Hello and thank you to all who showed up and testified at Assemblymember Micah Kellner’s hearing on libraries on Thursday. The news could hardly be better. A total of about 60 citizens as well as key elected officials showed up to stand up for libraries and speak against the sell off and shrinkage. Nobody (except the two library heads) was in favor of selling the libraries. Here is the more information on our website which you may want to send around:
Thanks are in order to a number of elected representatives. We were not only impressed with Mica Kellner’s patience and careful listening but Joan Millman was also very attentive and listening and stayed to almost the end directing hard skeptical questions to the library heads.
Thanks also (you’ll love the video) to Councilwoman Letitia James, Councilman Stephen Levin, and Senators Velmanette Mongomery and Bill Perkins (who sent his representative with a statement).
Micah Kellner said this was not the only public hearing and that there will be more ,so if you had wanted to testify and had to leave before your turn or could not make it, you will get another chance.
In the meantime, continue to email, call, and write your councilmember and other elected representatives. Both Leitiia and Stephen emphasized how much your emails matter in letting them know what you want. So our elected representatives are beginning to listen, will the NYPL and BPL leadership listen? Unfortunately, they seem rigid about pushing plans to sell off assets inspite of growing public opposition.
Join us in canvassing! Here is a message from Eric Shtob
Thank you to the large number of volunteers who distributed flyers at the Brooklyn Heights Branch last Saturday and got even more signatures opposing this destructive and anti-democratic trend in our city. Our opponents would like us to think that this is a "done deal." Well, it won't be done until we say it is, and there is still a lot we can do to turn this policy around. And all while enjoying each other's company! So I will be at theBrooklyn Heights libraryfrom 11 -1 next Saturday, June 29th. I would love some company. I will bring flyers and petitions. Please let me know if you can join me. Thank you, Eric Shtob, eshtob@gmail.com
Next CDL meeting is this Sunday, June 30, at 4:30-6:00 at 101 Clark Street, Brooklyn Heights, in the meeting room on the ground floor. Nearest subway is 2,3 to Clark St or 4,5,N,R, to Court Street Borough Hall.
Thank our electeds!
Assemblymember Micah Kellner KellnerM@assembly.state.ny.us 1365 First Avenue
Assemblywoman Joan Millmanmillmaj@assembly.state.ny.us 341 Smith St - Bklyn 11231
Assemblyman Walter MosleyMosleyW@assembly.state.ny.us 55 Hanson Place Brooklyn, NY 11217
Assemblyman Samuel RobertsRobertsS@assembly.state.ny.us
Councilwoman Letitia Jamesljames@council.nyc.gov 67 Hanson Place Ground Floor Brooklyn, NY 11217
Senator Montgomeryjim.vogel@mindspring.com Third Avenue Brooklyn, NY11217
Councilman Stephen Levinslevin@council.nyc.gov 410 Atlantic Avenue - Bklyn 11217
Thank you for showing up to Assemblymember Micah Kellner’s hearing on libraries. We are encouraged by your presence and your concern about protecting the valuable public assets from being exploited for private gain. Please know we will continue to watch what is happening and ask that you continue to fight to stop the sale of Mid-Manhattan, SIBIL, Brooklyn Heights, and Pacific Libraries and that you do what you can to also stop the Central Library Plan of gutting the main library. The books need to remain in the library and we need more, not less space for libraries.
Thank you Assemblymember Micah Kellner,
As a citizen who greatly appreciates our public libraries I am thankful that you are hosting public hearings on our libraries. We all are feeling threatened by the current library leadership who seems determined to sell off our most precious and valuable libraries eventhough the public is against the sell off and shrinkage of our libraries. We ask for a halt to the sales and a new mindset of leadership and one that is willing to listen to the public instead of placing developers and hedge fund managers in charge of exploiting this vulnerable institution. Again, thank you, your concern brings us hope.
This message was sent to Suzannah Troy by Carolyn McIntyre, Save New York City Libraries From Bloomberg Developer Destruction Campaign through MoveOn's public petition website. MoveOn Civic Action does not endorse the contents of this message. To unsubscribe or report this email as inappropriate, click here:http://petitions.moveon.org/unsub.html?i=13666-579940-QMykNm
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