Demonstrators protest outside of Queens library (credit: Sophia Hall/WCBS 880)
Reporting Sophia Hall
QUEENS, NY (WCBS 880) – Dozens of protestors gathered outside the Peninsula Branch library in Queens Saturday, calling for additional funding of public libraries.
Demonstrators were protesting against possible cuts that could close libraries and eliminate jobs and after school programs.
WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall reports: Protestors Rally To Save Libraries
Al Jackson said this is a safe haven for kids, calling it a magical place.
“Our libraries, they’re like the soil on the ground, where everything grows,” said Jackson. ”You can take a book and go anywhere. You can go back in time.”
Ten-year old Micaia had a sad look in her eyes at the thought of this library being boarded up, a place she comes to all the time.
“The library is good for us and I don’t want it to close down,” said Micaia. ”It’s a good place to come to.”
What do you think? Sound off below in our comments section.
7 Comments
The Queens library system recently hired Bridget Quinn Carey as COO, who up until March 2011 led the Buffalo & Erie County Library into the hands of an indifferent county leadership that cares little for the library as free public good but only as potential source of revenue and political clout. Under Bidget’s leadership the Buffalo system has cut hours, cut staff, put non-professionals in charge of entire branches, has closed a teen room, the main children’s room at the Central library, removed most professional staff from public view and turned a once great research library into a popular materials branch library. Beware residents of Queens!
May 25, 2011 at 9:07 pm
Queens Libraries are free to all, which is essential salvation under the economic depression, at this time, and for all in NYC. Where would you go to for help and information when you are unemployed or have no $ for school books, etc.?
May 24, 2011 at 12:48 pm
I wonder how much money the City spends to fight the boogeymen called terrorists versus how much they spend on libraries. I’ve been to a few libraries over the past 2 years, and they have been packed.
May 22, 2011 at 1:30 am
i’ll bet my last dollar that the libraries to close are in the outer boroughs.
May 21, 2011 at 5:35 pm
http://ourtaxdollarsatwork.wordpress.com/category/bloomberg/
May 21, 2011 at 5:04 pm
I gotta ask: Which other neighborhood’s branch do they propose to close to pay for keeping their branch open?
May 21, 2011 at 4:34 pm
it is really , really sad
general public educational facilities should be THE LAST ONES TO CLOSE
mr. mayor, i personally went to the public library branch, here in queens, on quite few occassions, mostly to use the computers, and – to my honest delight – many times i had to wait on line for a computer to become vacant, because it was after school hours, and a lot of kids were using the pc’s
at least those kids were inside a library, under some adult supervision, and probably doing their homework, instead of running and yelling purposeless on the streets
a public library teaches them also respect towards others: eg you cannot shout or make noise, it is a quiet, meant to read, write, etc place
May 21, 2011 at 3:11 pm