YESTERDAY THE LIBRARY BOARD ANNOUNCED PLANS TO CURTAIL THE POPULAR CYBERBOOKMOBILE AND LIBRARY SUNDAY HOURS. THERE WAS NO PUBLIC NOTICE GIVEN IN ADVANCE OF ANY DECISION THAT THIS MATTER WAS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE LIBRARY BOARD. I AM REQUESTING THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO PROVIDE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD WITH AN OPINION AS TO WHETHER THE LIBRARY BOARD VIOLATED THE NY STATE OPEN MEETINGS LAW OR ANY OTHER LAWS. I AM SURE THAT IF THE PUBLIC HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THAT THIS WAS UNDER CONSIDERATION THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A LARGE TURNOUT. I AM ALSO CONFIDENT THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HELP THE LIBRARY BOARD MAKE BETTER DECISIONS AS TO WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CUT.
NY STATE LAW AUTHORIZES THE LIBRARY BOARD TO SHIFT DOLLARS WITHOUT APPROVAL FROM THE TOWN BOARD. I FEEL THAT SINCE THE TOWN BOARD DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO APPROVE LINE ITEMS IN THE BUDGET THAT THE LIBRARY SHOULD BECOME A SEPARATE LIBRARY DISTRICT.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT LIBRARY BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD BE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE AND THAT THE BUDGET SHOULD BE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS---THIS IS WHAT IS DONE IN MANY OTHER NY LOCALITIES.
THE ELIMINATION OF THE CYBERBOOKMOBILE AND SUNDAY HOURS BY THE LIBRARY BOARD WAS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. THE LIBRARY COULD AND SHOULD DEFER SOME SPENDING AND PURCHASES UNTIL AFTER THE NEW LIBRARY OPENS UP.
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18 comments:
the library has an obligation to set a good example for the town. This important topic should have been advertised in advance and discussed publicly.
The library did provide advance notice. That's why this is a discussion item.
Sunday hours are no big deal since most people go to other libraries anyway. This is a wise decision.
I don't know anything about the bookmobile; I didn't know that bookmobiles were even in existence anymore. What are its usage stats?
The library has been doing what they want right along .the closing on Sundays and getting rid of the cyberbookmobile is pay back to us that did not want this expansion.
I do hope that the town board refuses to give into their demands of what they are asking for in the budget.
#:27 boy you know of the advance notice to close the library but you never knew that we had a cberbookmobile .Where have you been?
Who told you about the closing?
You seem to be the only one who knew in advance.
"Who told you about the closing?"
The e-mail sent to town residents on Thursday morning. Advance notice, but not much.
----- Original Message -----
From: "elist" elist@cit-e.net
To: gblist@cit-e.net
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 10:15 AM
Subject: Cybermobile Service Discontinued
As a result of cuts made to the Library's operating budget by the Greenburgh Town Board, effective January 1, 2008, the Cybermobile will no longer be in service. Effective January 6, 2008, the Library located at Greenburgh Town Hall will no longer be open on Sundays. Items due on January 6 may be returned to the Library any time until January 8. Items on reserve for pickup on the Cybermobile will be available for pickup at the Greenburgh Town Hall Library.
We regret any inconvenience these changes may cause to the residents of the Town of Greenburgh. For further information, please call the Library at 993-1600 or access its website at www.greenburghlibrary.org.
Greenburgh Library Board of Trustees
December 27, 2007
the library board should be ashamed of themselves. They are cutting a well received program that many E Hartsdale Ave seniors appreciate (many seniors do not have cars or transportation) for petty, political reasons. Does the Library Board care?
Howard Jacobs and his Board were only following the model offered by you and the Town Board. When there is a serious discussion to be held, hide it from the public by meeting in a a non-televised, no-agenda-posted-prior, mid-afternoon "work session".
Does the Library Board's action make you feel left out? Welcome to Greenburgh, Mr. Feiner. Many of us feel the same way about your stewardship of Town government. The "most open" government you like to tout still doesn't post minutes of the Town Board meetings on its website - in fact, they still require a FOIL filing before they are available to the community. Worse, there apparently are no minutes of "work sessions" even to FOIL - and there is no "archive" of however-poorly-recorded "work sessions".
You are right - the Library Board's actions were cowardly and despicable - but they learned their techniques from you.
Too bad the library is telling us the residents that we do not matter.
Well Paul it's about time you stood up to these idiots and not give them what that asked for.
The library will not be finished in time for the end of next year,why the hell do you have to give them money.
They have filled their pockets formany years without someone checking their goings on.
Now you and the board have to tighten your belts and come up with a resounding NO,NO,NO to their monetary requests.
Let's see who will win this battle the residents or the library board.
And speaking of open, we should be posting the transciption of the town meetings. It takes forever to go through the webreplays. the transcription would be more useable. but feiner doesnt want it posted.
