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September 19, 2008
Residents lament plan to close Trenton libraries
Many voice their displeasure at city council meeting
Friday, September 19, 2008
BY ANDREW KITCHENMAN
TRENTON -- City council heard another round of support for keeping neighborhood branch libraries open at its meeting last night.
It was the second straight meeting in which residents focused on supporting the libraries. A special council meeting has been scheduled Tuesday at 5 p.m. with library director Kimberly M. Bray.
Roughly 45 residents attended the meeting, with nearly every speaker denouncing the recent decision by the library board to close the Briggs, Cadwalader, East Trenton and Skelton branches. The main Academy Street library would remain open.
Stuyvesant Avenue resident Zachary Chester urged the council to investigate how the library budget has been operated.
"What concerns me is, it's the libraries today, what's it going to be tomorrow?" asked Chester, adding the council has the power to hold the city administration accountable.
Several residents questioned what happened to a large reserve account that the library previously maintained.
After the meeting, city official Renee Haynes said it was not appropriate for the library to have the reserve and, after the administration became aware of it, the money was returned to the city. Haynes is Mayor Douglas H. Palmer's chief of staff.
The library board approved a plan to close the branches based on a 10 percent cut in the city's $3.5 million funding for the libraries. While the library board governs the libraries separately from the city government, its members are appointed by Palmer and the city funds 97 percent of its budget. Officials have emphasized that the city pays more than is required by the state.
Montgomery Place resident David G. Perez, who has taught children how to fold origami at all of the branches, asked why the branches must close due to the 10 percent cut.
"I'm trying to figure out how four out of five equals 10 percent," Perez said. "I don't know. It's strange math."
Crystal Angela Smith of William Street urged the council to put together a task force to look into how the libraries could operate differently and keep the branches open. She said there is a need for more computers in libraries already.
Missy Balmir, a school board member, said she and other members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. urge the council to consider the impact of the branch closings on children, "the most vulnerable among us." She asked for the council to analyze how much the branches are being used.
Rafael Valentin, president of the Friends of the Trenton Free Public Library, said the organization met this week and has 40 members from across the city.
While some residents are interested in starting a new foundation to support the library, and Palmer called for a new foundation, Valentin said the Friends group has existed since the 1930s. "We will be back," he said.
Valentin also said the council should find out the costs of closing the branches, including utilities, storage, moving and additional security.
Contact Andrew Kitchenman at akitchenman@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5706.
Posted by tumulty at September 19, 2008 5:34 PM
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