Branch libraries closing?

[Dog Walker]

Rumor has it that five or six branch libraries are going to be closed by the Library Board and the employees let go.

There will be volunteers at several venues over the next many weeks with a petition for a straw vote to create an independent library taxing district.

Here is the ballot summary:

"Should voters have a future ballot choice to provide for library stability by establishing an independent library taxing district that shall provide adequate funding to meet the needs of the community, similar to other districts in Florida and with no increase in the total millage cap?"

We had to do it to provide adequate funding for our schools many years ago, now it looks like we need to do the same for one of our other important public education institution.

[thelakelander]

My guess is the urban core gets screwed like always. There, you have several communities with a lack of representation. Next, it will be the schools.

[Dog Walker]

^They would never think of closing Mandarin or the Beaches, would they.  I think you are on target.

There are people with the petitions in front of City Hall today.  If you have business downtown stop by and sign.

Monday volunteers will be at Riverside Ave and Rosselle St. to give the same chance to all the people who work in that area.

[JayBird]

As I travel I see more and more of this happening, as a fan of libraries it is sad. However, I will say in NYC you cannot walk three blocks without someone trying to explain the need of libraries and inside each one there has been heavy campaigning to keep them open longer. Petitions have been going around heavy for about the past three weeks.

What I find most telling, when you go to JPL's web site, one would expect to find big banner saying save our library or something of the sort. Instead, nothing. Not a peep. Kinda makes me wonder what the leadership inside that nice new building are doing.

[coredumped]

^They would never think of closing Mandarin or the Beaches, would they.  I think you are on target.

To be fair, I would imagine the people at the beaches would make their voices heard - (maybe not Mandarin). Can we say the same for all the other areas in jax?

[DNK1183]

I had heard about a couple of branches possibly closing, but not as many as five or six. With just one or two, you could confine it to the tiny ones, but if they go as high as six, one of the larger branches will have to close, so I wouldn't count out Mandarin or Beaches (or anyone, really).

[ChriswUfGator]

Let the downfall of our national infrastructure due to unsustainable economics begin.

[ronchamblin]

I wonder if the fact of increased use of online reading and surfing satisfies the need to engage news and curiosity, and that this growing online habit makes libraries less needed.  After all, one can, right at home, obtain news, read, and do research online.

Is it a lack of use that is allowing the branches to close?  If they do close, then it will mean greater use to those remaining, and even greater use of the downtown main library, which will be good for foot traffic for the urban core.  Of course, it will mean more use of the computer at home to get what is needed.

One might argue that the use of computers at libraries will allow their survival, but the problem is that computers and online access has become so cheap that almost all citizens can afford them.  I have noticed that the downtown library computers are used often .. the computer room is always full.

Goodbye branch libraries. Sad in a way.

[ChriswUfGator]

Ron, it's anti-tax syndrome combined with a slow economy that's behind it.

Expect to see more of this. I think it'll really come home to roost during the next cyclical recession.

[thelakelander]

I wonder if the fact of increased use of online reading and surfing satisfies the need to engage news and curiosity, and that this growing online habit makes libraries less needed.  After all, one can, right at home, obtain news, read, and do research online.

Is it a lack of use that is allowing the branches to close?  If they do close, then it will mean greater use to those remaining, and even greater use of the downtown main library, which will be good for foot traffic for the urban core.  Of course, it will mean more use of the computer at home to get what is needed.

One might argue that the use of computers at libraries will allow their survival, but the problem is that computers and online access has become so cheap that almost all citizens can afford them.  I have noticed that the downtown library computers are used often .. the computer room is always full.

Goodbye branch libraries. Sad in a way.

I'd argue the urban core is much more than the couple of blocks known as downtown. What about those of our population that don't have easy 24/7 access to computers and books?  Those that already reside in blighted communities with poor access to services most of us take for granted?  Seems like shutting down neighborhood libraries and schools without properly evaluating their social and long term economic impact on our greater society is kind of shortsighted.

[thelakelander]

Ron, it's anti-tax syndrome combined with a slow economy that's behind it.

Expect to see more of this. I think it'll really come home to roost during the next cyclical recession.

That, combined with foolishly developing our community in a manner where we struggle to maintain the amount of public infrastructure needed to support such low densities. Our chickens are beginning to come home to roost.

[Tacachale]

I wonder if the fact of increased use of online reading and surfing satisfies the need to engage news and curiosity, and that this growing online habit makes libraries less needed.  After all, one can, right at home, obtain news, read, and do research online.

Is it a lack of use that is allowing the branches to close?  If they do close, then it will mean greater use to those remaining, and even greater use of the downtown main library, which will be good for foot traffic for the urban core.  Of course, it will mean more use of the computer at home to get what is needed.

One might argue that the use of computers at libraries will allow their survival, but the problem is that computers and online access has become so cheap that almost all citizens can afford them.  I have noticed that the downtown library computers are used often .. the computer room is always full.

Goodbye branch libraries. Sad in a way.

I'd argue the urban core is much more than the couple of blocks known as downtown. What about those of our population that don't have easy 24/7 access to computers and books?  Those that already reside in blighted communities with poor access to services most of us take for granted?  Seems like shutting down neighborhood libraries and schools without properly evaluating their social and long term economic impact on our greater society is kind of shortsighted.

Just as not everyone 100 years ago could afford a personal library of expensive hardcover books and magazine subscriptions, not everyone today can afford the expensive paraphernalia required to access online sources. The technology has changed but the need and usefulness of a public library hasn't. Additionally, many books are only available in the time-tested dead-tree format, and libraries offer other services beyond just the books themselves.

[ronchamblin]

Good points. 

Then let's hope that the decisions as to which to close favor the outlying or depressed areas which need branches the most ...and that decisions do not favor areas able to afford other options. 

[vicupstate]

What I find most telling, when you go to JPL's web site, one would expect to find big banner saying save our library or something of the sort. Instead, nothing. Not a peep. Kinda makes me wonder what the leadership inside that nice new building are doing.

You probably aren't seeing any banners because the library leadership doesn't want to be canned.When jobs are being cut, the last thing you want to do is go against the people that hold the purse strings.

[JayBird]

What I find most telling, when you go to JPL's web site, one would expect to find big banner saying save our library or something of the sort. Instead, nothing. Not a peep. Kinda makes me wonder what the leadership inside that nice new building are doing.

You probably aren't seeing any banners because the library leadership doesn't want to be canned.When jobs are being cut, the last thing you want to do is go against the people that hold the purse strings.

Very true, didn't think of that