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Thread: All politics aside----Please let us ALL band Together to Rally to "Save the Library"

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    Member andreahaxton's Avatar
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    Post All politics aside----Please let us ALL band Together to Rally to "Save the Library"

    Last update: October 21, 2010, 7:02 AM
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    by YAHOO! SEARCH Communities Erie County Library spells out impact of deep cuts in county funds
    Hours to drop sharply while use increasesBy Mark Sommer

    News Staff Reporter

    Published:
    October 21, 2010, 7:02 AM


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    -2-1Standard+1+2E-mailSharePrintFacebookTwitterGoogleRedditDelicious Stumble UponDiggFarkMySpaceUpdated: October 21, 2010, 7:02 AM


    Erie County's proposed budget cuts will have a profound impact on its system of 37 public libraries.

    At eight city branches, combined hours will drop from 332 to 205 a week. Three Amherst branches will go from 162 1/2 hours to 105 hours a week.

    Hours at branches in Alden and Boston will drop by more than half -- with Lackawanna's reduced by nearly two-thirds.

    This means reduced access to books, media, computers and after-school programs.

    The sobering news for the embattled Buffalo & Erie County Public Library was presented Wednesday by Library Director Bridget Quinn-Carey to the Erie County Legislature. The system faces a $6.8 million shortfall next year, with the biggest gap resulting from the loss of $4 million in county property tax revenue that County Executive Chris Collins has ordered.

    The Legislature is expected to adopt the cuts when it votes on the budget in early December.

    "There is some good news in that there are no library closures, but it is devastating for the people who are used to having a lot of access to libraries," Quinn-Carey said.

    Quinn-Carey also discussed previous reductions in hours that will affect at least 200 employees throughout the system, resulting in layoffs or reduced hours for most and the consolidation of the Central Library's public operations to the first floor, forcing the closing of the Teen Room and other programs.

    Library use, however, is higher than it has been in the past six years, with nearly 4 million visits and nearly 842,000 computer sessions expected before the end of this year.

    The cuts are proposed despite per capita spending of $28.64 -- considerably lower than many library systems with similar service areas. The Detroit Public Library spends $45.88 per capita, Jacksonville (Fla.) Public Library about $43, and Cincinnati and Hamilton County (Ohio) $62.89.

    Reducing library hours is expected to save $770,000 from city branches and $2.5 million from the suburbs.

    "While it's nice to see a silver lining in having facilities remain open, it's certainly nowhere near the level the community has demonstrated it wants and needs," Quinn-Carey said.

    Quinn-Carey said those in the system would "try our very best" to deal with the impact of the cuts on after-school programs for teenagers in both the city and suburbs.

    The reductions are intended to be partly offset by arranging libraries into two city and five suburban regions, with each having a library center that would be open for the greatest number of hours.

    Following are the breakdown and the expected operating hours for each library:

    * In Buffalo, the Merriweather branch (seven days/45 hours) will be a library center, with East Delavan and East Clinton branches open 16 hours over three days a week, and the Dudley branch, 24 hours over four days a week.

    The Niagara branch (six days/40 hours) is the city's other library center. The Riverside branch will be open three days a week for 16 hours, with Crane and North Park branches open four days, for 24 hours.

    * Hamburg Center branch (six to seven days/55 to 60 hours) will be a library center, with Lake Shore, Lackawanna, Angola and North Collins branches open three days for 16 hours a week, and Collins and Eden branches open four days for 24 hours a week.

    * Orchard Park Center branch (six to seven days/55 to 60 hours) will serve as a library center, with Boston and Marilla branches (three days/16 hours), Elma and Concord branches (four days/24 hours) and Aurora branch (five days/32 hours).

    * Julia B. Reinstein Center branch in Cheektowaga (six to seven days/55 to 60 hours) will be a library center, with Alden and Anna B. Reinstein branches (three days/16 hours), Lancaster branch (five days/32 hours) and West Seneca branch (six days/40 hours).

    * Kenmore Center branch (six to seven days/55 to 60 hours) will be a library center, with Kenilworth branch (three days/16 hours), City of Tonawanda (four days/24 hours) and Grand Island branch (five days/32 hours).

    * Audubon Center branch (six to seven days/60-65 hours) will be a library center, with Eggertsville branch (three days/16 hours), Akron and Clearfield branches (four days/24 hours) and Clarence branch (six days/40 hours).

    msommer@buffnews.com
    ************************************************** ********

    Our Library is the last of the Andrew Carnegie built( ironically I just started reading his Biography yesterday. What A Man!)----We need to Band together NOW to stop the County from ceasing the funding!

