What is the situation?
According to the Press Telegram article on Friday July 25th, 2008, City Hall is proposing to close main library in late October or early November of 2008 at a reported cost savings of $1.8 million dollars and add hours to the branch libraries instead.
How long will it be closed?
Reports say “temporarily.” However, there are no details or decisions yet about relocation, which would mainly rely on passing a $571 million dollar bond by a two-thirds vote in November. If the bond doesn’t pass, it would seem that we would be left without a downtown library indefinitely.
To give you an idea, the new Mark Twain Library took over four years ot build from idea to the doors opening.
WE NEED A MAIN LIBRARY IN THE INTERIM!
What would the impacts be?
Main Library has close to 500,000 visitors annually. It serves over 27,000 children in the downtown area, many of whom could not make it to another library.
The nearest libraries cannot handle the increase of traffic from closing downtown.
Closure of Main Library would mean NO ACCESS to:
- 70 public computers
- 150 reading and school readiness programs for preschoolers
- special collections that could not be moved to another library
- 490,000 volumes available only at Main Library
- more than 150 school class visits with 5,000 students from 38 local schools
- homework assistance sessions at the Family Learning Center which currently provides 4,000 one on one sessions annually
- a summer reading program that 800 students currently participate in
- meeting space for community groups
One proposed temporary solution was to open a downtown site with public computers instead of keeping Main Library open...isn't that all a library is becoming anyway? An internet cafe?
A community library is MORE than just computers!
It has books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, large print books, periodicals, special collections... a wealth of information in many forms!!
Close to 500,000 materials are checked out annually from the Main Library for home use.
How long has there been a Main Library in downtown Long Beach?
One hundred years ago, in September 1908, the cornerstone was laid for the new Carnegie Main Library, which was later replaced in 1977 by the current facility.
What is the condition of Main Library?
Main Library DOES have infrastructure issues that do need to be addressed for the long term, primarily a leaking roof. However, to date, there have not been any public notices of an immediate health and safety concern.
The July 25th, 2008 Press Telegram article mentioned that the library would be unsafe in an earthquake, however, past Press Telegram articles (Archives, July 8, 2007 "City Hall: Repair It or Build a New One?") and other media articles have talked specifically about City Hall seismic issues, which are much more severe due to the "four concrete-panel columns- called wings" and the "fourteen stories."
How big is Main Library?
132,000 square feet. In comparison, the average size of all the neighborhood libraries (except the new Mark Twain) is 7,500 square feet.
I only use my local branch library. How does closing Main Library affect me?
As we understand it, the proposal actually includes a plan to INCREASE hours at your branch library. However, at a terrible cost. While the children in your neighborhood will have an additional day to enjoy the wonderful services a library provides… the 27,000 children downtown- many from low-income families, will have NO library at all.
For those who CAN find transportation, they will be coming to your branch, many of which can’t handle the overflow.
A loss of Long Beach’s main library is a loss for EVERYONE!!!
