Some targeted (Philadelphia) library branches may be saved

Philly.com ^ | 30 Dec | Patrick Kerkstra and Jeff Shields

[flowerplough]

Mayor Nutter said yesterday that five of the 11 library branches once scheduled to close permanently on Thursday are instead on track to be taken over by private foundations, wealthy individuals, companies, and community development corporations.

( ... )

"Libraries are much more than repositories for books. We know this," said Nutter, who ordered 11 of 54 branches closed as part of a larger plan to address a $1 billion five-year budget gap. "They are the absolute complete nexus of community life."

Nutter made his remarks at a City Hall news conference where he was loudly heckled by dozens of protesters who seemed unimpressed by his announcements. When Nutter said that afterschool LEAP programs now held at the 11 libraries would be moved to nearby city facilities, protesters raised signs that read "restored service is a cheap knockoff."

But other library advocates were encouraged.

"It's a way to keep library doors open," said Amy Dougherty, executive director of the Friends of the Free Library.

[flowerplough]

Libraries are much more than repositories for books. They are also great places for stinky men to drool the hours away, clickety-clicking page after page of online pornography.

[Born to Conserve]

The only good libraries are full of old books. The only very good libraries are full of very old books.

[AbeKrieger]

"Libraries are much more than repositories for books. We know this"

At least one of the libraries shutting down went a stretch of 4 days where no one even ventured into the book stacks. It's basically an internet access point. And if it weren;t for online social networking sites and porn even those would not be used. This is not about books and education in so many of these locations.

[CPOSharky]

Philly residents can read?

[reaganaut1]

I don’t know what goes on in Philadelphia public libraries, but I will say that the public library of my affluent suburban town is a valuable resource that is used by adults and children for reading. I don’t object to my tax dollars being spent on it.

[chiefqc]

Let me see if I get this, city has money problems - and the only ones who suffer are the people who elected the morons who are making the voters suffer and the elected officals suffer what?

Let me think a minute, oh I know NOTHING.