| Author |
Message |
    
John Davenport
Citizen
Username: Jjd
Post Number: 339
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 30, 2004 - 1:33 pm: |     |
The following is a draft of a letter that I am preparing to send, with a copy to the News-Record.
Fred Profeta, Mayor &
Jane Kennedy, Director of Libraries
Maplewood, NJ.
Dear Mayor Profeta and Director Kennedy:
Re: Library Summer Hours
I write to lodge my loudest possible complaint about the fact that once again, for several weeks this summer, the citizens of Maplewood will have NO library hours whatsoever available during the weekends.
This situation is simply unacceptable, as I and others have been saying publicly for several years now. The library may experience a decrease in weekend usage from students and others during the summer months, but citizens of Maplewood need to have the opportunity to stop in to get children's readers, novels, travel guides, videos, tapes etc. for weekend trips. This is virtually impossible for most working parents in the community when the library is closed from 5PM on Friday until 9AM on Monday morning. Residents who can only come during the evening on weekdays have to get their materials from the library by Thursday evening or do without. This is not good service for our tax money. We need at least a few hours, e.g. 10 - 4 PM on one weekend day during each weekend of the summer. As far as I know, this service is provided by libraries in neighboring towns.
This complaint is not meant as any kind of criticism of the library staff, who I have always found to be excellent at their jobs, kind and caring towards children, and helpful to all users of the library. The problem is a structural one in the deployment of the library's budget. Citizens have been raising this objection for years, and the library board has done nothing about it. If the library cannot presently afford to staff any weekend hours for eight summer weekends, then it must close early on some other weekdays to make up the money necessary to open the main branch at least for a few hours each Saturday or Sunday for local use. If necessary, the Town Committee should order the library to take this step.
The Town Committee must also recognize that the library has suffered a real-dollar cut in funding for two budget cycles in a row now, and now absolutely requires a reasonable increase of not less than 5% in the next budget. This should be a high priority, even given the new 2.5% cap on increases in the whole town budget recently imposed by our foolish state legislators. Of course, the library may be able to raise money from the state, foundations, and local supporters in all kinds of ways, but it already undertakes such initiatives. But it also needs solid support from the town's own appropriations, and we cannot continue to whittle away at its main funding source.
Sincerely,
John Davenport |
hariseldon
Citizen
Username: Hariseldon
Post Number: 175
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 30, 2004 - 3:47 pm: | |
As noted last year, the SOuth Orange Library will be open for 7 Summer Sundays from 2-5 pm, starting 7/11. All ya need is a ReBL card |
John Davenport
Citizen
Username: Jjd
Post Number: 341
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 2, 2004 - 2:11 am: | |
All the more reason why Maplewood Library should be open. Our services should be comparable to South Orange's. |
Fotboat
Citizen
Username: Fotboat
Post Number: 20
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 7:05 pm: | |
Why is the library low on money. During the winter time, a neighbor of mine (who worked at the library) died and left her entire estate to the library. House + should have gotten them at least $400K, but not sure how it was supposed to be spent. |
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