Librarians Do Gaga

In my house, it's library week all year long.

Because this week is National Library Week, I went looking for photos of the Minneapolis Central Library, a newish building by Argentine architect César Pelli, and a building I just love. It is full of light, welcoming in a cold climate, and a hub of activity. The branch libraries are just as busy.

On Flickr, I discovered a photo set that lead me to the work of photographer, Nattapol (aka jbnuwat). His architectural images are fabulous. You can see his work at his website Five O'Clock Studio, including the set of photos of the Minneapolis Central Library.

When we moved back to the U.S. from Japan, I was a very lonely sixth-grader, and I found refuge in the school library. That was the year I discovered The Lord of the Rings, but I had already been devouring books for years. In the next six years of Jr. High and High School, while we lived in San Francisco, I usually had books out from three different libraries. My refuge was in books, and the library was my second home.

More on library budget woes

Just why is the Minneapolis Public Library in a financial bind now? and what is the City Council and Mayor's proper role in resolving this situation? Thise two email threads (here and here explain the history of some of the funding problems, and give invaluable insight into the politics behind the current struggles over funding.

As usual the STRIB (what a pathetic newspaper) is ignoring the story in favor of the stupid Vikings, so MPR has scooped the "news"paper in its coverage of the impact of Dec 11's budget decision. An interview on MPR's MidMorning show withMinneapolis Public Library Director Kit Hadley reveals how the City Council and the Mayor of Minneapolis have not only failed to deliver adequate funding to keep libraries open, but they have effectively sabotaged the Library Board's attempts to create a reasonable budget for the coming year. Before the City Council meeting, the Library Board had considered three different budget models for dealing with the shortfall, and solicited public input: what was better: maintaining all the branches but with drastically reduced hours and staff? closing three branches and the main library on Mondays? Even more drastic cuts? Public input was in favor of keeping branches open because of their immense value to the neighborhoods they serve, and the Board made a proposal that the City Council's Ways and Means commitee approved, But then on Dec 11, the City Council took back some of the money, making it one time instead of regular funding, and imposing other conditions. It was only at the Dec 11 budget meeting that the Library Board discovered that last minute changes alter their entire budgetary planning options.

Here is an excerpt from the story accompanying the interview"
(and bravo to Gary Schiff for being the Library defender in this one!)

[City Council member Gary} Schiff says if the goal is to help the Library Board keep all of its branches open, then the city should make a solid financial commitment.

"Because it's ongoing money that is most valuable to our libraries," Schiff said. "Ongoing is the most valuable. So this is not an action that we should be worried (about). Talk about sending messages, this is a blow. This is operating money they use to hire staff and keep buildings open. You don't hire staff with one-time money."

Schiff also argued that the Library Board had already counted on the $250,000 when they made another request for $105,000. Board members said that would guarantee that the three libraries on the chopping block could stay open, albeit at limited hours.

The Council did include the extra $105,000, but they also decided to drop another part of the deal that would have added $925,000 per year to library budgets from 2007 to 2016. A city official says that money is still available, if the board decides to use the $1.2 million to pay down debt as part of a long-term funding plan.

However, this and other changes appeared to take library trustees by surprise. The board had included that $925,000 in its $24.8 million budget.

Library Board President Anita Duckor says she doesn't know if they'll be able to balance their budget, much less be able to use the one-time dollars to keep the three libraries open.

(full story here)
confusing? Yeah, but it shouldn't be. This is a lousy way to do business, folks! How is the Library Board supposed to make responsible budgetary decisions when the City Council and the Mayor's office don't make all the information available to them? They know that the Library Board cannot levy taxes and that they are strapped by the cuts in state aid to cities. This email interchange shows that the issue of how the library is funded is complicated, but there are solutions. In fact, the City Charter mandates that the City support the library.

