Resolution Respecting Neighborhood Libraries adopted by Independent Neighborhood Democrats on June 20, 2013

The following is the resolution respecting neighborhood libraries, the Pacific Branch and Brooklyn Heights Library in particular, that the Independent Neighborhood Democrats adopted at their June 20, 2013 after a presentation by the Brooklyn Public Library of its plans. 

* * * *

Independent Neighborhood Democrats

RESOLUTION

Whereas the Independent Neighborhood Democrats recognizes the historic significance and high use value of the Pacific Branch library and the ongoing importance of the Brooklyn Heights branch/Business and Career Library to local residents and the borough's business community;

Whereas the Pacific Branch library and the Brooklyn Heights/ Business and Career library branches are in imminent danger of being sold to private real estate developers and subsequently demolished;

Whereas the Pacific Branch library is heavily used by residents of adjacent communities and students in nearby schools that lack libraries and is an important resource to them;

Whereas the Pacific Branch library was the first library (1904) in Brooklyn built and funded by Andrew Carnegie as part of an explicit mission to serve low-and-moderate income populations and is the first Brooklyn library designed for children;

Whereas plans call for the Pacific Branch to be moved to a planned building in the newly created Brooklyn Cultural District, which will necessarily serve a different demographic;

Whereas the Brooklyn Heights branch/Business and Career library on Cadman Plaza West is a circulating library and an important repository of business and commercial information, used extensively by local residents, workers, students and businesses;

Whereas plans call for the demolition of the Brooklyn Heights branch/Business and Career Library, creating a smaller version of the library, on the ground floor of a proposed apartment tower, and the transfer of the Business and Career Library to the Grand Army Plaza Central Library;

Whereas the Independent Neighborhood Democrats is concerned that current library users would not be well served by the Pacific Branch library’s relocation to a site north of Flatbush Avenue in the BAM South Project Site and the demolition of the Brooklyn Heights branch/Business and Career Library and its replacement by a much smaller facility, potentially reducing the floor area of the library from 60,000 square feet to a proposed 16,000 square feet, a 73% loss of floor area;

Whereas the downtown Brooklyn area has experienced a continued growth in population and students attending public and private schools, colleges and professional schools;

Whereas The Brooklyn Public Library appears unconcerned with the fundamental inequalities of its proposed sale of public assets to finance outfitting a library in BAM South and the diminution of exceedingly value library floor area at the Brooklyn Heights Branch;

Whereas The Brooklyn Public Library has prospectively saddled the Pacific Branch and neighboring Park Slope, Boerum Hill and Gowanus area public housing communities with the costs of birthing BAM South;

Now therefore be it resolved that the Independent Neighborhood Democrats authorize the following actions:

    1.    Public affirmation that the services provided by the existing Pacific Branch Library should continue to be provided in the current Pacific Branch location, thereby remaining in the neighborhood immediately served by the library,

    2.    IND opposes any diminution of library floor area at the Brooklyn Heights branch//Business and Career Library,

    3.    Collaboration with other organizations working to sustain the Pacific Branch Library, including active support of public forums and campaigns directed toward that end,

    4.    IND shall call upon City Council members, other local elected officials, and State representatives to reject the sale of the Pacific Branch and the Brooklyn Heights Branch/Business and Career Library and to support the landmarking of the Pacific Branch, and

    5.    IND calls upon City Council members and other elected officials to provide sufficient budgetary resources to the Brooklyn Public Library to eliminate the Library’s perceived need to sell its real estate to make up for funding shortfalls

Approved:     Brooklyn, NY
                     June 20, 2013

Independent Neighborhood Democrats
04 First Place, Brooklyn, NY 11231
www.INDBrooklyn.org