By GREGORY N. HEIRES
The unions three library locals carried out a citywide leafleting
blitz in February to protest deep spending cuts. United around
a battle cry of Stop the attack on NY public libraries,
local union leaders and activists distributed informational flyers
during their lunch breaks on Feb. 25-27.
The action captured a lot of media attention, heightening public
awareness about the crisis in the citys libraries. The flyers
urged people to help stop further cutbacks by calling Mayor Michael
R. Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Gifford Miller and their City
Council representatives.
The public was very supportive, said Queens Library
Guild Local 1321 President John Socha, describing patrons' reactions
to the leafleting. Local 1321 protested at the main library in
Jamaica and the Queens Village and Middle Village branches.
Since the time of Ben Franklin, libraries have always been
among the most popular municipal services, Mr. Socha said.
People are very upset about their branches closing on Saturday,
having less books available and seeing services decline.
The leafleting occurred just days after Mr. Bloomberg released
his preliminary Mayors Management Report for fiscal year
2003. In the report, the Bloomberg administration played down
the impact of its budget cuts.
Core services
Despite a year of budget cutting that saved more than $2.6
billion, the early results for fiscal year 2003 indicate that
agencies have succeeded in stretching their resources to do more
with less and that core services have not suffered from the budget
cuts, Mr. Bloomberg said.
The mayor has given the public the impression that these
cuts have taken place without a significant impact on services
in the libraries, said Ray Markey, president of New York
Public Library Local 1930, which leafleted at the Mid-Manhattan
Library, the 42nd Street Library and the New Amsterdam Branch
Library. This simply isnt true. I guess the mayor
doesnt believe libraries provide core services.
Mr. Markey pointed out that before these cuts, all of NYPLs
branches used to provide six-day services. Now 67 of the
85 branches are open only five days a week, he said. Millions
of dollars in budget cuts and a hiring freeze imposed since October
2001 have devastated the staff.
This means there are fewer childrens librarians. There
are fewer young adult librarians. There is less staff available
to help the public. There are longer lines. And the adult literacy
programs cant address the demand, Mr. Markey said.
Brooklyn Library Local 1482 members leafleted at the main library
at Grand Army Plaza and at the Brooklyn Heights Branch.
When the public libraries were created two centuries ago,
the dream was for everyone to have a branch in their neighborhood,
said Eileen Muller, president of Brooklyn Library Local 1482.
That dream is now being shattered. Its a tragedy.
Ms. Muller said she was encouraged by the response of the media
and patrons to the leafleting, expressing hope it would help generate
public opposition to further cuts.
The leafleting was also a morale booster for our members,
who are upset about the decline in services and stressed out by
their deteriorating working conditions, Ms. Muller said.
It was nice to see the three locals working together with
a common message. By being united, we are going to have a much
better chance of preventing a further erosion of
library services.