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Friday February 21 2003

Say it ain't so Joe

Posted by El Keter ben Tzadik

So, I e-mailed the webmaster of the Springfield Library & Museums Association website the other day and today I recieved a response from SLMA President Joe Carvalho. I had asked a series of tough questions regarding exactly who and what the SLMA was, how and under what statutes they operate, and what their interests are in the library facilities, the land those facilities are built on and the services those facilities provide. Though he didn't answer all my questions he did answer a few directly and a few more indirectly. The message behind his answers seems to forbode bad news for the people of Springfield. He's alleged that the SLMA is essentially a privately run non-profit organization and that it does indeed own many of the Springfield area library facilities. It was only through an agreement made with the city government many years ago that the SLMA began providing library services to the general public. This means that the city of Springfield doesn't really have much in the way of publicly run libraries. Though this doesn't signal doom, nor the end of library services as we know them in the city it does indicate that we as citizens need to put some pressure on the SLMA, but more importantly on our local government to make some hard choices and take some dramatic action to ensure that these essential services are provided to the populace regardless of the actions of the SLMA.

You see, at the end of the day these are public services whose existance should be ensured by our elected officials and not entrusted to what ammounts to a private club who once decided to play nice guy long ago and give the public a break. The local, state and federal money for library facilities and services does not have to go to the SLMA if they are unable to act in a manner that will see that money used in a way that will benefit the populace. Sure, in the past they agreed to act as a surrogate for the city and provide these services in exchange for that money, but if they can't provide the services any more it's time to put that money in the hands of somebody who will. The access to education and enlightnement that public libraries provide is just too important a service to lose.

But umm, the one thing that bothers me about Mr. Carvalho's e-mail is the fact that he cc'd a copy to a couple other people, one of whom happens to be Springfield Technical Community College President Andrew Scibelli. Why? What does STCC or Scibelli have to do with some simple questions regarding library services in the city I live in? What web connects these two organizations and what about my inquiry was so important that it had to be shared between them? Hmmm. Funny things abound in the corridors of power in the city of Springfield I guess. If I find that strange doings are afoot I'll let you know.

Posted at 11:27 PM
Filed under — Real Man Talk

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