Wally’s World.
EMAILThe City Manager released his proposed budget Friday.
BUDGET CLOSES THE BRANCH LIBRARIESÂ FEB. 28, 2011
Come to a City Council Meeting Monday Night 7PM at the Civic Center
This is what the City Manager’s report says about the branches in his transmittal letter at p. 13:
Library Services: There has been much community discussion about library services during the past nine months since my proposal in December, 2009 to close the North and South Branch Libraries. At the time, there was no organized support for the Evanston Public Library and the announcement of the proposed closure was met with silence initially from the community. Shortly after, the Friends of the Evanston Public Library were re-established and a tremendous fundraising effort was launched.
The Evanston Library Board also became re-engaged during this period.
Unfortunately, the focus on the library these past several months demonstrated the severe resource problems that the library has. There is no way to appreciably change this without substantial new revenue coming to the library to not only sustain the moderate level of resources currently available to the library, but resources to give the library greater ability to serve the public.
I am not recommending any new resources for the library with the proposed FY 2011 budget. I am proposing that the City close the North and South Branch Libraries on February 28, 2011 and use the budgeted resources for the branches to go toward enhanced support of the Main Library. I believe the City of Evanston has the best opportunity to support libraries by focusing resources at one primary facility to the best of our abilities and continue outreach efforts around the City. I am also committed to fundraising for the library to enhance our collection and to support outreach efforts.
Write your alderman, the Mayor, the City Manager and let them know how you feel about this. Copy us at info@eplfriends.org.
2 Comments (Leave a Reply)
Are you kidding me?! Who isn’t listening? The community wants more resources allocated to library and library BRANCH funding! Should the City Council find it necessary to hold total spending, find the money elsewhere. Start listening City Manager and City Council!!
What an utter disappointment. In addition to taking away access to books for the students of Evanston, this move will directly impact the merchants that surround the branches. Most likely, the patrons of the North Branch will end up going to the Wilmette Library. Now what does that accomplish for the City of Evanston?