Rally to Save Our Libraries -- Thurs. June 3rd, 5 p.m., Boston City Hall -- please circulate widely!

[Ronni Komarow]

PLEASE -- We Need EVERYONE!!!

Even if your neighborhood library is not marked for closing this year, 

there are already more closings in the works for next year and the year after!!

The Rally to Save our Libraries

This Thursday, June 3rd at Boston City Hall, 5:00 p.m.

followed by the Boston City Council's budget hearing for 

the Boston Public Library at 6:00 p.m.

Help preserve the future of the Boston Public Libraries and 

to support the library staffers who make the system work.

There is a FREE BUS to the rally from Oak Square, Brighton -- 

just stop by the Faneuil Library to sign up.

From the Friends of Faneuil Library:

Dear Patrons of the Faneuil Library,

 

With your help THE FANEUIL LIBRARY WILL REMAIN OPEN. Please do not underestimate the value of YOUR participation. It is YOUR letter, YOUR phone call, YOUR presence that will make the difference!

 

Our first priority must be to demand that the City Council veto the City budget if it contains library closings. 

We must also continue to ask Mayor Tom Menino to prevent library closings. 

The State Senate must also approve the State budget, so it is important to ask Senator Tolman to lead the Senate in passing provisions to protect our libraries (as accomplished by our State reps). 

There are two decisive events for our struggle coming up. Your presence at the City Council hearing on libraries (6/3 @ 6 PM) is vital to secure the Councilors’ support for our cause. 

The Faneuil Funky Auction (6/8 @ 6:30 PM) will be a testament to our community’s support for the Faneuil Library and our confidence in our power to keep it open. COME AND MAKE IT AN EVENING TO REMEMBER!! 

 

Please keep in mind and be encouraged by our victories so far:

-         We made evident to our local politicians the importance of the Faneuil Library for our community (through a rally in Oak Square under torrential rain and hundreds of phone calls and emails). All local officials support our cause, though we still need firmer statements and actions from some of them (Contact City Councilors!);

-         We changed the tone of media coverage. Though for obscure reasons the Boston Globe supports the BPL’s decision of closing libraries, it has featured our struggle on its front cover, and has published supportive Letters to the Editor. The Allston-Brighton TAB is with us 100% and the Boston Bulletin has excellent reporting on the issue. Networks, radio stations, and blogs have covered our effort.

-         We motivated the State House of Representatives to approve amendments to the State budget that put pressure on the City and on the BPL to reconsider the decision to closing libraries. Let’s make sure the Senate does the same.

 

Thank you for your support!

 

Shelley Bialka                                                                Maria Rodrigues

President of the Friends of the Faneuil Library              Friends’ member

CHECK LIST TO SAVE OUR LIBRARIES

 

1. CONTACT CITY COUNCILORS: Ask them to VETO a Budget that includes library closings.

 Mark Ciommo 617.635.3113          Mark....@cityofboston.gov

John Connolly 617.635.3115          John.R....@cityofboston.gov

Stephen Murphy 617.635.4376       Stephen...@cityofboston.gov

Ayanna Pressley 617.635.4217                 Ayanna....@cityofboston.gov

Felix Arroyo 617.635.4205              Felix....@cityofboston.gov

Michael Ross 617.635.4225             Michae...@cityofboston.gov

Salvatore LaMattina 617.635.3200  Salvatore...@cityofboston.gov

Charles Yancey 617.635.3131                   Charles...@cityofboston.gov

John Tobin 617.635.4220                          John....@cityofboston.gov

Chuck Turner 617.635.3510             Chuck....@cityofboston.gov

Bill Linehan 617.635.3203               Bill.L...@cityofboston.gov

Maureen Feeney 617.635.3455                  Maureen...@cityofboston.gov

Robert Consalvo 617.635.4210                  Rob.Co...@cityofboston.gov

 

2. CONTACT MAYOR TOM MENINO: 617.635.4500   ma...@cityofboston.gov

      (“Please do not close our libraries!”)

 

3. CONTACT SENATOR TOLMAN: 617. 722.1280      Steven...@state.ma.us

      (“Please support all legislative efforts to save our libraries!”)

 

4. SEND THANK YOU NOTES TO THE FOLLOWING STATE REPRESENTATIVES (“Thank you for taking concrete actions to keep our neighborhood libraries open!”)

 

Michael Moran 617-722-2460            Rep.Mich...@Hou.State.MA.US

Kevin Honan   617- 722-2470             Rep.Kev...@Hou.State.MA.US

Linda Dorcena Forry 617- 722-2080  Rep.LindaD...@Hou.State.MA.US

Carlo Basile 617- 722-2637                Rep.Car...@Hou.State.MA.US

Brian Wallace 617- 722-2013             Rep.Bria...@Hou.State.MA.US

Willie Mae Allen  617- 722-2460       Rep.Willi...@Hou.State.MA.US

Gloria Fox 617- 722-2810                  Rep.Gl...@Hou.State.MA.US

Liz Malia 617- 722-2060                    Rep.Li...@Hou.State.MA.US

Aaron Michlewitz 617- 722-2489       Rep.Aaron...@Hou.State.MA.US

Byron Rushing 617- 722-2006           Rep.Byro...@Hou.State.MA.US

Jeffrey Sanchez 617- 722-2130          Rep.JeffreySánc...@Hou.State.MA.US

Martha Walz 617- 722-2070               Rep.Ma...@Hou.State.MA.US

 

5.    ATTEND RALLY @ 5:00 PM and CITY COUNCIL HEARING ON LIBRARIES ON JUNE 3 @ 6:00 PM AT CITY HALL (for free transportation, contact ssbi...@gmail.com or Faneuil Librarians).

 

6.    ATTEND THE 22^nd FANEUIL LIBRARY FUNKY AUCTION ON JUNE 8 @ 6:30 PM.