PHOTO GALLERY: May 8, 2013 Rally on Day of NYPL Trustee's Meeting

Citizens Defending Libraries rallying with the Committee To Save The New York Public Library on May 8, 2012, the day of the NYPL's Trustees meeting.  Approximately 200 protesters gathered starting at about 2:30 PM and continuing through to about 6:00 PM, covering at the demonstration's peak all three entrances to the library while some entered and attended the trustees meeting at which NYPL president Anthony Marx incorrectly told the trustees that the demonstrators had rejected offer to meet with the NYPL about the Central Library Plan.  He was corrected and later apologized, in part. 

CDL's Carolyn McIntyre talking with the NYPL's COO David Offensend

Photos and video below from Tenement City: May 8, 2013 Rally to save the NYPL

Carolyn McIntyre with NYPL COO David Offensend

Video: Save the New York Public Library Rally - May 8, 2013 Video: Save the New York Public Library Rally - May 8, 2013

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 Visually oriented?  You might also be interested in the following:

•    PHOTO GALLERY- CDL's Library Protection Week (April 2013)

•    PHOTO GALLERY: June 3, 2013 Vigil At Central Reference Library Protesting Loss of Our Cultural Patrimony- Evening of NYPL Fund-Raiser

•    VIDEOS: Available videos pertaining to the Citizens Defending Libraries (Including Videos of •    Elected Officials and Candidates Expressing Their Views On Saving Libraries From Sell-offs)

•    Cartoons and Images

•    More Cartoons and Images

NAACP of Brooklyn Resolution Reagrding Brooklyn Heights Central Library Opposing Shrinkage and Sales To Dveopers For Profit and Non-lIbrary Use

Above in mage form and below in full text form the resolution of the NAACP of Brooklyn opposing sale, shrinkage and privatization and non-library use of the Brooklyn Heights Library

SUPPORT FOR THE FRIENDS OF THE BROOKLYN HEIGHTS BRANCH LIBRARY


 The Brooklyn Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People resolves to support Friends of the Brooklyn Heights Branch Library and other libraries in the Borough of Brooklyn from shrinkage and sales to developers for profit and non-library use
.
WHEREAS, libraries are essential to the growth and stability of a society; and

WHEREAS, public libraries serve as the only place that inner city youth, senior citizens, and young adults have access to computers for school study, research, college applications, job searches, and for the elderly, often the only way they can communicate with their relatives; and

WHEREAS, the Business Branch of the Brooklyn Library System attracts people from all over the world because of its unique resources; and

WHEREAS, public libraries also serve as safe havens for children to complete their assignments on a daily basis without fear and with a certainty that their assignments will be completed, which will help them in their educational pursuits;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Brooklyn Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People unanimously support the Friends of the Brooklyn Heights Branch Library and other libraries within the Brooklyn Public Library System in their efforts to prevent the sale and shrinkage of public library space for non-library use.

This measure was voted on during the General Membership Meeting held on April 24, 2013 and unanimously passed in the affirmative.

PHOTO GALLERY- CDL's Library Protection Week

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Above, video of the culminating City Hall event of Library Protection Week produced by the Comptroller’s Office: Comptroller Liu criticizes sell-off of libraries to real-estate developers (Apr. 18, 2013) - best viewing available by going to Comptroller's YouTube video.  Additional video of that City Hall event and other events that week is going up at Citizens Defending Libraries Youtube Channel where some segments are already available, see: , see: Sen. Montgomery Requests Comptroller Liu Audit Library Sell-Offs, Assemblyman Kellner Pledges Library Oversight Hearings Absent Full Disclosure, John Liu Speaks in Brooklyn Heights About Library Sell-Offs — Part 1, Brooklyn Heights Library Rally — Letitia James, Brooklyn Heights Library Rally — Sal Albanese, Sen. Velmanette Montgomery Defends Brooklyn Libraries — Part 1.   The Committee to Save The New York Public Library participated in presenting this event.

