Most of the libraries in the report are located in poorer neighborhoods of the City. These reports also found that, about half of the population in the Bath Beach community of Brooklyn has no more than a high school diploma, and an annual income around $30,000.
Queens councilman Jimmy Van Bramer has accepted the sum of $1.1 billion as the ideal amount of funding to rejuvenate the City libraries, unlike the proposed $62.3 million by Mayor De Blasio. Van Bramer who is the chairman of Cultural Affairs and Libraries Committee has mentioned that it is high time the city takes a step in addressing these problems.
Right before Heads of the libraries met up to discuss the issue at the Council hearing, protesters rallied in front of City Hall. There was a call by protesters requesting that funding goes according to plan since the library usage is at an all-time high. The rally protested against the long time neglect from the administrations, and the growing inequality problems around the different branches.
To learn more about the New York Public Library visit the NYPL site.
Hi, Clinton. After reading your blog and doing some research on this topic I feel as if I have a stronger opinion on what I believe that the public library system's next step should be. With such a low level of education, the average being a high school degree, is it really a good idea to pump in, even 1.1 billion to renovate an area that is said to already be growing obsolete? Also, with the chairman's estimate to be a much more conservative estimate, do you think that the Mayor simply wants to de-rail the efforts of public but publicizing a much high estimate some where to the tune of 62 times more than the smaller budget? One last thing, do you think that this promotion of public library systems is actually worth the time and money or do you think that the resources should be allocated elsewhere?
ReplyDeleteThe idea should be to move forward rather than backwards, despite the fact that most of these libraries are located in poorer neighborhood with low education levels. It would be ideal to increase the budget which in turn will help to increase the level of literacy amongst. i believe that what the government should be and is gunning for is higher levels of education amongst individuals. The library should emanate as a good source of increasing literacy at the grass root level.
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor's funding estimates falls short of any measures that should successfully address the issues of NYC libraries. If chairman Van Bramer suggests that funding should be increased, then it should certainly be so. This is an individual who has worked hand in hand with the heads of Libraries and knows exactly what the problems and solutions are.
Allocating funds elsewhere rather than where it should be (NYC Libraries), would simply mean depriving young children, youths and adults the basic necessity of a good society. Therefore the public library system is an essential element of growth and development of a society.