Death By a Thousand Cuts: the BPL and Amy Ryan's "vision"

God - I am so furious ! What an awful meeting and what a shameful process. Still, showing up in numbers and with a united voice, we seemed to have some effect on the mood of the board of trustees.  We shook their unity and resolve for a few moments, at least. Listen to some info at WBUR Below is my Letter to the Editor @ the Globe today.  You can send your own here: letter@globe.com. Please do.  

And, letters to Deval P, our state reps and Mistah Mayuh - Tom Menino are also in order.  Surprising heroes today were the pols who showed up at Rabb Hall at the 11th hour: City Councillors Felix Arroyo,( phone: 617-522-8683 or  e-mail: campaign@felixarroyo.com ) Ayanna Pressley (info@ayannapressley.com | 617-825-8683) John Tobin ( john@votejohntobin.com   and  617.635.4220) and   State Rep. Linda Dorcena Florry. ( Rep.LindaDorcenaForry@hou.state.ma.us |  617-722-2080) Take a minute to say thanks to them if you take a notion? Below is my bite sized expression of indignation.

 Lingchi - it isn't pretty and it is not very "21st century"

Dear Editors:

BPL President Amy Ryan's  plan to "re-align" and "re-purpose" the library for the 21st century is more like língchí; death by a thousand cuts. This was a form of execution used in China from roughly AD 900 until 1905. The condemned person was killed by using a knife to methodically remove portions of the body over an extended period of time.

The proposed branch closings are not about money or the touted shortfall. When asked by fellow board member, Donna DiPrisco, if the arrival of $3.6 mil would automatically rescind the order to cut jobs and close branches, Chair of the Trustees, Rudman did a verbal dance that never landed any where near the word "yes".

"This is just the beginning, "  said Amy Ryan, as she described her big box store cum internet café "vision" *for the Boston Public Library. From what I can tell after reading her intentions,  BYOB ( bring your own books)  will be the byword.  And don't forget to BYOL (bring your own librarian).

This restructuring is fundamentally flawed and Amy Ryan's plan should be shut down and all the branches left open.

 

* http://www.bpl.org/general/budget/aryan_remarks_20100309.htm   Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston Meeting of the Corporation and Administrative Agency  Tuesday, March 9 at 3 p.m.