WHAT DO SPRINGFIELD RESIDENTS GET
FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS
YEAR AFTER YEAR?

We do NOT get full membership privileges. Instead, we have a part time library system and access to the museums on Fridays if we have a valid Springfield library card. The museums close at 4:00 P.M. on Fridays. Friday is a work-day for many residents, and the public elementary schools dismiss their students at 3:05 P.M. Thus, this "free" day is not truly available to most Springfield residents. To get full access, Springfield residents must buy a membership. That is, WE HAVE TO PAY TWICE, while suburban residents only pay once.

Springfield does NOT own the books in the libraries, the computers, the collections, or the buildings (except for 2 branches). The City does not even have a right of first refusal if any of the real estate is ever sold.

We do NOT have proportional representation on the Board of Trustees. Although we have 3 ex officio Trustee positions (the Mayor, City Council President and Vice-Chair of the School Committee). There are 31 Trustees and most live outside of Springfield. (See the reverse side for more information.)

We do NOT have access to the financial information on how Springfield taxpayer dollars are spent at the SLMA, for example, how many of our tax dollars are spent at each library and each museum.

The City does NOT have a contract describing the services that the SLMA must provide for the tax dollars it receives. Thus, the SLMA can decide to close all the branches in the City if it wants to, just like the SLMA decided to close 5 branches in June 1995 without any public input.