BPL
President Amy E. Ryan Recommends 22 Branches to Remain Open
Library Scenarios Presented; Trustees to Vote April 9 --President
Recommends plan that will maintain Library hours
BOSTON – April 7, 2010 – Boston Public Library Trustees met in a
public forum this morning to discuss the library budget with BPL
President Amy E. Ryan. Three scenarios for the Boston Public
Library’s twenty-six branches were presented and discussed.
Following discussion, BPL President Amy E. Ryan endorsed Option 2,
the plan that closes only 4 branches and maintains Library hours.
“The Boston Public Library needs to save money, stabilize, and begin
to move forward,” said BPL President Amy E. Ryan. “Keeping
twenty-two branches open is the most prudent option. It preserves as
many branches as possible, permits us to fill critical vacancies,
and allows us to explore partnerships.”
These were the three options discussed:
* Option 1: All twenty-six branches remain open, 8 lead libraries
(plus Central Library in Copley Square) maintain existing hours of
operation, 18 branches paired and hours reduced.
* Option 2: Twenty-two branches remain open with existing hours of
operation; 4 buildings close. In this option, the following
buildings would close: Faneuil, Lower Mills, Orient Heights, and
Washington Village.
* Option 3: Nineteen branches remain open; 7 buildings close. In
this option, the following buildings would close: Egleston Square,
Faneuil, Jamaica Plain, Lower Mills, Orient Heights, Uphams Corner,
and Washington Village.
The Trustees will next meet on Friday, April 9 at 8:30am to vote on
the entire FY11 budget, which includes reductions at the Central
Library in Copley Square, in administrative and system-wide support,
and in the neighborhood branches. The meeting is open to the public
and will take place in Rabb Lecture Hall at the BPL’s Central
Library in Copley Square. At the start of today’s meeting, Boston
Public Library Trustee Chair Jeffrey B. Rudman announced that the
City of Boston will level-fund the Boston Public Library in FY11.
This is a change from an expected 1% reduction in city support.
Also during the April 7 meeting, BPL Director of Partnerships &
Communications Koren Stembridge made a presentation on the BPL’s
public participation process to date. Ms. Stembridge’s complete
remarks are available online at www.bpl.org/budget.
Key information about the Boston Public Library budget is available
online at www.bpl.org/budget. From that web page, community members
can send recommendations and other feedback. The Library is also
collecting comments via email at feedback@bpl.org and via US Post to
700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. Community members can also
participate in this evening’s online moderated chat at 6:00pm by
visiting the BPL’s homepage www.bpl.org.
# # #
About the BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY: For more than 160 years, the Boston Public Library has pioneered
public library service in America. Established in 1848, the Boston
Public Library was the first publicly supported municipal library in
America, the first public library to lend books, the first to have a
branch library, and the first to have a children’s room. Today, the
Boston Public Library boasts a Central Library, 26 neighborhood
branches, free wireless internet access, two unique restaurants, and
a robust web site. Each year, the Boston Public Library hosts nearly
12,000 programs, answers more than one million reference questions,
and serves millions of people. All of its programs and exhibits are
free and open to the public. At the Boston Public Library, books are
just the beginning.
_____________________________________
Gina Perille
| Communications Manager
Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
617.859.2273 office
