used to go there more often, before the Light Rail construction detours got me out of the habit, and then the fact that the Light Rail can delay me has kept me from getting back in the habit. Also, lately it has only been open 3 days I week. I really like Roosevelt, an old Carnegie building, and it's the next to closest library to my house, after East Lake. Which is also closed; reopening is scheduled for March. (They had money to totally rebuild the library, but no money to keep it staffed.)

I walked around, and remembered days worked there as a substitute, long before the coming of the computers. We looked for books, and ended up checking out several.

Later in the day, we went to Southeast Library. That's the one in Dinkytown. I don't go there often, unless I'm in Dinkytown for some other reason, in which case I will go in and say hi to Eric. I hadn't looked in the science fiction room in some time - I'd forgotten how excellent it is. We checked out even more books there. I think the science fiction room should be renamed in memory of Mike Ford - we need a room for all the books the fund will buy. Except, from what I've read, he used to go to the Central Library. Still, that collection is excellent.

Webber Park, in the far northern part of Minneapolis is also closing. I worked there a few times as a substitute also (I've worked at least once in every branch) but I have no sentimental connection, so I'm not going to drive up there.

If you love any of these libraries, visit them this week, or it may be months, or years, or never. (Roosevelt and Southeast's last day will be Friday; Webber Park's is tomorrow, Thursday.)

If you love libraries, don't live in Minneapolis. In the past five years, Minneapolis has gone from having one of the best library systems in the country to having one of the worst. Starting next week, no library in the city will be open on Monday. All of them will be open the same hours, Tuesday though Saturday. If you want to go to a library on Wednesday evening, you will be out of luck. Tuesday or Thursday morning, the only place that is open is the Central Library, downtown.

Yes, I am angry, now that I think about it.

Comments

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

I think that as a resident of Minneapolis, I am more ashamed of this than of anything else the city has done (and there have been some doozies).

[ihateswine.livejournal.com]

even worse than the all those 1994 Nicolett Mall lynchings of Native American Women by the Minneapolis Police Department?

[magentamn.livejournal.com]

What are you talking about? That's the sort of weird rambling that starts dangerous urban legends.

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

I'm very sorry when I hear about this situation, but glad I moved to St. Paul before it came to this.

[starsimplode.livejournal.com]

I don't think it matters where we move. Sometimes libraries in specific neighborhoods and cities are the only places to get to certain books and documents of which there may be only one. As an example James will be travelling to Chicago and St. Louis at some point in his life to research things that are only available there. It sad that Minneapolis seems to have such a lack of self esteem. Maybe if they hadn't worried so much about how the building would look they could have saved money and spent it on peoples paychecks to keep it open.

I guess city folk will have a pretty new closed building to look at on Moday as they prgram thier cell phones and catch the bus...

[ihateswine.livejournal.com]

"I guess city folk will have a pretty new closed building to look at on Moday as they prgram thier cell phones and catch the bus..."

na... we're too hopped up on red bull and asian fusion cuisine to notice some crusty old books... maybe if the new library was a Condo development...

maybe if the city council hadn't blown all of our money on subsidies for out-of-town developers to come bulldoze poor peoples' homes to make way for CONDOS for rich yuppies then we would be able to have functioning libraries.

do ya think Fidel Castro closes HIS libraries? NO! Sure, he might burn a few books now and then, but there's quite a few books what need burnin' here, too.

We can start with the Left Behind series, and move on to Dr. Phil's catalogue... finish up with a nice Llewellyn bonfire.

[firecatmn.livejournal.com]

It pisses me off no end that we can build baseball stadiums, but we can't keep the libraries open. And don't get me started on how arts and music programs are always the first things cut in schools, but not sports...oh, no...that's "important."

[starsimplode.livejournal.com]

Sports were invented by the Romans to keep people under control. Roll that one around in terms of your statement and it makes it all the more detrimental, and I mean MENTAL.