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Flashback: NYC's Libraries, As They Face Closures
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 14, 2010
Modified Jun 14, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 14, 2010
Modified Jun 14, 2010
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Over the weekend, librarians and their supporters spoke up on the steps of the Brooklyn Public Library in Grand Army Plaza, saying: "We Will Not Be Shushed." The group read from stacks of books throughout their marathon "book-in" protest, where they also raised their voices against proposed cuts. By month's end 40 libraries could be shut down, with others getting new, reduced hours.
According to the NY Times, the overnight protest was held right on the steps of the library, where one librarian told them, “We librarians have a saying. You can close our libraries when you step over our cold, beaten bodies, chained to the doors.” Heavy! Another noted that even during the Great Depression the public libraries stayed open 7 days a week.
One concern is that the city's less fortunate residents will be losing their internet access and employment help, as well as other resources. The cuts will affect libraries in the Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library, and New York Public Library (which operates libraries in the Bronx Manhattan, and Staten Island) systems. Plus, where else but within a NYC public library can you find both Charles Dickens's cat's paw and part of the old Croton Reservoir? Here's a little visual look back at some of the branches and their history. Plus, check out these links to help the library systems—Brooklyn, Queens, and NYPL— fight the cuts
Tagged
brooklyn public library
Budget cuts
flashback
library
nypl
protest
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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