Like, the quote from the Supervisor about Congel doing something.....ANYthing...at Medley.
"It should get going this year if all the stars align. It will be fabulous for Irondequoit"
I think the planets are aligning with the center of the galaxy this year....I don't know about stars....but I'm not so confident that he'll do something before we all die on December 21st, 2012!
The other fact is this quote from the Supervisor about getting a lot of comments about the libraries.
" she gets an awful lot of pressure from residents to consolidate Irondequoit's library branches."
The writer asks that she substantiate these requests.
It is a fact that this guest essay appeared on the D&C's website on February 1st, 2012 - but it is now an opinion that this letter appeared there today because I wrote about it on the blog.
If you want to know if it is a fact that this letter appeared on the D&C website today, please call the library at (585) 336-6060 or (585) 336-6062 to get the facts.
Thank you.
6 comments:
I'm so happy to see a new blog Jax!
I would just love if the library was getting a bunch of calls to help residents figure out facts and opinions.
Maybe they could teach a course on it.
The World According to the Irondequoit Library!
I was laughing when I saw that MJD used the same "star aligning" quote that the Heyman administration used when they were pushing King's Pork. Do all of these politician's get the same hand book?
Then the comment about the pressure she's getting regarding consolidating the libraries. OMG! Maybe that's because that is the whole library board's mission in life and they keep saying it over and over. I'm sure there is a pre requisite to getting on that board that you have to be a consolidation one library lover.
I guess I'm not the only one with my opinion about that D&C article. Maybe we should call up the writer of that letter you posted and direct him to call the library for the facts...
Well - it's not much, but it's something. I hate to be so negative though. Naughty me.
Back when I was a wee lass, before the world wide web, if I wanted to know any facts I would look it up in the encyclopedia set at my house. They might have been outdated facts, but at one time...they were facts.
If I needed more information and facts I would go to the library.
It's true. You can find out facts at the library. There's also opinions, fiction, non-fiction, and mysteries there too.
Consolidation is fine for the board to pursue - but I believe it is up to the residents to vote on it. THE RESIDENTS should make the decision, not the LB or MCLS or anyone else. If they're paying for it, they should have the opportunity to vote on it.
I know years ago there was a great uproar over consolidation - people wanted their branches....but now maybe opinions have changed and they're sick of no improvements being done to the branches so they are finally giving in. I do not believe it will cost the town less money to consolidate - they want bigger and more and that means paying more for utilities, staff, materials etc. - and that's fine if that's what the residents want.
I don't agree that a new modern library will bring multitudes of young families to Irondequoit. There are many other factors that families find important - like schools, neighborhoods, affordable housing, low taxes, and convenience to work/school etc.
It will be a nice showpiece for Irondequoit to have a new library....and you'll be able to get coffee and snackies there and have girl scout meetings there.....but you can get coffee at Wegmans, or Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts or Tim Horton's (they have wi-fi too), you can get snackies there, you can have meetings at the schools (you own them, why shouldn't you use the rooms when school isn't in session for meetings?) and again....there are NO STATE STANDARDS regarding building size/seating etc. - there are "guides" from consultants who are paid by the library board.
With the internet and e-books and libraries in every school and every town and downtown etc., is there really a need for taxpayers to fund a new library?
There are needs and there are wants - and yes, it would be nice to have a brand - spankin' new library to free up the properties they are on now for businesses that pay taxes....but it has to be the residents decision.
It would be nice to start having everything at Town Hall Campus - library...then maybe a community center.
I keep thinking about how that grand old building (that's old and outdated but still a beautiful building), the Irondequoit Town Hall, came into existence.
They set aside funds every year for 21 years so that grand building could be built. They incurred no debt, and it was completed in 1951.
*sigh* the good ol' days.
Damn, I'm old. :)
Jax, saving for stuff is so yesterday...
They want it NOW!
Generally I enjoy reading your blog although sometimes I think things get bit too snide although, as you say, it is your blog and you can do what you want. Has anyone publicly advocated for building a new library without a referendum? I don't recall ever hearing or reading that. I want my library board to advocate for the library. That is their job. Please don't denigrate them for doing it too well. If they weren't pushing hard for a new library I'd want them sacked. I expect the Chief of Police to push for more cops and the DPW guy to push for more plows, etc. As for a new library, an idea I love, perhaps you could wait to hear their proposal for a new library before you criticize the new library proposal you have imagined?
"Generally I enjoy reading your blog"
Really? Then, you might have seen where I said that it's the library board's job to advocate for the library in one of the other blogs. I even said "duh" after it. I know they're supposed to advocate for the library - what they shouldn't do is "control conversations" or "force" people to do anything. Present the info, let the people vote on it.
What isn't their job is "forcing" anyone to do anything - which is what the MCLS seems to want to "assist" the IPL in doing. Link.
As for not having a referendum, a library board member pretty much said that the "no people won't go away and they will force a referendum" - silly me thinks that statement means there wouldn't be a referendum offered - residents would have to force it. Link. First page, at the bottom.
I've stated in the comment above that I think a Town Campus library would be great - but that the residents would have to vote on it.
Some of these "advocates" are the same ones who lied about the Senior Center on fliers under the guise of a Seniors First Committee, lied about the amount of property around Pinegrove, lied about the consultant being hired for the consolidation push (it's in their own meeting minutes...I didn't make it up)... but yet want us to call them for facts. Forgive me for questioning their motives or their ideas, and forgive me for being snarky about the "opinions on blogs vs. facts from" some of them.
Also, if I (or anyone else) DON'T have the facts right....tell us what it is we're not factual about. Don't just throw out that well worn out "misinformation/ those aren't the facts" line....and then not say what the misinformation is or what it was they weren't factual about.
I think the libraries SHOULD consolidate - on Town Hall Campus.
Do you agree?
If you didn't agree with me...(for instance...if I really wanted the library to be in Ridge Culver Plaza, or on Empire Blvd.) do you think it would be right for me to push that idea onto everyone else in town?
No, that would be ridiculous, right? Just because *I* would like a consolidated library doesn't mean everyone else does.
Also, I'd like some facts on Association libraries and if Irondequoit can become one. Haven't heard a fact about that yet, and there was a whole presentation that mentioned there were 4 types of libraries...but only 3 were mentioned and discussed as to whether Irondequoit could or couldn't do that. Association wasn't one of them.
Another thing that irks me....it's been what....more than 4 years on this consolidated library idea, and there's only been $10 thousand dollars raised? If that?
Is it because there's no effort to raise funds or because there's not enough support for the libraries?
Last, but not least, the opinion/guest essay mentioned that the Supervisor is getting many comments about consolidating the libraries - I commented on that - not on any "imagined proposal". Remembering comments from only 2 or 3 years ago about Irondequoit having a consolidated library with a coffee shop and snack bar and larger meeting rooms. There was also an article not too long ago about Gates having a coffee shop - so I am assuming that this will be included in the plans IF there was consolidation. Perhaps I am wrong to assume that the plans on all the links from their last study (Thomas and Panz and all that) will influence the "new" plans that they are working on....I am only commenting about consolidation because it was mentioned in the guest essay.
Call the library and ask them if these are facts:
In 2011 did they hire a consultant that cost $24,000.00?
In 2011 did the IPL withdraw their construction grant application to MCLS because the matching (estimated $25,000.00) funds weren't available?
Letter from MCLS to IPL, page 1, 3rd paragraph down.
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