A Tale of a brave group of library patrons in suburban Buffalo, NY.A group of Town of Tonawanda residents are working against time to save their neighborhood library, and they say the Town Board is doing little to help stop the clock.
The group, which calls itself Friends of the Brighton Library, hope to raise private funds to keep the Fries Road branch operating until a new “hub” library is built in the next few years. To do so, they’re asking the Town Board to “mothball” the library, locking down the building and its collection until March so the group can come up with the money and an operating plan.
Don’t Defend- Attack
The Friend’s group is noble minded, but they are barking up the wrong tree. “Other officials said it’s too soon to throw their full support behind the group. They first want to see a firm plan in place.” Bullhockey. These are people who are not representing their community well. They need to be replaced, not the library.
Rather than defend the library branch, the Friend’s group needs to start a campaign to get rid of the town Council that got them into this mess in the first place. They are working to persuade politicans who cut the budget to restore it. Instead, they need to begin working to get those politicans tossed out and new ones in. A “Throw da Bums Out!” campaign will do more to get their attention than pleading with them to stop the sale of library books. Remember our Declaration of Independence: “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” If the government is doning what it needs to get done, then organize to throw it out, and support those politicians who are pro-library.
Don’t get mad- organize!