HEY, WHAT ABOUT THE FOREST PARK LIBRARY?

Click here to see the condition of the
Forest Park library

Renovations to library branches in Sixteen Acres, Pine Point, and Indian Orchard plus the state-of-the-art Brightwood Branch in the new Chestnut Accelerated School and a newly-created branch in East Forest Park have been much in the news, making Forest Park residents wonder when they will see an up-grade to facilities and resources at their 91 year-old library. The Forest Park branch, built in 1909, lacks handicapped access of any kind and lags far behind the new facilities (such as Brightwood) in computer resources, study and reading space, internet access and hours of operation even though Forest Park is home to twice as many people as the North End.

This situation is a result of decisions by the Springfield Library and Museum Association which withholds resources such as up-grades to collections, hours of operation and computers from branch libraries where physical plant improvements have not been made. In other words, until a branch gets the whole works, it doesn't get anything new. 

Improvements have been made to branches which are less than half the age of our library while we are left to make do with a facility which, during the mere 24 hours it is open each week, is inaccessible to many neighbors and lacks resources such as study space and internet access needed by others.

This policy is unfair to Forest Park whose 25,000 residents contribute over $1.2 million of the $7.5 million in taxes with which the City supports the Springfield Library and Museums Association!

Forest Park Civic Association President Bob Triggs will contact officials of the Springfield Library and Museum Association to set up a meeting where residents can speak up on behalf of their neighborhood library. Meanwhile all of us can help by calling our three ex-officio SLMA trustees: Mayor Michael Albano (787-6100), City Council President Brian Santaniello (782-5383), and School Committeeman Ken Shea (739-5534) and telling them how important neighborhood library resources are to us.

Read the article: Your Tax Dollars at work