Write-up On the Library Meeting at the Forest Park Middle School
Tuesday, February 18th

In general, I would say that Mike Mcauliffe's article in the Union-News summed it up pretty well except for what the meeting, especially Charlie Ryan's contribution, meant to those of us who have been slogging through the SLMA accountability swamps for eight years.

City councilors Rooke, Kelly, Sarno, and Mazza-Moriarity were present. A staffer for Sen. Melconian was there and Tom Ashe from the School Committee (representing School Committeewoman Marjorie Hurst, an ex-officio trustee) were there as well as Rep. Rogeness. The latter was treated to a Bill Valliere special, God bless his little heart! He described at length a fantasy trip of Forest Park Middle Schoolers to the Longmeadow Library. Maureen's excellent flip chart talk detailed our many-faceted, multi-year quest for SLMA financials and set the tone--rational, dogged, and frustrated.

CharlieRyan, having taken the pulse of the meeting, received a standing O for his description of the problem--our $7million allocated and spent by a board of trustees dominated by suburbanites who don't care about the city and couldn't find their way home from the Pine Point Library were they to be dropped off there blind-folded--and his solution--formation of a non-profit with a board from all neighborhoods which would submit a competitive bid to the SLMA's for operation of the branch library system. After the meeting Ryan said he would be willing to work with a citywide group to bring his non-profit idea to fruition.

Councilors were slammed for giving money every year to the SLMA to be spent as the association, the vendor (!), decides, a deal extended to NO OTHER MUNICIPAL VENDOR. Dan Kelly admitted that he had spoken out against our position in the past, but claimed to have seen the light, admitted he is an ex-officio trustee and promised to fight for us. He told how he had asked SLMA president Joe Carvalho to tell him who made the decision to close the libraries and how Carvalho answered "the executive committee." Kelly then asked who was on the "executive committee," and was told that Joe would get back to him. In light of Maureen's presentation, the group advised Kelly not to hold his breath! Dominic Sarno reminded us that he had conducted an open hearing on the SLMA budget in 2000. Mazza-Moiarity asked for flyers on Thursday's Citywide Meeting (4:45pm, City Council Chamber). Tim Rooke promised to ask for financials, and received the drubbing he deserved for not agreeing to set spending priorities before voting money to the SLMA. He was also reminded that he works for the voters of Springfield, not big wigs at the Library and Museums Association.

What a breath of fresh, democratic air on the stuffy, doggeared subject of the SLMA!

....Sheila McElwaine