Public Library changed my life.

[penmage]

To my dear fellow New Yorkers:

If you are like me (and if you are on my flist, I suspect you are), you like books. You probably like them a lot. If you are like me, then you might have spent your childhood addicted to the public library. You might have felt a little thrill of excitement every time you went to the library, to see what new books you could bring home today. You might have been willing, back before interlibrary loan was all internetted, to shell out 40 cents to place an order for a book you were dying to read. You might have had your world opened up in a million ways by the books your local branch of the public library could provide.

If you are like me, then your public library made all the difference in your life when you were growing up, and if you are like me, then it still does.

Right now, there is not enough funding for public libraries. If you can give back financially to your library, more power to you. But if you're poor like me, there's another easy way for you to help. My branch is having a letter-writing campaign right now. Maybe yours is too. You write a letter. You put it in an envelope. You give it to the librarian, and the library mails them all out. It's not hard. It's completely free. And it really makes a difference.

At the mayor's office, and the city council, they count these letters. These letters tell them how important Public Library is to the people of this city. Is it important to you? It's important to me.

So give back to the library. Write a letter. It doesn't even have to be complicated. In fact, there's even a form letter that I will reproduce here for you:



Dear Mayor/Council Member _______________,

I use the _____________ (insert Library name). Thank you for increasing funding to open my library six full days a week. Having six day library service is important to me because _____________. (PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY KEEPING YOUR LIBRARY OPEN MORE IS IMPORTANT TO YOU--IS IT ACCESS TO FREE INTERNET, A SAFE HAVEN WITH VALUABLE PROGRAMS, A PLACE TO DO RESEARCH? HOMEWORK AFTER SCHOOL? TELL YOUR PERSONAL STORY HERE.)

Please maintain funding for The New York Public Library to keep all libraries open six full days a week! Libraries are essential to New Yorkers and should remain open more.

Sincerely,

Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Email address


And here are the people to send it to:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg
City Hall
Office of the Mayor
New York, NY 10007

Speaker, City Council
Christine C. Quinn
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

New York City Council

Manhattan
Alan J Gerson
Council District 1
51 Chambers Street, suite 429
New York, NY 10007

Rosie Mendez
Council District 2
237 First Avenue, suite 504
New York, NY 10003

Christine C. Quinn
Council District 3
224 West 30th street, suite 1206
New York, NY 10001

Daniel Garrodnick
Council District 4
211 East 43rd Street, suite 2004
New York, NY 10017

Jessica Lappin
Council District 5
336 East 73rd street, suite C
New York, NY 10021

Gale A Brewer
Council District 6
463 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024

Robert Jackson
Council District 7
751 West 183rd street
New York, NY 10033

Melissa Mark Viverito
Council District 8
105 East 116th street
New York, NY 10029

Inez Dickens
Council District 9
ACP Jr. Sta. Ofc-163 W. 125 Street
New York, NY 10027

Miguel Martinez
Council District 10
601 West 174 street, suite 1A
New York, NY 10033

Bronx
G. Oliver Koppell
Council District 11
3636 Waldo Avenue
Bronx, NY 10463

Larry B Seabrook
Council District 12
3687-A White Plains Road
Bronx, NY 10467

James Vacca
Council District 13
3040 East Tremont Ave, room 104
Bronx, NY 10461

Maria Baez
Council District 14
1831 Grand Concourse, suite A
Bronx, NY 10453

Joel Rivera
Council District 15
1901 Southern Blvd
Bronx, NY 10460

Helen D. Foster
Council District 16
1377 Jerome Ave
Bronx, NY 10452

Maria del Carmon Arroyo
Council District 17
384 East 149th Street, suite 300
Bronx, NY 10455

Annabel Palma

Council District 18
1041 Castle Hill Avenue
Bronx, NY 10472

Staten Island
Michael E. McMahon
Council District 49
130 Stuyvesant Place, 6th Floor
Staten Island, NY 10301

James S. Oddo
Council District 50
94 Lincoln Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10306

Vincerny Ignizio
Council District 51
3944 Richmond Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10312

Borough Presidents
Bronx
Adolfo Carrion, Jr.
851 Grand Concourse
Bronx, NY 10451

Manhattan
Scott Stringer
Municipal Building
One Centre Street, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10007

Staten Island
James Molinaro
Borough Hall, Room 120
Staten Island, NY 10301



So write a letter. Write two. Write ten. If your branch isn't having a letter-writing campaign, you can write them and give them to me and I'll give them in at my branch. It's so easy. And it's free.

If you're like me, you've been using your library for free (aside from a few fines) for most of your life. I think it's time to give a little back.

Comments

[embereye.livejournal.com]

Hrm... Brooklyn isn't listed. I love the Brooklyn Public Library personally. I mean... they have most Nina Kiriki Hoffman! I may just send them a love letter anyway. :-D

[fshk.livejournal.com]

Yeah... embereye and I live, like, three blocks from the central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. The building itself is awesome, if you've never been.

Also, your icon is full of awesome.

[norda.livejournal.com]

The New York Public Library literally saved my life in 1985, and my semi-daughter wouldn't be who she is today without our public library here in Wormtown. So you bet I'll be writing, even though I'm not currently a NY resident.

[penmage.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I wrote a few letters today and took home a copy of the form to write some more at home. My librarian said that they hadn't gotten as many letters as they really need, which I call a shame, considering if you write them in the library they even provide the paper, pens and envelopes.