Libraries in NY’s Erie County are struggling to survive:
If you need a lesson on the importance of solidarity, spend a day walking in the shoes of Tom Morrissey, president of the Library Association of Buffalo & Erie County Librarians. For two years, Morrissey and his local have been locked in a divisive struggle to keep nearly half of Erie County ‘s libraries from closing, which would mean job cuts for union members and a tremendous loss of public services …
County leaders are considering a plan that would close as many as 24 of the county’s 52 libraries. For years, library funding has been a political football; last year, the county provided no funds to buy books.
More from New York Teacher.
Times Are Tuff All Over
WNY, Erie County & Buffalo in particular, are in big financial trouble, libraries are just one part of the cuts. To be honest, Erie county has too many libraries. There are 4 in my town, three of them are within 5 miles of my house, the other might be 6. I use them all, and though I hate to, I’ll be the first to admit we really don’t need them all.
I hate to see my friends & family losing their jobs, I guess it’s the price we pay for electing completely incompetent pathetic morons to local government posts for decades. They literally make me sick. Most of them will be gone this fall, so we’ll see if the new group is any better.
Re:Times Are Tuff All Over
how big are the libraries? what are they offering for services?
Re:Times Are Tuff All Over
Size: Variable. From really small, old and busted, to one rather large and new hottness.
Services: Again, variable, the big one has alot, the smaller, they do pretty good, but obviously not as much.
As a group, there just seems to be some overlap, that’s of course, just my opinion. I probably don’t know all the programs and offerings they all have. While it’s nice to have so many close to home, I’m not sure we really need them all.
Re:Times Are Tuff All Over
There are a number in the city of Buffalo that probably could be consolidated. I’ll hate to see the Cazenovia branch close as that is the first library I was ever in.
However out in the sticks there is not an overabundance of libraries. It will be inconvenient to have to drive from Elma to West Seneca or from East Auroa to Elma of those branches close. Inconvienient for the patrons, but really inconvenient for the staff that will be unemployed.
I wonder if any of the cities have considered taking back the libraries from the county cooperative. I wonder if it is even possible.
Re:Times Are Tuff All Over
“We don’t need all these libraries” rubs me the wrong way. I think it bothers me so because it strikes at the very justification for libraries. We only need libraries as much as we need an informed population. That includes lots of small, impoverished, local libraries. Even if these small libraries don’t have much in the way of collections, they can still serve as public meeting spaces.
As I see it, the question isn’t “Do we need libraries?”, but “Do we need communities?” because a community engaged in its own education and governance would put its libraries to use.
Re:Times Are Tuff All Over
If small impoverished libraries are all they got then yes they need them. If larger more modern libraries are available then consolidation is appropriate and probably necessary.
Re:Times Are Tuff All Over
I think Caz. is slated to close, along with South Park, and be replaced with one in between the two.
As far as “taking back the libraries from the county cooperative” it seems like West Falls might be doing Just That, or something close to it.
Re:Times Are Tuff All Over
We need libraries. I don’t think we can affford so many libraries so close to each other in affluent areas. At this point it’s need vs. want or afford. We do need comminties, I’m just not sure or community needs so many libraries, even if they are being used, it’s a short drive to a different one. I’m speaking just of the few near me in this case. I really don’t know what the magic number is, it’s greater than 1, but less than the 52 we currenly have running in our county. It’s so very nice to have so many, but I’m not sure we need them.