Public Hearing Gives West Side Residents Say Over Future of Library
Eric Ortner
North Buffalo Rocket / West Side TimesFebruary 2000: There is a serious concern among many people who have an invested interest in the West Side. Residents and business owners alike are worried about a proposal to close the Northwest Branch Library, located at 271 Grant Street, along with the Crane Branch Library, located on Elmwood Avenue. Under this proposal, these two branches would then be consolidated into one large hub library located somewhere on the West Side.
On January 26th there was a public meeting between the concerned neighborhood surrounding the Northwest Branch Library and some of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library’s top officials. The library system’s Director Diane J. Chrisman and the Community Relations Director, Michael C. Mahaney explained at the beginning of the meeting that they were present to listen to the library patron’s concerns. Michael Mahaney stated emphatically, “Anyone who thinks these public forums are not a chance to voice your concerns is wrong.” He continued, “We want the plan to be more than just words.” He further commented that the closings are still only a proposal which was made by the consulting firm Aaron Cohen Associates.
Mahaney then went on to explain the reasons that the proposal had been made. The rationale behind the proposal stems mostly from the archaic governance system setup within the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. The system is very complicated and a full explanation is way beyond the scope of this article. It basically boils down to the fact that, in the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library system, there are fifty-three buildings. These buildings are not owned by the library system, but instead are owned by local municipalities such as the City of Buffalo, or the Village of Hamburg. To make things even more complicated, there are twenty-four distinct hiring authorities, and four different labor unions within Buffalo and Erie County Public Libraries. This situation was created by State Law in 1953. This law creates too many management positions and makes it impossible to move staff across municipal boundaries. By consolidating 22 of the 53 libraries, some of these problems are simplified.
The consultants believe that the proposed consolidation will result in longer and more convenient hours because there will be fewer scheduling conflicts between the various libraries. The consultants also believe that there will be expanded and innovative services for children because more funding will be dedicated to one place. Moreover, the new facilities will be better equipped to handle the onslaught of computer technology. It is important to note that the use of computers has increased in public libraries as of late. In counterbalance to this, the circulation of books has decreased.
The proposal generally looks good on paper. However, it became clear in last Wednesday’s meeting that the theory has a few holes when it comes down to practicality and public consent. The first of which is that the wounds which resulted from the loss of Precinct 5 have never really healed. Sam Chechi spoke first saying, “We lost our police station, but we have to live with that.” This sentiment was echoed, time and time again as the speakers who packed the library voiced their opinions.
A related concern brought up by several people including Vincent Lorigo is that, “We’ve lost one business after the other…I can’t see any more lights go out on this street.” This feeling was reiterated constantly as the question, “If the library is closed, what will become of the building?” was repeatedly asked. The general opinion was that there are already far too many vacant structures on Grant Street. The neighborhood cannot withstand any more voids, as the quality of life continues to degenerate in the area.The quality of life, especially as it relates to the children in the area, was often a large source of worry. The library is a good safe place for many kids in the neighborhood. It is their own little island of security in an otherwise hostile environment. Therefore it was proposed by several speakers, that should the board of directors decide to ignore the people’s will and close the library, they had to ensure that it became some sort of youth friendly facility.
Another poignant concern was expressed by a member of the friendship coalition named Judy. Her worry was that if a hub library is in fact created, the Grant Street area and Elmwood Avenue area would end up competing for it. She believed that the opportunity of creating a hub library should be used to restore Grant Street which needs more help.
The opinion that the Northwest Branch library had to stay was almost unanimous, but there was one exception. The last speaker, Elaine Panty, who is a member of The Board of Trustees for the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, tried in vain to explain the merits of Aaron Cohen Associates plan. This basically outraged everyone else in the meeting. When Ms. Panty raised the question of handicapped accessibility, and whether the library users would be willing to give up space, the audience replied loudly and in unison, “Yes, we are willing to sacrifice space!” To many her comments as a closing argument were a slap in the face, and implied that the library wasn’t listening as they claimed to be.Wednesday, February 2 at 7 p.m. patrons concerned with the Crane Branch Library, will get the chance to voice their opinions on the subject of library closings. Those who attend can expect some informative discussion on the matter. The Crane Branch Library is located at 633 Elmwood Avenue. If you would like to find out more about this important meeting you can call the Buffalo and Erie County’s Office of Community Relations at 858-7181.
It is also highly suggested that those concerned with the proposed closings study the proposal, which is accessible at every public library in Erie County. The library system has also set up a website with a very user friendly interface which also allows you to study the proposal. It is located at www.buffalolib.org/gi_splan.html.