My paranoid view is that I think the city is trying to starve the Library in order to force the Board to close and then sell off buildings, or merge with Hennepin county libraries thus divesting themselves of the responsibility, but also removing one of the city's most precious assets from its control. Rybak and Ostrow in particular look bad here.

Minneapolis City Libraries: as basic as police and fire departments

I sent this letter to the Mayor of Minneapolis and my City Council members:

Dear Mayor Rybak and City Council members,
As a resident of Minneapolis, a mother of a junior high student
who attends public school, and a professor at the
University of Minnesota, I respectfully urge you to make full funding of ALL of our library branches a top priority. The Library Board has voted to keep the branches open if you provide the funds. The people of Minneapolis have consistently supported our excellent library system in bonding bills in years past. Please do not starve the library system of the funding it needs to remain a vital service for ALL Minneapolis
residents, not just those in some neighborhoods. As a former resident of
California, I was delighted when I moved to Minneapolis to work at the
University of Minnesota that the city had a superior library, school and
park system. It is with extreme dismay that I witness the erosion of an
ethos of first-class public services in this city.

As a single parent, I am very concerned that children of Junior High age do not currently have enough safe spaces to go after school. After sixth grade they are not eligible for on-site after-school care, such as Minneapolis Kids. Those of us with the means to enroll our children in after-school activities patch together ways to keep them safe until we come home from work. Children this age are especially vulnerable to being initiated into such activities as smoking, drinking, and sex if they are hanging around unsupervised until their parents come home from
work. When I was this age, the library was a safe haven, a place to do homework, a place to learn. Children should be able to WALK or take a very short bus ride to a library.

As a university professor, I want to see all of our city's children end
up in my classes, and for many, the library may be the only access they
have to books or information. Closing branch libraries may seem like a
way to save money in the short term, but the impact on our children (and

on many others who rely on the library for a wide array of vital
services) must be a top priority in any decision we make. Closing
library branches is hobbles the ability of parents and public schools to
partner in preparing their children for higher education.

When the city has Wi-Fi, that will be great for those of us who can
afford computers. But those who cannot afford computers make heavy use of them in the
libraries. Closing branch libraries deprives communities of access to
information, much of which is no longer easily accessible in other
formats.

I use branch libraries in more than one neighborhood--in Uptown where I
live, in SouthEast where I work, and in other neighborhoods where I shop
or visit friends. They are always packed with people of all ages,
especially young people. Where will these children go to learn? where
will they go after school when these safe and FREE spaces are closed? I
also note the presence of senior citizens, new immigrants, and folks
from every age and background. Branch libraries are one of the very few
community spaces that are not segregated by wealth, age, race, or other
factors. Closing branch libraries deprives our city of public spaces
that are not commercial in which citizens can interact in safety with people of all walks of life.

Please do not allow the state's shortsighted funding priorities to drive
our city's public service agenda. I consider the library system to be as
important to public safety as the police and fire departments, as
important to education as the public schools, and as important to the
health of our communities as any jobs program. You have the opportunity
to invest in the health of the library now while we work to reverse the
priorities of the state's funding system.


So far, this is the only response I have received:
Hi Joanna,

Thanks for writing.

I'm not impressed with the Council's work on the budget thus far. We
could, and need to do a lot more to help the Library with its 2007
budget.

For the first time in five years, the city budget has many dollars of
new spending. With a 2% wage cap still in place for city employees, the
police department not adequately staffed and our libraries closing, I
can't support using our 8% tax increase on new funding for new staff
positions and new programs. Libraries are essential services. We need to
fund the basics first.

I authored motions put before the council designed to give an additional
$645K to the library for 2007, I came up with $250K previously, and my
colleagues have approved another $885. I will keep fighting for the
funds to keep our libraries open.

Please keep writing all elected officials. I am hopeful with the new
leadership at the State Capital we can get our LGA restored and reverse
the corporate property tax cuts that have harmed all city budgets in the
past four years.


Gary Schiff
City Council Ward 9