If State Legislators Have Their Way, Boston Public Library Branches Won't Close
State funding, already the cause of budget woes, would be withheld completely
LJ Staff -- Library Journal, 04/22/2010
The board of the Boston Public Library, as LJ reported earlier this month, has decided to close four branches to cope with budget deficits largely caused by a decline in state aid.Now, however, some state legislators want to withhold all state aid if any branches are closed, according to the Boston Globe. The library says the move is unrealistic, but the issue will play out next week:
The idea, according to the 12 members of the Boston delegation spearheading the measures, is to keep each branch afloat until the economy rebounds and a proposed gambling bill perhaps refills state coffers with a gush of new tax revenue. Underscoring that point, the legislators are also seeking to block from Boston’s state aid what the city estimated as $500,000 in unrelated revenue from racetracks if any libraries close.
