Speak Out for Literacy
Running away from home is a rite of passage as American as the epic road trip. Almost everyone has been a runaway, to some degree or another, at some time in their lives, and this condition permanently inflects the choices they make thereafter.
I ran away from home at age 4.5, simply [or not] because I was consumed with jealousy. One day I was aimlessly playing in the backyard, and suddenly realized that there was more to life than just that. My older sister was in first grade. I felt left out. So I ran away to the library.
This was the only place I knew apart from home. It was comforting in ways completely different than home. It shaped my life in ways I could not possibly understand at the time. It became my touchstone—then, throughout my youth, and forever.
The many libraries I’ve known since then have been my second homes. For that reason I’m posting this appeal from Mary Lee Kennedy, Chief Library Officer of my home library, the NYPL.
The recent reversal, under public pressure, of NYPL President Tony Marx’s proposal to dramatically alter the main branch at 42nd Street, has resulted in a vital referendum. So here’s your chance, New Yorkers, to speak out in favor of literacy, scholarship, and a place for every citizen to explore the world beyond their own backyard. Photo: Kathleen Tyler Conklin/Flicker.
I have included this appeal, found in my inbox last night, verbatim. Please take the survey here.
Dear Friend,
Right now, we are beginning to plan our campus in the heart of Midtown, including the Mid-Manhattan Library, at Fifth Avenue and 40th Street, and the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street.
We've spent a century building a network of 88 neighborhood and four research libraries in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. In that time, so much has changed, from the needs of our community to what technology offers us and how our buildings are used. We've spent $250 million over the past 10 years to improve libraries across our system. Our work continues — renovating our Midtown Campus is one of many large projects that will help give New Yorkers the libraries they deserve.
Your input is essential for all of our plans, including our Midtown Campus. To get it right, we're consulting with experts, looking at other cultural leaders — and now, conducting a survey of our users.
Today, we are inviting you to tell us what you want from The New York Public Library.
Please take this survey in the next five days and help shape our plans for the Midtown Campus.
We want to make sure our plans for the Midtown Campus will serve everyone: scholars, book lovers, adult learners, teens, families, students, small-business owners, writers, creators, and others. Even if you don't currently visit these facilities, we still want to hear from you to find out what would encourage you to visit these libraries.
Thank you for helping to guide our future. You are helping us achieve our mission of inspiring lifelong learning, advancing knowledge, and strengthening our communities.
Sincerely,
Mary Lee Kennedy
Chief Library Officer