We received the following from the Committee to Save the New York Public Library, and encourage all New Yorkers to participate if they can in this rally. Also, if you haven’t already, read Charles Petersen’s article about the proposed library renovation from Issue 14.
The Committee to Save the New York Public Library will be participating in a rally this coming Thursday, April 18th on the steps of New York’s City Hall. The Committee, Citizens Defending Libraries, and Comptroller John Liu will speak out against policies of New York City’s public library systems that place the interests of real estate developers above the interests of library users.
If you live in New York City, we invite you to join us!
Noon, Thursday, April 18
City Hall Steps
Entrance on the east side of Broadway near Murray Street; arrive early to pass through security. Nearest subway stations are Brooklyn Bridge (4/5/6), City Hall (R), Park Place (2/3) and Chamber Street (A/C/E and 1).The Committee is calling for a halt to the Central Library Plan (CLP), which, at enormous cost to the city and its taxpayers, would irreparably damage the 42nd Street Research Library—one of the world’s great reference libraries and a city, state, and national historic landmark.
There has been widespread skepticism among library patrons, preservationists, and architecture critics about the wisdom, financial feasibility, and aesthetic quality of the plan. Underlying these concerns is the extraordinarily closed process through which the Library administration has made its decisions. Despite the fact that the 42nd Street building is owned by the City and is one of our most iconic structures, the plan was formulated with minimal public notification and no public input. The $150 million which the City has earmarked towards the project was awarded without any oversight by the City Council and with no public hearings. If alternatives have been seriously considered they have never been disclosed, and no cost-benefit analysis or detailed budget has ever been presented to the public.