Judy Blume makes plea to New York mayor for library funds
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Version 0 of 1. As public libraries find themselves under pressure on both sides of the Atlantic, the author Judy Blume has added her voice to the chorus calling for an increase in funding with an impassioned appeal to New York City’s mayor, Bill de Blasio, in which she called librarians her “heroes”. Blume, the author of classic children’s books including Forever and Deenie, joined the New York Public Library’s plea for the city’s council to “reverse years of neglect and provide appropriate funding for libraries” in New York, which the NYPL says have seen funding cut by nearly 20%, with staff reduced by more than 1,000 workers. In an email to library patrons entitled “Are you there Mr Mayor? It’s me, Judy Blume” – a reference to her novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret – Blume asked them to join her in “taking a stand” against the current situation. Writing that city libraries had seen a $65m cut in annual operating funds since 2008, Blume told patrons in the email, as reported by Capital: “If that funding was restored to the city’s three library systems, the total budget for public libraries would be less than half of 1% of the total city budget. Seems like a no-brainer to me.” “As you probably know, I’ve never been one to accept the status quo,” she added. “So join me in taking a stand. The city will release its executive budget soon – now’s our chance to go out and make it right. Send your letter to Mayor de Blasio and the city council. Tell them, my heroes need their help.” Referring to Blume’s character Margaret’s “I must increase my bust” exercises, the New York Public Library tweeted to its almost 400,000 followers: “Judy Blume says we must – we must – we must invest in NYC libraries. Tell Mayor de Blasio and city leaders.” Blume – whose new novel, In the Unlikely Event, is out next month – has long been an advocate for libraries, chairing last year’s National Library Week in the US and telling American Libraries Magazine in 2014: “I think of libraries as safe havens for intellectual freedom. I think of how many times I’ve been told about a librarian who saved a life by offering the right book at the right time.” Related: Libraries: the inside story – books podcast In the UK, the award-winning British children’s author Alan Gibbons has fired a shot across the bows of culture minister Ed Vaizey. The conservative MP told libraries journal Post-Lib that “the scale of library closures has been widely exaggerated. In 2014 only two static libraries closed, while since 2010 we estimate the total number of static library closures to be just 93.” According to official figures released by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in March 2014, there were 4,145 libraries in the UK, a reduction of 337 from 4,482 in 2009/2010, when the coalition took over government.In an open letter sent to Vaizey this week, Gibbons said the comment was “consciously misleading”. “I note that you chose to quote a short timescale out of your tenure in office and did not mention mobile libraries, which have closed in their dozens. You must know the figures,” he wrote. “Of course it is not just the very real toll of closures and removal from council control that concerns library users,” he added. “These issues also concern us: the spiralling use of volunteers to replace full-time staff; the loss of some 12% of paid staff; the slashing of book stocks; the eye-watering reduction in times libraries are open to the public.” Gibbons said this morning: “I’ve sent it to him. For me it was an important factual rebuttal to a ludicrous statement. There’s not one person, whether they’re in a local council or a library user, who doesn’t know there have been library closures in the hundreds.” Speaking to the Guardian via email, Vaizey argued that there have been “fewer than 100 libraries closed in England since 2010.” “The vast majority have been closed by Labour councils,” he said. “Alan is including figures from Scotland and Wales, which are the responsibility of the respective devolved administrations. In England we have provided funding for free Wi-Fi for libraries, piloted e-lending, and set up a library task force to provide leadership for libraries.” Vaizey also accepted a challenge Gibbons issued for a public debate examining the “state and health of the public library service”. “I will happily debate Alan,” he said. According to Gibbons, the minister would “struggle”. “Their record of being in government is absolutely catastrophic,” he said, “and they have to face that.” |