Libraries all across the country are facing challenges. There are book bans, closures, and farming out library spaces for other uses (sound familiar?), among other tactics to limit people’s access to literature and the free exchange of ideas. Here are some resources to help you observe Banned Books Week from September 22-28, 2024:
As an act of rebellion against restriction of free speech, pick up one of the books mentioned, and read it! Books are a wonderful way for kids and adults to not only see themselves, but to see others.
A member that is a former Cleveland resident found yet another example of how they do things in Ohio. If you remember from our first Ohio post, the country executive holds Ohio in very high esteem when it comes to an example of how things should be done.
The new Parma Heights branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library was designed after public feedback (WHAT?!) from 3 (YES, 3!!!) public input sessions on a “shovel-ready site” (yet another favorite catchphrase of the county executive that he wrongly attributes to himself–like below).
Fair season is coming to a close in NW PA, and if you’re missing the opportunity to play games of chance on the midway, you can still pick your lucky number, and Blasco Library can be the winner. Our RallyUp donation site has the option of recurring donations–along with remaining anonymous–so you can pick a smaller amount to continue giving every month. None of us is independently wealthy. It’s this grassroots effort that will help our legal fund continue to grow.
So what’s your lucky number?
$7 for the price Gannon is paying per square foot?
$10.90 for the percentage our property taxes increase?
$25 for the length of the lease?
$27.99–the average cost of a hardcover book?
$51 for the number of properties Gannon owns in the city of Erie?
$115 for the number of properties Gannon owns in Erie County?
$160–the address of Blasco Library?
$1913–the amount of monthly rent Gannon will be paying that is not even close to the going rate for Bayfront property?
Number of books you read?
Or you can choose your own lucky number. Just don’t choose the amount of property taxes that Gannon pays. Games of chance are fun, but we can’t take chances with our library. To set up a recurring donation, please use the RallyUp! button below. You can also make a one-time donation by going to our donate page.
If you’ve ever spent any time on the Erie County Executive’s Facebook re-election page (and you have my sympathy because life is short, and you will never get that time back), you’ll know that he is constantly holding up Ohio as a shining example of how things “should” be done in Erie County.
One of KOLP’s members (and this is why I love this group–so much input on library issues) recently shared that the Mentor, OH Public Library has plans to enhance its main branch. Here is the link to those plans: Future of MPL’s Main Branch – FAQ. A few key takeaways from these enhancements: there is no space being leased to outside, tax-exempt, religious organizations, there is a plan to improve traffic flow, and the enhancements are based on the strategic plan which was created with public input: Mentor Public Library Strategic Plan. Can anyone say, “Irony?”
So, we have a tale of two cities–one on the west side that could operate during the pandemic, one on the east side that could not. One that has an endowment, one that does not. One that got ARPA funds, the other that did not.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”
Once Gannon gets their foot in the door…. They can book all the public meeting places in Blasco. They have full use of the entire library at no cost. They were given a lease which should have been approved by taxpayers AND the courts! Lawsuits are not free. Please DONATE! Please SHARE! https://keepourlibrarypublic.com/donate
“Information helps you to see that you’re not alone. That there’s somebody in Mississippi and somebody in Tokyo who all have wept, who’ve all longed and lost, who’ve all been happy. So the library helps you to see, not only that you are not alone, but that you’re not really any different from everyone else.”
One of the treasures of the Erie region stands at the gateway to Presque Isle State Park. It’s the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. There are displays and exhibits, classrooms, dioramas, and more. It’s also a research center where scientists from across North America can study the Great Lakes Watershed. And, due to the location and the tower that offers views of Lake Erie, it is also tourist attraction. The TREC Big Green Screen Theater is a large auditorium with amphitheater seating that offers large format movies on nature and the environment. I have this really strange feeling that I’ve seen something almost exactly like this recently–maybe at some public meetings at the library? If an organization were truly concerned about the environment and sustainability, it would be counterintuitive to duplicate this wonderful facility that already exists, wouldn’t it?
After having to listen to the narrative from the county executive, the members of county council that refused to override the veto to rescind the lease, and Gannon that the lease would not reduce library staff or programming, we can see on page 26 of the agenda packet for the upcoming finance committee meeting on Thursday, August 15th at 4:00pm that there is a “$278,420 Reorganization of Library Staff.” “Reorganization” = cuts. In other words, empty positions will not be filled, and other positions will be re-classified.
If you can’t attend in person, you can attend via Zoom or phone:
Contact Erie County Council and let them know that this is not acceptable, no matter the spin that is put on it. Contact information is here: Stay Engaged
“When I was an unhappy little boy, going to the library changed my life. It may even have saved it. Amazing as it sounds, literature can do that for you. Books are your ticket to the whole world. They’re a free ticket to the entire eart.”
On August 8th, the county executive issued preliminary objections in response to our complaint stating that Erie County (PA) Council and Gannon University should be included as defendants in our lawsuit. Whether or not the council and/or Gannon is involved in the lawsuit, our contention is that the lease at Blasco Memorial Library is still invalid. The preliminary objections are a stalling tactic. For further comment, we are represented by Alan Shuckrow and Alexis Wheeler with Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky in Pittsburgh, PA.
Thank you once again to Julio and Lilia Reyes of Julius at the Mannerchor Plaza for providing the food and venue for our KOLP Kickoff Fundraiser this past week. Thank you to Chris of Bill’s Bread on 26th St. for providing the rolls. And to our entertainment—Britches, Ruth Ann Scanzillo, and Matt Texter—thank you for lending us your talent. One of the functions of a library is to bring a community together. It’s sad that in our case, it’s the threat to our library that is bringing us together. Although we have been disparaged as “four old ladies,” our group encompasses different generations, occupations, economic situations, genders, and races. Most of us didn’t even know each other prior to our efforts to keep a private, tax-exempt, religious institution from taking space in your public library. We just shared a love of the library. The coolest thing about the KOLP Kickoff was not the money we raised—although that was really cool—but the interactions I witnessed in the preparation for the event, the event itself, and the cleanup after the event. Everyone pitched in. We got stuff done. If something didn’t go as planned, we pivoted and made things succeed. Unfortunately, as I’m sure you know, we can’t let our guard down. In addition to the lawsuit, the time for 2025 budget negotiations is approaching. We must remain vigilant so there is no cut in staff or services. How do we do this? By staying engaged. Make sure you particularly pay attention to the finance and personnel meetings, along with the general meetings. Information and streaming links are here: Stay Engaged. There’s also information on finding your rep on council if you don’t already know.
“Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities.”
Keep Our Library Public! 