Hearing Tonight on Public Library Closings

Public has a chance to respond to budget cuts

June 3, 2010
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The Faneuil Branch of the Boston Public Library. Photo by Flickr user LizSullivan

At a 6 p.m. budget hearing tonight at City Hall the public will have a chance to comment on proposed Boston Public Library budget cuts, including a plan to close several branch libraries. 

The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, the union representing library workers, is expected to rally at Boston’s City Hall Plaza today at 5 p.m. before the hearing.

Because of a $3.3 million budget gap, the Boston Public Library board of trustees voted in April to close four branch libraries: Brighton (Faneuil), Dorchester (Lower Mills), East Boston (Orient Heights), and South Boston (Washington Village), and to eliminate some positions.

Opponents argue that the closings will hurt communities, and want to explore options for keeping the libraries open.

The hearing is open to the public.

The protest rally is at 5 p.m. on City Hall Plaza, and the budget hearing for Boston’s libraries is at 6 p.m. in Boston City Hall’s Iannella Chamber, fifth floor. By MBTA, take the Green or Blue Line to Government Center, Orange or Blue Line to State Street. More information is available here.

Amy Laskowski can be reached at amlaskow@bu.edu; follow her on Twitter at @amlaskow.

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Hearing Tonight on Public Library Closings

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  • Amy Laskowski

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    Photo of Amy Laskowski. A white woman with long brown hair pulled into a half up, half down style and wearing a burgundy top, smiles and poses in front of a dark grey backdrop.

    Amy Laskowski is a senior writer at Boston University. She is always hunting for interesting, quirky stories around BU and helps manage and edit the work of BU Today’s interns. She did her undergrad at Syracuse University and earned a master’s in journalism at the College of Communication in 2015. Profile

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There are 2 comments on Hearing Tonight on Public Library Closings

  1. Most of these branches are in neighborhoods where the city should be promoting literacy, not closing libraries. The decision of whether or not to channel money to libraries will send a very clear message to children about what is important to adults and what should be important to the kids as they grow up. I would go to the rally tonight, but I will be working with kids in Chelsea to promote literacy.

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  2. We’re seeing this in a number of states and towns. In order to close budget gaps, services need to be cut. It’s simple economics and as NJ Governor Christie said a few weeks ago, “Unlike the US government, states can’t print more money.” What about cutting workers’ pay? Private companies did that during the downturn so why can’t the government do it?

    If it’s cut services or raise taxes, I’d choose the former.

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