NYC Mayor will put Libraries in All Public Housing

search engine web writes “

http://www.news12.com/LI/topstories/article?id=106 541

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is outlining a plan to put reading rooms and libraries in all 345 of the city’s housing projects. The hope is to increase literacy in areas where families cannot afford early education materials.
The plan focuses on teaching kids to read before they reach school age since studies show that those who learn to read early on tend to move to the head of the class. While some see the plan as a good thing, others feel the mayor should be spending money on schools and computers instead.

Mayor Bloomberg is also looking into sending kids to school as young as 3 years old for a half day of pre-kindergarten. He also wants to put 4-year-old kids in pre-kindergarten for a full day.”

May 4, 2004 by rochelle Uncategorized 5

Eli says:

May 4, 2004 at 6:29 pm

Schools in Housing projects
Great idea, wrong method. Placing a reading room in a public housing project has many problems. The plan assumes that the presence of literacy creates literacy. Unfortunately, public housing projects are often a culture wihtin a culture. Many times that culture does not include seeking greater literacy. It would be better to encourage people from these projects as well as all school age children to read from existing established venues such as the school library and the public library. Putting holdings in projects makes the possibiity of stealing the books for either mischief or barter for drug money. Besides have they calculated the costs for loss. This plan is created by a politician to show that he has education and literacy as a priority. I am sure that he did not consult a professional librarian on the feasibiity of the project. Better to fund public libraries and school libraries for acqusitions and programming. That would yield better results.

Reply
p-man says:

May 4, 2004 at 7:23 pm

Re:Schools in Housing projects
Exactly where does the mayor propose to find librarians to staff these libraries? Librarian salaries in New York have been beyond pathetic for years. Not that I disagree with the idea of putting libraries in housing projects. But they need qualified, experienced librarians to work there. Things may have changed somewhat since I left NY in 1998, but at the time attracting and retaining librarians was very difficult due to the fact that salaries were too low to live on.

Reply
Amke says:

May 4, 2004 at 9:31 pm

Howze about ya’ just…
FUND the PUBLIC LIBRARIES and LIBRARIANS that already exist fer chrissakes!??!?!?!?!?

Reply
Anonymous Patron says:

May 4, 2004 at 10:09 pm

Please – Do not Stereotype Us
People who happen to live in Public Housing are NOT monolithic

It may not be fair to say that the residents
are a culture within a culture – having grown up in one – we know how much variation exists in people who reside there

Reply
mdoneil says:

May 5, 2004 at 12:25 pm

Re:Schools in Housing projects
Since they will turn into crack dens quickly I see no problem with librarians selling crack.

Then again I’m Irish and I like good craic!

Reply