Boston Public library is NOT FOR SALE!

The Boston Globe
Public library is not for sale

December 13, 2007

WILLIAM O. TAYLOR ("A chance to rethink the library," Op-ed, Dec. 5)wonders why the Boston Public Library doesn't pay for itself by raising,as the Museum of Fine Arts does, hundreds of millions of dollars. I am compelled to point out that the MFA is a private institution that charges money - big money - to get in. The Boston Public Library, on the other hand, is free to all - three words that are chiseled directly over the entrance of the central library at Copley Square.

Cities and towns fund public libraries because they are for the public good, providing information and promoting literacy and lifelong learning for everyone. Divorcing the main library at Copley from the neighborhood branches, as Taylor suggests, would weaken the entire system, not enhance it. And while I applaud a plan to squeeze more money out of wealthy corporations (those that pay taxes and those that do not) to help pay for the public good, Taylor's proposal would have us take the "public" out of Boston Public Library.

ANN LANGONE
Dorchester

The writer is children's librarian at the BPL's Mattapan branch.
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A Hearing on the State of the Boston Public Library.
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007
7:00-8:30PM
Community Church of Boston,
565 Boylston St, Boston MA
(Copley Square)

Branch libraries have been the center of controversy over the past months. Come out and hear testimony from the workers at the library and community leaders on the issues the libraries face and possible solutions to make the library system accountable to the community.

For more information please contact jennifer@massjwj.net or 617-524-8778.