East Lake Closing letter
Jul. 23rd, 2004 03:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magentaI wrote the Minneapolis Library Board today. Here's the letter:
Minneapolis Public Library
250 Marquette, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Minneapolis Library Board and Administration,
I wish to protest in the strongest possible terms the closing of East Lake Library for any reason. Your website indicates you plan to close it for "renovation". East Lake is fine as it is, except it needs to have the parking area re-paved. That would only take a few days.
From my reading of the information, it sounds like one of the major reasons is to "update the appearance". At this time when hours have been cut, staff laid off, and material purchases limited, I think this is a very bad idea. Yes, this branch has an odd 1970's design. It doesn't match the surroundings. But closing a much-needed and well-used library to make it "look better" is a dreadful idea.
The Central Library is still closed, and many books are not available. Two other branches are also closed; this is not the time to close any more branches for cosmetic reasons. Service to the community has already been disrupted enough.
I am especially suspicious of this process. You state there will be meetings for community input, but you also say the architect has already been chosen. To my mind, this means the decisions have already made. The community input will be for details, not fundamentals. I resent this, and I think many of my neighbors will also. Give us back our libraries!
*********************
It really does seem like most of what they want to do is make it "look nice". They do need more computers, which might require rewiring, but there is no reason it would need to take 18 months or more, which is what they are talking about. The Central Library and 2 branches are already closed. I wonder if this is actually a cost cutting measure in disguise. The Board has referendum money to remodel, but very little in the regular operating budget.
Minneapolis Public Library
250 Marquette, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Minneapolis Library Board and Administration,
I wish to protest in the strongest possible terms the closing of East Lake Library for any reason. Your website indicates you plan to close it for "renovation". East Lake is fine as it is, except it needs to have the parking area re-paved. That would only take a few days.
From my reading of the information, it sounds like one of the major reasons is to "update the appearance". At this time when hours have been cut, staff laid off, and material purchases limited, I think this is a very bad idea. Yes, this branch has an odd 1970's design. It doesn't match the surroundings. But closing a much-needed and well-used library to make it "look better" is a dreadful idea.
The Central Library is still closed, and many books are not available. Two other branches are also closed; this is not the time to close any more branches for cosmetic reasons. Service to the community has already been disrupted enough.
I am especially suspicious of this process. You state there will be meetings for community input, but you also say the architect has already been chosen. To my mind, this means the decisions have already made. The community input will be for details, not fundamentals. I resent this, and I think many of my neighbors will also. Give us back our libraries!
*********************
It really does seem like most of what they want to do is make it "look nice". They do need more computers, which might require rewiring, but there is no reason it would need to take 18 months or more, which is what they are talking about. The Central Library and 2 branches are already closed. I wonder if this is actually a cost cutting measure in disguise. The Board has referendum money to remodel, but very little in the regular operating budget.
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no subject
Date: 2004-07-23 03:45 pm (UTC)& where are they putting this money?
Date: 2004-07-23 03:56 pm (UTC)Mipples said they were trying to renew south minneapolis
is this the way of upgrading the neighborhood
to make library books unavailable to them?
libraries are more than books
they improve thier environment by creating a save place for kids and adults to learn
they are important for all the other services they provide- grant and tax info
a open place for classes or meetings with out gang influence
a empty building is the invite to vandalism
are they really planning on burning all three branches down
and blaming it on the neighborhoods?
if the place you are talking about is the one on hennipen with the avant garde architecture
could it qualify as a herstoric building because its such a good representative of its era?
like orchestra hall? or the walker... the walker had some one drive thru thier roof
what is the librarys excuse?
I found the practice of thier already minimizing just how little inventory
they carried frustrating~ I resented having to drive out to the southdale
branch to find recently published art books
is there any way to get the news media interested in diggin
into discrimnation against the neighbor hood by the library board practices?
maybe an open letter to the library via the media
might help dredge out some results?
one by an individual albeit a informed librarian is easily ignored
a reporter with camera in tow is not