Oakland Residents Speak Up for their Libraries

Oakland Public Library - Main Facility

Even considering closing Oakland libraries infuriates many. (Oakland Tribune, 5/22/2011)

Excerpt:  Outraged residents are building on a fierce outpouring at a City Council meeting May 12 by organizing a Facebook and events like the Zombie Crawl to Save Oakland libraries Saturday evening. The library's supporters held a rally outside AAMLO on Saturday.

"People are angry and people are passionate about their libraries," said Carmen Martinez, director of library services for the city.

The libraries each have their own budget because they vary in size but as a whole their $23 million budget consumes only 2 percent of the overall city budget, she said.

Here's a list of the services that will be cut under Scenario A, which should can be summed up as "Why bother, the Rapture is here"..

* 13 branch libraries are scheduled to close: Asian, Brookfield, Chavez, Eastmont, Elmhurst, Golden Gate, Lakeview, Martin Luther King, Melrose, Montclair, Piedmont Avenue, Temescal, West Oakland
* The Tool Lending Library and the African-American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO) will close
* Second Start Adult Literacy will close
* Limited funding for new books, DVDs or other materials purchased
* Reduction of service hours for the Oakland History Room
* Discontinuation of electronic services like downloadable books and databases