Thoughts

Realizing the irony of it all, I read a New York Time?s article in December 2005 titled ?Room 117, Awash in Color and Light, Restoring Vivid Palette of Library?s Map Chamber?. The article was about the then new Map Room at the Main New York Public Library Building located on West 42nd Street and reported that the New York Public Library (NYPL) spent 2.5 million dollars of public funds, on that one room. Earlier this year, about a month later in January, the New York Times reported about all the pomp and circumstance surrounding a new Library Center in the Bronx titled ?New Bronx Library Meets Old Need; High-Tech Now, but Still Serving Immigrants?. The New York Public Library apparently spent collectively $50 million dollars on that particular library.

New York Public Library honchos Paul LeClerc, President & CEO and Susan Kent, Director & Chief Executive of the Branch Libraries appeared to be in almost all, if not all, the television news reports about the new Bronx Library. This was interesting because they do not appear to be available to simple community folk like myself who can never get past administrative secretaries who act like ?line backers? blocking any access to either of them.

The Macomb’s Bridge Branch Library has been in a studio apartment sized space for sixty plus years, despite the population growth of and public use by the local ?North Harlem? community. Community Residents, including Children and Elders have had to go all the way to the Countee Cullen Branch Library (on West 136th Street near Lenox Avenue) and up hills to the Hamilton Grange Branch Library (on West 145th Street near Amsterdam Avenue) and the Washington Heights Branch Library (on St. Nicholas Avenue and West 160th Street) for more serious and in-depth studies and investigations. Often, because of the distance, they must spend money on public transportation to get to these other branches. The library also only has one public door to enter and exit the library associated with a narrowed walkway.

As I read and watched television reports about these ?events? I kept asking myself ?Why does the community, accept being treated this way??

In trying to understand the persistence of this problem, the following questions display boldly in the mind:

It could just plainly be (and I know this may be emotionally painful for the community to accept) that the NYPL, the Community Board and politicians just do not care because the issue does not affect the bulk of the populations they are purported to serve. Could it be the community’s fear of being publicly ?belittled? and ?blacklisted? by the NYPL, Community Board and politicians (after complaining about issues that are not popular or important to these entities and/or writing up political office staff members that display indifference and indicate ?they don’t have time? to follow up on important community problems). Could it be a perception by the NYPL and politicians that the North Harlem community does not contribute enough to them financially? Or, could it also be the appearance that the ?Valley? community is willing to accept a possibly unsafe situation and rationalize to itself it is all it should expect from an inattentive and uncaring NYPL, Community Board and politicians all these years? - Just A Thought

NOTE: Although the above ?Thoughts? editorial is focused on examining why the North Harlem community has accepted so little regarding the need for a new library over the years, the community now needs a Combined Macomb’s Bridge Branch Library ? Multi-use Facility. ?Thoughts? will be addressing that need in the future.