Why Is New York City Planning to Sell and Shrink Its Libraries?

Defend our libraries, don't defund them. . . . . fund 'em, don't plunder 'em

Mayor Bloomberg defunded New York libraries at a time of increasing public use, population growth and increased city wealth, shrinking our library system to create real estate deals for wealthy real estate developers at a time of cutbacks in education and escalating disparities in opportunity. It’s an unjust and shortsighted plan that will ultimately hurt New York City’s economy and competitiveness.

It should NOT be adopted by those we have now elected to pursue better policies.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

PHOTO GALLERY: October 22, 2013 Delivery of Petition To Mayor Bloomberg at City Hall

This page is in the process of being updated- Click on any photo to enlarge.

Citizens Defending Libraries presented Mayor Michael Bloomberg with a petition of more than 15,000 signatures at City Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 22, urging him to halt his plan to shrink and sell New York's public libraries to private developers.

This issue resonated with voters in the recent election, perhaps no more distinctly than in the race for public advocate, in which Letitia James, a firm supporter of libraries who opposed Bloomberg's plan to shrink and sell them, won a resounding 60-40 victory.

This petition drive demonstrates that supporting the libraries is good politics and good policy.
Petition with more than 15,000 signature in box.  Citizens Defending Libraries co-founders Michael D. D. White and Carolyn McIntyre
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CDL cofounders with Comptroller Liu and Democratic Public Advocate candidate Tish James
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Library Defenders Deliver 15,000+ Petitions To City Hall (Go to CDL YouTube channel for best viewing)

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More than 15,000 signatures creates some heft
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Comptroller John Liu
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Tish James
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State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
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Carolyn McIntyre
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City Councilman Jumaane D. Williams
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Theodore Grunewald of the Committee to Save the New York Public Library explains destruction of NYPL's "Central Library Plan"

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Green party's James Lane
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Marjorie Hirsch with yet another library petition also being delivered
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Lynn Rosen of Lynn's Kids International
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Talking with News 12
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Independent Mayoral Candidate Randy Credico
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Credico and Williams
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October 22, 2013 Letter to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg- Presentation of Petition: Save New York City Libraries From Bloomberg Developer Destruction

One of the pictures of the event

October 22, 2013

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

Re:    Presentation of Petition: Save New York City Libraries From Bloomberg Developer Destruction

Dear Mayor Bloomberg:

We present you herewith today a printout of more than 15,000 online signatures affixed to our Citizens Defending Libraries petition: Save New York City Libraries From Bloomberg Developer Destruction, started by Carolyn McIntyre in February.

Our printout from mid-day Sunday has more than 15,000 online signatures affixed to it but the petition has many more signatures than that.  No sooner was the petition with these more than 15,000 signatures printed than new signatures which keep coming were added.  Do we stop our work with the formal presentation of these signatures today?  No. Our campaign continues, and while these are more than 15,000 signatures of individuals with email addresses who signed, many people today still do not have or use email addresses and cannot digitally sign this petition.  We have collected even more petition signatures total; if all are counted, more than 16,000.

This petition to halt the sale, shrinkage and deliberate underfunding of New York City libraries at a time of city growth and increasing use of those libraries is principally addressed to you, but it is not addressed to you exclusively.  Though we know that you are soon leaving office concluding your third term we know that we will have work to do presenting this petition to those you leave behind and those who will come after you, including library trustees you have appointed, influenced and encouraged, with your encouragement extending to your, we think improper, use and provision of New York City taxpayer dollars.  Our job is not over until such individuals and everyone else understand that the destruction you have undertaken must cease, that this course of action, this mindset that is hostile to our temples of democracy, learning and self education must cease.

You, Mr. Bloomberg, could reverse course and communicate the need to pursue the objectives of Citizens Defending Libraries before you leave.  We ask you to do so, but we will do what you do not.  We will keep sending the message and we look forward to working with those who replace you and your administration to bring about a far superior state of affairs where our libraries are honored, properly treated and expanded and a new era of hope will prevail.

Citizens Defending Libraries


Carolyn E. McIntyre &
    Michael D. D. White    

CC: All other recipients to which the petition is addressed

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Visuals and Video of the Presentation event are here: PHOTO GALLERY: October 22, 2013 Delivery of Petition To Mayor Bloomberg at City Hall.

One of the pictures of the event