Monday, April 15, 2013: Citizens Defending Libraries outside the Central Reference Library at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, the site of the NYPL's planned expensive consolidating Central Library Plan shrinkage were the NYPL, effectively decommissioning the Central Reference Library, plans to soon rip out the famed research stacks.

Saturday, April 13, 2013: Citizens Defending Libraries outside the Brooklyn Heights where in a deal closely replicating the reviled 2008 closing of Manhattan's beloved Donnell Library in a sale-for-shrinkage plan, library officials are rushing to push forward a sale for shrinkage before December 31, 2013, the last day of the Bloomberg administration.  More pictures from that day available here from photographer Jonathan Barkey.  Video is available at Citizens Defending Libraries Youtube channel.

Mayoral candidate Sal Albanese and City Council Member Tish James

Saturday, April 13, 2013: Citizens Defending Libraries outside the Pacific Branch library the very heavily used library that was the first Carnegie library to open in Brooklyn. Yards away from the deeply subsidized "Barclays" arena it is one of the two libraries in Brooklyn next Forest City Ratner property that the BPL wants to sell first (the other is the Brooklyn Heights library).  The BPL has admitted that it wants to sell its most valuable libraries first.  More pictures from that day available here from photographer Jonathan Barkey.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013: Citizens Defending Libraries at the site of the former Donnell Library, closed suddenly in 2008 for sale and shrinkage after secretive planning by the top management of the NYPL.  The new library will be one third the size.  There will be some ground floor space (the ground floor that was formerly library space with library floors above it will now be shared with a hotel and luxury condominium) the rest of what replaces the old Donnell will be underground.   The NYPL sold the library for less than the luxury penthouse in the new 50-stry building replacing it is being marketed for.  To build this small replacement library, the NYPL is spending only one third of what that apartment is being marketed for.  The Donnell Library that was demolished, reminiscent in design of Rockefeller Center (the land came from John D. Rockefeller) had been expensively renovated with a new auditorium, a new media center and a new teen center.

On right: Ed Hartzog, candidate for City Council in the 5th District

Thursday, April 18, 2013: Culminating event of the week, a Press Conference at City Hall where Comptroller John C. Liu criticized the sale and underfunding of libraries.  The Press Release for the event and a list of those who spoke is here: April 18, 2013 Press Release: City Comptroller John C. Liu Criticizes Underfunding and Sell-off of NYC Public Libraries to Private Real Estate Developers.

Comptroller John C. Liu amidst Citizens Defending Libraries

 

Comptroller John C. Liu, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Assemblyman Micah Kellner

The City Hall event was covered in the New York Times on line: City Hall Protestors Rally Against Sale of Libraries, by Robin Pogrebin, April 18, 2013.  (It may still be possible to comment.)  Atlantic Yards Report also covered it in which the pictures below appeared: Friday, April 19, 2013, At City Hall yesterday, a rally to stop the planned sale of libraries in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Comptroller John Liu

Assemblyman Micah Kellner

Carolyn McIntyre of CDL

Sal Albanese at right

CONTACT: To contact Citizens Defending Libraries email Backpack362 (at) aol.com.

You may also leave a comment with information in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

 The link below takes you to where you may sign the petition:

Save New York City Libraries From Bloomberg Developer Destruction 

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 Visually oriented?  You might also be interested in the following:

•    PHOTO GALLERY: May 8, 2013 Rally on Day of NYPL Trustee's Meeting

•    PHOTO GALLERY: June 3, 2013 Vigil At Central Reference Library Protesting Loss of Our Cultural Patrimony- Evening of NYPL Fund-Raiser

•    VIDEOS: Available videos pertaining to the Citizens Defending Libraries (Including Videos of •    Elected Officials and Candidates Expressing Their Views On Saving Libraries From Sell-offs)

•    Cartoons and Images

•    More Cartoons and Images