Carnegie Library Board closing four city branches (Pittsburgh, Washington: real estate, condos)

[fleetiebelle]

Board votes to close 4 Carnegie Library branches in city

The resolution approved overwhelmingly by the board last night calls for the closure of the Beechview, West End and Hazelwood branches; the merger of the Carrick and Knoxville branches; the closure of Lawrenceville's branch after a new branch is opened in East Liberty; the move of the Mount Washington library from Grandview Avenue to Virginia Avenue; and the closure of the Allegheny Depository.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09279...#ixzz0TAT40pWT

Libraries are so,so important to communities. I hope these closures aren't permanent.

[ajl777]

I have been able to borrow professional wrestling dvds from the library.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by ajl777

I have been able to borrow professional wrestling dvds from the library.

I'm sure it would be a great loss for you.

[fleetiebelle]

I think it's interesting that they're planning on moving the Mt Washington branch of the library around the corner to Virginia Ave. Right now it's in the original building which is over 100 years old. If they knock it down to build condos with a view, that would be so disappointing.

I know the Beechview neighborhood folks were hoping that since the library needed no renovations, it'd be safe. No dice.

[highway29south]

That is a shame. Carnegie library is one of the better things about Pittsburgh. I enjoy the library and I'm there every week at least once. I hope the are able to maintain the rest of the libraries.

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

I think it's interesting that they're planning on moving the Mt Washington branch of the library around the corner to Virginia Ave. Right now it's in the original building which is over 100 years old. If they knock it down to build condos with a view, that would be so disappointing.

I also found that surprising. I thought that they had renovated that branch in the past few years, but I could be wrong. I've never been inside, but it looks lovely from the outside.

[ajl777]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

I'm sure it would be a great loss for you.

Why does the library need to have professional wrestling DVDs? I know this is more overhead and labor costs that drive them to close these libraries, but I mean there is a lot of wasteful inventory in the system.

[Joshbarblahblah]

I'm shocked that Hazelwood actually has its own library...but whatever.

This is terrible. Libraries are, as the OP said, so important to communities.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

I think it's interesting that they're planning on moving the Mt Washington branch of the library around the corner to Virginia Ave. Right now it's in the original building which is over 100 years old. If they knock it down to build condos with a view, that would be so disappointing.

I was thinking that someone might renovate rather than knock it down, but I suppose the latter is also possible. I lived right near there for about 10 months and can't picture how large the building is. If they're moving it, I can only think it's because someone has suggested that real estate is worth a lot more to them if they sell it vs keeping the branch there. Picking out a new space on Virginia Ave is going to take some renovation presumably as well.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by ajl777

Why does the library need to have professional wrestling DVDs? I know this is more overhead and labor costs that drive them to close these libraries, but I mean there is a lot of wasteful inventory in the system.

Who are you to decide what's important for people to access at a library? If the library thought wrestling CDs were the cause of the budget problem, the library would get rid of wrestling CDs. That's not the case.

I'll bet Carnegie is doing this to get funding from the federal government---just like the state governments are doing. At the very least, this is just the normal result of a recession. Carnegie has always closed libraries down during recessions, and they reopen them eventually too. This isn't new.

Originally Posted by Joshbarblahblah

I'm shocked that Hazelwood actually has its own library...but whatever.

This is terrible. Libraries are, as the OP said, so important to communities.

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