Closing the Franklin Library, an action being considered by the Library Board is a "penny-wise and pound-foolish" decision, which strikes at the heart of true Minneapolis community. The following is the text of a message I sent to Kit Hadley and key Board members, Laura Waterman Wittstock, George Garnett and Rod Krueger. Please let your voice be heard with us in support of a unique City institution.
> As you consider the extremely difficult task of budget reduction for the Minneapolis Public Library, please don't close our Phillips community library - the Franklin Library! > > There are far more reasons than I can possibly list here, but in the interests of your busy schedule, I'll limit my and my neighbors' pleas to the following ones. > > * It offers unique resources to our multi-language community from Hmong, Spanish, Somali and Native American resources to materials to help speakers of other languages learn English and prepare themselves for better jobs, productive lives and becoming citizens of their adopted and hoped-for country. Phillips has historically been a neighborhood of first assimilation for future citizens who have given up their past to find a better home and place to invest their lives. > > * It allows access through the Computer Center for people of limited means to use computers, gaining proficiency in programs and skills for higher-wage employment in critically-needed fields. This builds neighborhood stability and will enhance the tax base as people invest in their properties and increase family earnings. It also creates a more economically diverse neighborhood more attractive to businesses and other private investors. > > * The Franklin Learning Center enriches school curricula for students struggling to keep up in the school system, and gives basic reading and math skills for adults who are strongly motivated to improve their lives. Again this is such a necessary and basic need in our neighborhood, and would be a huge loss to the community if unavailable. > > * The Franklin Library is ideally situated for use in a neighborhood with less than 50% car ownership. It's accessible via frequent bus routes as well as pedestrian-friendly. The location in one of Minneapolis' most- densely populated areas ( Phillips neighborhood alone has more than 18,000 people per the 2000 census) gives lots of people easy access to the wonderful resources of MPL. One of the most-checked out resources has been the Chilton's Auto Repair manuals, a critical need in a neighborhood with many who have to do their own mechanicing. > > * Story-telling in the library introduces children to books and resources typically unavailable in other cultures. It also connects to the "traditions of home", building positive connections to a new country, language and activities. It supports the role of parents and allows them to address issues in an enjoyable way. > > * The oldest library in Minneapolis is a preservationist's dream and "feels" like a real library. After more than 90 years of serving the city, it deserves and needs your support to keep on doing what it has done so well in the past. Although not a proponent of "government spending" I voted for the Library Referendum because it captured the vision of making the Franklin Library an accessible, available center of learning and growth in the neighborhood, while keeping the unique architecture and history intact. The hours of volunteer community planning show I'm not alone in this idea. > > PLEASE don't close our library! It would be difficult enough to "do without" for a short time during renovation. With funds only available to STUDY, not renovate, the facility, the closing of our Phillips community gathering-place, library, computer center and neighborhood learning center now should be unthinkable. Please make the right decision for the City, the southside, the Phillips neighborhood and our families by keeping the Franklin Library open for all of us. Without a downtown library (for some amount of time), the Franklin Library is even more important to even more people!> > > Thank you, from your reading, researching, computer-using, book-loving, tax-paying neighbor, > > Sue Anderson Phillips TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
