http://www.nypost.com/seven/05112009/news/regionalnews/libraries__peak_up__168620.htm
New York Post
LIBRARIES:
$PEAK UP!
By CHUCK BENNETT
May 11, 2009
Even librarians want you to shout about this: Facing a
potential $28.2 million funding cut in Mayor Bloomberg's budget, the book
lenders of the New York Public Library are protesting.
"These cuts are potentially worse than the fiscal
crisis of the 1970s," said spokeswoman Deanna Lee. "If we don't get
restoration, we are looking at severe layoffs [as many as 435 staffers] and at
having to cut up to 20 hours per week [of accessibility to the public] Six or
seven days of service will go down to four or five days a week."
Branches in Manhattan, Bronx and Staten Island have set up
tables -- complete with sample letters -- for library users to fire off
missives to Bloomberg and the City Council, asking them to reconsider. Stamps
are included.
The library hopes at least 22,000 letters will be sent.
And visitors to the library's Web site are greeted with a
pop-up ad that helps generate a protest e-mail.
"Users sent 1,500 e-mails in the first three
days," Lee said a week into the campaign.
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