Carnegie Library Board closing four city branches (Pittsburgh, Washington: neighborhoods, to buy)

[Hopes]

From the newspaper article the OP posted

Originally Posted by Hopes

This is the first time in the history of the Carnegie Library that branches have been closed.....

Read more: Board votes to cut Carnegie Library branches, hours and staff

This is untrue! I know for a FACT that the Carnegie Library has closed branches in the past!

The branch in Braddock is one example.

It was closed in 1974 and reopened in the mid-80s.

The saddest thing about it was that the Braddock Library was the ORIGINAL Carnegie Library---the first in the entire United States!

[scrapp]

Originally Posted by Hopes

From the newspaper article the OP posted


This is untrue! I know for a FACT that the Carnegie Library has closed branches in the past!

The branch in Braddock is one example.

It was closed in 1974 and reopened in the mid-80s.

The saddest thing about it was that the Braddock Library was the ORIGINAL Carnegie Library---the first in the entire United States!

Braddock isn't in the City?

I think we are just talking about these:

Locations & Departments - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Why wouldn't Hazelwood deserve its own library? If anything, impoverished communities need libraries more than more affluent areas.

Sometimes the issue is more pragmatic than whether a place is "deserving" of a library. Such as the fact that Hazelwood's population has declined steeply, and the remaining few that do live there are dying off or leaving faster than anyone is moving in. In a world of limited resources, there needs to be at least some consideration for efficient allocation of said resources. Whether Hazelwood "deserves" a library may have to yield to the more practical consideration of whether enough people use that branch any more to justify the outlays to keep it open.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by scrapp

Braddock isn't in the City?

I think we are just talking about these:

Locations & Departments - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Braddock is still a Carnegie Library. As a matter of fact, it's THE Carnegie Library.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Braddock is still a Carnegie Library. As a matter of fact, it's THE Carnegie Library.

But it's not part of the CLP system, which has no control over the Braddock location. The article clearly meant libraries within the CLP system; it just wasn't written very well.

[Joshbarblahblah]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Why wouldn't Hazelwood deserve its own library? If anything, impoverished communities need libraries more than more affluent areas.

I never said that Hazelwood didn't deserve its own library, I just said that I'm shocked that it has one. I've only been through Hazelwood a few times, but I always had the impression that it had very few cultural resources.

I wouldn't mind seeing a few of the smaller locations close if the remaining locations were to expand (I have a particular affinity for large, well-stocked libraries), but that doesn't seem to be the case. It's a shame, then, to see these vital institutions close.

[alleghenyangel]

This is terrible news. The Mt. Washington library on Grandview is a historic landmark. What do the West End and Lawrenceville branches look like?

[ferrarisnowday]

I'd tell you what the Lawrenceville one looked like if they were ever open after 5pm! And Saturday doesn't count :-p

I know they aren't making money by me borrowing books, but If they had different hours I would actually go.

[fleetiebelle]

Has CLP ever tried doing anything like "pay $10 a year, and you can keep materials twice as long" or something like that? Libraries are supposed to be "free to the people" but I'm sure folks who could would give a little cash if they knew it would save them.

[ferrarisnowday]

You can already do that, it's called fines. :-p