L.A. library budget hearing tonight

Grassroots SaveLAPL Website Calls For The Public To Attend Library Budget Hearing on 5/1

LINK http://www.savelapl.org

Since launching on April 14, more than 1100 emails have been sent by visitors to the grassroots SaveLAPL web site in support of the LA Public Library. In just one week, its users successfully convinced L.A.'s City Librarian to table a proposed $1-per-book loan fee, and the Library Foundation to create a dedicated book-buying fund. Now the SaveLAPL web site asks that library loving citizens carry a library book to City Hall tomorrow afternoon, Thursday May 1, to show support during budget hearings when the Library faces devastating cuts to the book fund, staff layoffs and Sunday branch closures. The proposed cuts include:

1) Sunday closures of the eight regional branch libraries of North Hollywood, Mid-Valley Regional, Arroyo Seco, West Los Angeles, Hollywood (Goldwyn Branch), Exposition Park, San Pedro and West Valley. With this comes elimination of 36.5 staff positions.

2) Book-buying budget slashed by $2 million, to $7.7 million for the entire fiscal year (July to June). This represents a 22% cut from last year's book budget of $9.8 million (which ran out in February), and a 33% cut from the $11.4 million book budget of two years ago.

3) Library staff, will be subject to "short-term layoff," which according to the Mayor, "could take the form of mandatory furlough days or reduced work weeks." In light of this plan, an additional $1.4 million is being deducted from the library budget.

WHERE: Ferraro City Council Chambers, 3rd floor, City Hall (First and Spring Streets, the public enters on Main Street)

WHEN: The afternoon session begins at 1pm on Thursday May 1, with the Library the second-to-last agenda item. If many members of the public attend, the Library discussion may be moved to earlier in the afternoon.

WHY: The Budget & Finance Committee is hearing the proposed Library budget, with its many deep cuts to staff, library hours and book buying. Here is a chance for the public to speak up in support of LAPL keeping all its city funding.

WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO: Fill out a speaker's card on arrival, or just be in the room to show support.

WHO: City Librarian Fontayne Holmes, the Librarian's Guild, citywide Friends of the Library groups and Save LAPL will also be in attendance.

GETTING THERE: Due to May Day protests, people are urges to use the subway to get downtown. Exit at Civic Center on the Red Line.
Wikipedia page for connection information to Civic Center Station: http://civicCenterMetroInfo.notlong.com
Map of Civic Center Station with directions to City Hall: http://civicMetroToCityHall.notlong.com

ABOUT SaveLAPL: the site is built with Drupal's Civic Space, the free software package developed for Howard Dean's presidential campaign, and continues the tradition of using cutting edge free technology to empower citizens and amplify their voices at moments of community crisis. The SaveLAPL.org website was launched by Kim Cooper and Richard Schave, the newlywed L.A. writers and social historians behind Esotouric bus adventures and the 1947project time travel blog. This was their third preservation campaign following successful campaigns to Save the 76 Ball and to have writer Charles Bukowski's East Hollywood bungalow named a historic-cultural monument.