Save The Library

Haoui Montauk was a poet. He lived a long life in the last century. The New York native regarded the New York public library as the epitome of intellectualism. Haoui was right, but in the era of greed-driven ignorance certain special interests have sought to change the format of the library's mission from knowledge to profit.

Tomorrow a seminar will be held at the Midtown Library to discuss the services offered by the Midtown Library.

The meeting will be from 6 to 8 pm in the Edna Barnes Salomon Room on the third floor of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Enter at the Fifth Avenue entrance (at 41st Street, between the Lions). Refreshments will be served.

Knowledge is all, unless we want to end up like the Eloi of THE TIME MACHINE BY HG Wells.

All the books from the past ended up as dust and the Morlocks liked nothing better than roasted Eloi.

To those solely interested in profit, ignorance is an easier sell than knowledge.

Keep The Rose Reading Room Alive

This summer the filthy rich came close to killing the Rose Reading Room, once one of the greatest research library. They had the trustees transfer three million books to New Jersey saying that it is cheaper to keep them on the other side of the Hudson. What these guardians of books really wanted was to build a high-rise luxury condo with a shopping plaza to replace the newly-renovated storage stacks beneath the 42nd Street Library. They were all friends of Mayor Bloomburg, a Zionist billionaire from Bermuda.

The plan was only less costly, because great minds seek knowledge in the relative present. I can remember requests for books were sent by pneumatic pipes to the subterranean stacks. 30 minutes in 1977. 30 hours in 2014 thanks to the wicked rich.

With DeBlasio's election the diabolical plan of the other 1% was forestalled by outrage, however this week they will attempt to push through their strategy to steal one more asset of people.

It is not a small thing to lose the Rose Garden.

It is like the Burning of the Library in Alexandria.

No commercial value, no sell out.

No wasteland and I like wastelands.

Da Bronx in the 70s when all that shit was going on all the time.

This is a plea to save the Library.

Fuck consumerism.

Dear lover of libraries, On December 10th at 1:00pm, the NYC Council Committee on Cultural Affairs and the Sub-Committee on Libraries will hold a hearing on capital needs in the Council Chambers in City Hall (see attached). Charles Warren has been invited to testify on behalf of the Committee to Save NYPL. New York Public Library President Anthony Marx will also be testifying and is expected to request an unprecedented increase in capital funding for projects that will have profound effects for our branches and research libraries. The hearing will be open to the public in the City Council Chamber, and we would like to encourage anyone interested in attending to join us as we demand a halt to the sale of the Science, Industry, and Business Library, the return of the three million books exiled from the 42nd Street library’s stacks, and greater accountability from NYPL leaders to the taxpayers who provide a large part of their funding. You can enter City Hall through the gate on the East side of Broadway opposite Murray Street. In order to allow time to go through security, we recommend arriving at least 20 minutes in advanced of the hearing. In addition to attending the public hearing this Wednesday, now is an excellent time to contact your local city council member and borough president and let them know that the battle to save our libraries isn’t over, and this critical public hearing will shape the future of our libraries. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer: Email: info@manhattanbp.nyc.gov Phone: (212) 669-8300 Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz, Jr: Email: webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov General Office: (718) 590-3500 Staten Island Borough President James S. Oddo: Phone: (718) 816-2000

Fuck Knowledge

The New York Public Library Rose Reading Room expands across two city blocks as a reminder of an elegant era before computers and iPads and cellphones. The lofty ceilings evoke a heaven of knowledge, while the quietude along the long oak tables fosters thought at a galactic pace contrary to the modern day's 24/7 frenzied pursuit of 15 seconds of fame. A minute spend within these exquisite chambers calms the soul, while a day lingering over a lost tome can resonate like a tuning fork in the past, present, and future.

The old pneumatic tubes at the main desk once brought requests to the stacks underneath the library, however those shelves are now empty. Over three million books had been evacuated from the stacks to make room for a proposed renovation i.e. commercial takeover. Thankfully wiser heads overruled the library's trustees and Mayor deBlasio cancelled the project.

The books are in New Jersey. The trustees are stalling in hopes of the people forget their anger and the restructuring of the library can proceed without a hitch.

Books ordered today take up to three days to arrive at the library.

Access to knowledge is key to research and not every book in the world is on the internet.

Become a member of the save the NYPL movement at www.savenypl.org

We might not read anymore, but some of us do.

OVEREXPOSED

LOVE IT

A Letter from Manhattan President on the Proposed Renovation of the 5th Avenue Library

I signed a petition against the proposed renovation of New York's Main Public Library on 5th Avenue in Manhattan.

The bourough president responded with an email.

Dear Friend:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the New York Public Library’s planned renovation of the 42nd Street Library and the potential sale of the Mid-Manhattan branch.

I firmly believe that every alternative must be considered prior to any reduction of services or the sale of library assets. It is important that all members of our community who rely on the Libraries be heard during this process and that the issues and concerns of my constituents are addressed.

I recently met with the President and CEO of the New York Public Library, Dr. Anthony Marx, regarding the potential plans for these branches and called upon his office to provide an extensive community dialogue and public discussion to address the future of one of New York’s great institutions. Please find attached a copy of a letter providing a detailed summary of the Library’s plans, as well as my ongoing concerns. I am confident that the NYPL is seriously considering all alternatives to any sale of library assets, but I will continue to advocate with them that the sale of any branch is not a viable option.

I will make every attempt to keep you informed during this process and provide additional information as it becomes available. Again, I thank you for your advocacy on behalf of our public libraries.

Sincerely,

Gale A. Brewer

PS It's important to stop the rape of the library.

While the New York City-born Doctor Anthony Marx is a distinguished political scientist, he is no librarian.

I don't doubt his plan means well, but the removal of the books from the subterranean stacks would signal the end to the city's greatest research library.

MY RESPONSE

Ms. Brewer

I have been using the 5th Avenue Reading Room since the 1970s back when the requests were delivered to the stacks by pneumatic tube. Your book was delivered to the desk within an hour. The removable of the volumes from the stacks has increased that time to days, so it is obvious that the new system is a step backward for those seeking knowledge.

This library was designed as a research library on par with Paris' National Biblioteque and the British Library in London.

The books should be on site to promote knowledge.

Not in New Jersey.

The stacks should be for books.

Not retail stores supposedly generating income for the NYPL.

I thank you for my response and diligence in pursuing a dialogue between the community, scholars, and the library trustees.

Please keep us informed

Sincerely Peter Nolan Smith

To sign a petition against this renovation, please go to the following URL

https://www.change.org/petitions/anthony-w-marx-reconsider-the-350-million-plan-to-remake-nyc-s-landmark-central-library

Without knowledge there is no freedom. - James T Steele