Resolution on Future of the Brooklyn Public Library’s Brooklyn Heights Branch & Business Library Adopted by Independent Neighborhood Democrats on April 16, 2015

The following is the resolution respecting the Brooklyn Heights (Tillary Clinton) Library that Independent Neighborhood Democrats adopted April 16, 2015 after a forum where the Brooklyn Public Library defended its plans.

* * * *

Independent Neighborhood Democrats

Resolution on the Future of the Brooklyn Public
Library’s Brooklyn Heights Branch & Business Library

Adopted by the IND General Membership at the April 16, 2015 meeting.

Whereas, Independent Neighborhood Democrats (“IND”) recognizes the critical and expanding role that Brooklyn’s public library system plays, especially the branch libraries, in the lives of New York City’s residents, providing them with books, information, communications and other technology, meeting spaces, and other resources and activities they rely upon to improve and enhance their intellectual, social and economic well being, and

Whereas, the increasing number of people who live, go to school and work near the Brooklyn Heights Branch places a growing strain on the Library’s resources and ability to meet the needs of its diverse community of patrons, and

Whereas, the Brooklyn Public Library must develop a plan to ensure performance of necessary maintenance and improvements such as infrastructure repairs, additional space, new services, enhanced technology and partnerships with other community resources at the Brooklyn Heights branch, and

Whereas, the Brooklyn Public Library has raised several proposals impacting the Brooklyn Heights branch including the business library, the centerpiece of which calls for selling the space that currently houses the Brooklyn Heights branch to private real estate developers, and

Whereas, any sale of a publicly-held asset raises very serious concerns regarding whether the sale will serve the interests of the community, therefore be it 

Resolved, that the Independent Neighborhood Democrats opposes any proposed sale of an important public asset to private developers with little or no transparency, long-term planning, and oversight, and

Resolved that the Independent Neighborhood opposes diminution of public areas or services in the Brooklyn Heights branch, and be it further

Resolved, that the Independent Neighborhood Democrats calls upon all our elected officials to reject piecemeal proposals put forth by the Brooklyn Public Library, including the entire idea of locating any affordable housing off-site, for the Brooklyn Heights Branch, and be it further

Resolved, that the Independent Neighborhood Democrats will work with elected officials, other organizations and campaigns to provide a forum for exploring flexible, responsible, transparent and fiscally sound ways to renovate, upgrade and enhance the existing facility over the coming years, and be it finally

Resolved that the Independent Neighborhood Democrats will work with others to fight for increased funding for the borough’s public libraries so that they can continue to meet the many needs of their growing number of patrons and remain a valuable resource to this city.

* * * *

See also the following about the forum on the future of the library Independent Neighborhood Democrats held on January 22, 2015: Open Letter To Brooklyn Public Library Trustee Peter Aschkenasy Re Commitment to Provide Information About Library Sale.

Additionally, here is another resolution IND adopted earlier: Resolution Respecting Neighborhood Libraries adopted by Independent Neighborhood Democrats on June 20, 2013