    Cut THEIR HUGEEEEE Salaries and we will have the money!


    Challenge to the Lacawanna City Council:
    You just gave the Lackawanna Chamber of Commerce $20,000 to stay open-----So,----how about giving at least $20,000 to OUR Lackawanna Library? When I asked you Monday 10-18-2010 at the Council meeting Mr. Jaworski you told me/us that there is $4.5 million in the City of Lackawanna ""Unappropriated Budget"". So the City has a HUGEEE
    slush fund. Please help OUR Lackawanna Library stay open.

  2. #2
    Member nogods's Avatar
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    Libraries are used mostly by the poor. Taxes are paid mostly by the rich. how do you think this is going to turn out?

    It reminds me of an experience in law school. A property law professor starts the course by reading from a case: "A mere chimney sweep found a ring..." He pauses and asks "what can we derive from what I've read so far?" One of the students correctly answers "the mere chimney sweep ain't going to get to keep the ring."

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    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    libraries are fine. I would assume a library wouldn't be abnormally expensive to operate compared to other departments in government.

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    All politics aside---

    JUST READ THAT COMMENT I CUT & PASTED BELOW:

    Libraries are used mostly by the poor. Taxes are paid mostly by the rich. how do you think this is going to turn out?


    FOR SOME REASON THAT COMMENT JUST BROKE MY HEART. ONLY THE "RICH" PAY TAXES? AND MOSTLY THE "POOR" USE THE LIBRARY? THERE'S SOMETHING SO MEAN ABOUT THAT GENERALIZATION...

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    Member literal's Avatar
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    Fact is, that libraries are obsolete. I can read the Buffalo News on-line every day free. Why would I want to buy a hard copy and then pass on for recycling?

    Technology has forever changed the way we view books and papers. Many schools have long ago downloaded kids books to class computers (like colleges) saving $$$ to buy a copy of the book, carry heavy books and saving a carbon footprint. Soon book bags and backpacks will be obsolete. Here they are used by the homeless to carry their "stuff."

    I personally do NOT need a book museum.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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    Member FMD's Avatar
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    excuse you all, but I can name tens, if not hundreds of people, 50 years old and older, who are worth more than 500K that use the library on a regular basis.

    only the poor use libraries? I call Bull****!
    Willful ignorance is the downfall of every major empire in history.

    "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." - Mao, 1938

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    Member nogods's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FMD View Post
    excuse you all, but I can name tens, if not hundreds of people, 50 years old and older, who are worth more than 500K that use the library on a regular basis.

    only the poor use libraries? I call Bull****!
    Making 500K per year in WNY is definitely rich, but being worth 500K is not rich. It is middle class at best.

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    Member cath829's Avatar
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    Looks like I am both rich and f'n illiterate God can it get any better? Middle class? Who makes that and calls themselves middle class? Certainly not lackawanna

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    Quote Originally Posted by FMD View Post
    excuse you all, but I can name tens, if not hundreds of people, 50 years old and older, who are worth more than 500K that use the library on a regular basis.

    only the poor use libraries? I call Bull****!

    FMD: I agree, there are a lot of seniors that use the library. It looks like they will have flexible hours despite the cuts. So, those that go in the AM or PM will still have an opportunity to at least go at their usual times.

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    Member andreahaxton's Avatar
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    Post Go Visit the Lackawanna Library!

    Physically go there----Take a survey and you will be in for an eye-opener!

    Sit by the computers and see how many folks OF ALL AGES use them constantly.
    Shame on all you nay-sayers, 16 hours/week? When they closed the Blasdell Library Branch (BTW--which immediately became a Community Center), many of these COUNTY residents come here because it is closer than the bustling Village of Hamburg Library.

    People who have never had CHILDREN do not get what an invaluable tool a LOCAL Library is. Computers and the net are a big expense and many folks just can't take on another bill.

    If Collins had the guts to cut salaries of anyone who makes over $100,000/yr by 10% across the board, it will help save OUR priceless libraries.

    Knowledge is Power---maybe the rich do not want "US" poor people to gain knowledge on them!

    Lackawanna School Board pulled the wonderful Librarian from the Martin Road School (grades 3-6) and sent her the Sr. High because they too pulled Library funding. So we have a new school with locked Library doors. Woe.

    Shame-Shame-Shame that all the people responsible for "BUDGETS" worry about patronage and poli-tricks instead of taking care of "US" poor people and our kids.

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