Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) today received notification that the Brooklyn Public Library intends to close its branches in Borough Park, Kensington, Midwood and other locations on Sundays effective January 4, 2009. Currently, these libraries are open to the public on Sundays between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00PM. These sites will, however, continue to operate Monday through Saturday.
Dionne Mack Harvin, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Public Library, attributes the Sunday closures to “actual and proposed reductions in both City and State funding in Fiscal Year 2009 and Fiscal Year 2010.” In a letter to the Assemblyman, she estimates that the elimination of Sunday service will reduce the Library’s annual expenses by $800,000.
In his response to Ms. Harvin, Hikind stated, “I question the Brooklyn Public Library’s judgment in closing the library on Sundays in what are primarily Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods.” Hikind added that the library should close on Saturdays instead of Sundays to “ensure equal library access for all New Yorkers.”
The cessation of Sunday library service is part of what seems to be a growing trend of Sunday closures throughout Hikind’s district. Earlier this month, The Blythebourne Station Post Office was also slated to cease Sunday operations until Assemblyman Hikind got involved. In response to Hikind’s efforts and public outcry, The Blythebourne Station will now remain open on Sundays until further notice.
“Once upon a time, the customer was always right,” Hikind said. “Today, the customer is apparently just plain irrelevant.” Hikind continued, “No one disagrees that difficult choices have to be made in light of the current economic situation, but significant agency operating decisions need to be made in concert with the needs of the patrons.”
Hikind urges the community to contact Mr. Steven Schechter, Director of Government Relations for the Brooklyn Public Library at 718-230-2091 to voice additional opposition to the planned closures.
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8 Responses
this reminds of the waiters who put down portions first by the empty seats and not by the people waiting for a meal
I can understand the postoffice, bu who cares about the library? It is filled with books that are counter to yiddeshkeit
I would argue that libraries are not places where you want your children to be hanging out. One can go to the library on any given day and find frum teens borrowing videos and books of dubious nature from the library. Rav Avigdor Miller ZT”L said that a library is not a place one goes to grow in yiras shomayim.
Dov Hikind we want the Public Library closed Sun-Sun, it”s not for us Yeshivaleit & Chasidim
-If you are bored And need what to do mr. Hikind work on opening a massive Jewish library.-
No need to question their judgement. I used to work for them. Brooklyn Public LIbrary has always had a problem with anti-semitism, though now it is limited to anti-religious bigotry. Just look at their staffing policies. In theory they should be trying to maximize usage, but that would mean closing many branches on Saturday, and opening on Sunday. I remember in the 1980s meeting a newly retired worker who was the first Jew (not frum, the first Yid of any sort) to be hired to work outside of a Jewish neighborhood.
The library is heavily used by frum Jews for secular material they for school or work (I remember a great reference question from a yeshivish guy research deer – he wanted to open a venison business), but don’t want to waste money buying (and some materials, such as legal materials and many medical books are quite expensive, compared to sefarim). If we had to maintain a secular library for our own needs (law, medicine, business, etc.) it would be incredibly expensive.
When my children were young I encouraged them to read. I took them to the library & I personally vetted every book for appropriate content. If you library knockers can’t be bothered to do that for your own kids, don’t knock the whole system.
Yes, today there are many Jewish novels on the market. However, they are, in general, badly written & predictable. There’s nothing wrong with reading! On the contrary, it opens your mind. But you wouldn’t know about that, would you?
Dov Hikind needs attention at any cost. Sometimes he hits on wothy causes, but other times it’s totally needless things. Like library hours on Sunday, when some children who would otherwise be doing schoolwork or even bochurim learning will now hang out in the ltraif library instead.
But understand 1 thing: to Dov it’s always the same: HOCKING A KUP at any cost. No l’shim shomayim intended.
# 7 ur name daastorah… is actually a disgrace to torah and torah jews.
i dont know this man d. hikind , but i do know thet ur post is clearly lashon horah/moitsie shem rah –
forbidden for u to write !!!