"Well Paul it's about time you stood up ..."
Mr. Feiner stands up so often that he could be mistaken for a whack-a-mole. He lacks the ability to take an effective leadership role with a matter such as this. Plus he has everyday town operations that he is supposed to be managing.
Any changes in library procedures, status, etc. will have to come from the citizens, not from town management.
To 3:47 AM
I know you were awake at 3:47 AM, but were you sober.
You Idea that it's OK to close the library on Sundays because people can go to other libraries begs the question. If it's OK on Sunday, is it also OK on the 6 other days of the week?
If it is, we can get rid of a frustratig dilettante library board; save about $4 million, or so (which equals about 12.3% of the B budget); rent out the state-of-the-art structure to a coporation for say $45/ square foot, times 46,000 s/f with a triple net ease and escalator clause; have enough income to cover the annual cost of the bond and have a little on the side.
Your idea is brilliant. And although you sig off as ANONUMOUS your lack of knowledge regarding the cybermobile tells me you are Mork from Ork. An extraterrestrial sent down to help solve the problems of Greenburgh. God only knows library boards, with their singlemindedness re the library and to Hell with the rest of the unincorporated residents isn't helping at all'
It is wonderful t deal wih such naive ignorance as yours because I know it'sstraight from the heart and without a hidden agenda.Please don't get insulted, I mean that as a compliment.
Although I was thinking of throwing my "thinking cap" into the libboard (my word) vacancy, now that Mork's idea is on the table and the board will be dissolved, and since my recent writings about the Town board members, all five, disquaifies me from evn being asked, no less approved, I can think about throwing my "ethical cap" into the ring when a vacancy arises on a boardwith which I spent more than two years trying to straightenout. And when I was nearing a "W" the fraud who called hmself chairman cravenly resigned.
To those of you who don't much like me because our views are opposite or even because you just don't like me, I wish you a happy, healthy and better '08 than you had in '07... because I really mean it, AND because who else would I joust with.
To the Town Board, please have the b---s to look the library budget in the eye and not blink.Make them prove accountablity, line by line. And those lines which ae not filled in have to be in order to be funded.
As with a spoiled child, whose loving parents indulge for a long time, and who takes their love as softness and continues to do as s/he pleases, so too has the library board asked for and received outlandish budget approvals in the past.That has to stop, and stop now.
2008, if all goes as planned, and construction projects rarely do, will consist of 9 months of limited service-January thru September, and possibly 3 months of almost full service. But even if the building is finished for an October movein, it won't be in move in condition; organizing thousands of books cd's dvd's etc. will take time.even the finding where things are or should go will take time.
Given these self-evident factors, their is no reason on earth why the library budget should be even equal to that of 2006, and certainly not greater than 2007.
You have a mandate from the people to husband funds now so the sunami of 2009 will be checked as best we can.
You have a new board and a new philosophy. If you can't work together work for all of us in your own way.
"rent out the state-of-the-art structure to a coporation ..."
Now THERE'S a wise idea!
Hartsdale and Edgemont have been accustomed to using the Scarsdale and Ardsley libraries for many years, and Fairview is now getting accustomed to the White Plains and Mount Pleasant libraries; so perhaps just keep the Greenburgh library in the town hall as is just for best sellers and preschool groups and such.
Greenburgh would save and make a lot of money, and most citizens would not be affected in any way other than lower taxes.
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Lets just have a reading room and periodicals at town hall. that is a great idea. I can use my WESTCHESTER library card anywhere! We really dont need a library any more... Sell that structure and save us paul!
it is so true we do not need the library anymore.
Every household has computers where research can be done.
Many belong to clubs to get movies shipped directly home.
The children movies on TV have expanded throughout the day.
Schools have libraries.
Many who work close to libraries use their cards in those facilities,and find it more convienent.
Those are some of the reason why the library should close.
And another thing with our cards we can go to any library.
Put this white horse on the tax role.
Another comment was made put the court the and let Police Headquarters' use the whole building for their use.
Can the library Board be dismissed for cause if they REFUSE to act in the public interest?
Don't you think the Town should have provided its taxpayers with advance notice of a 19.1% tax hike? Where was the discussion which should have taken place BEFORE the beatization of the Feiner Team? Or would telling us the truth perhaps have gotten in the way of your election campaign?
Advance notice would have been good for the library board, but equally good for the town board.
I just want to make sure that I understand this. The library should close because people rent movies through Netflix, all research can be done on the internet, and schools have libraries?!! It appears from the posting that you're either saying that books are no longer necessary or that anyone who's older than school age doesn't need them. Many people still value reading. We should be encouraging the next generation to read books and not just have the information delivered to them via movies or the internet. Based on Paul Feiner's comments, it's clear that he doesn't value literacy. He likely has never had much to do with books which is why it's so easy for him to continually cut the library's budget.
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