May 3, 2011

I read in the April 22 News that County Executive Chris Collins proposes to use $250,000 of the $23 million county surplus to “renovate the second floor of the Central Library so that it can be used as a community meeting area and as a place that can be rented out for events.” Renovate? I’d say that it would be more appropriate to term this project as part of the ongoing destruction of our county library system.

Collins wants to convert a huge portion of the Central Library—where there used to be space for books on science and technology, among other topics—into a rental hall! There used to be a room where teens could use the library facilities in a space suited to their needs. The amazing shortsightedness of the removal of these books and facilities is truly breathtaking. Even the most tight-fisted fiscal conservative should understand that education actually has something to do with our future well-being as a community.

We must not allow this scandalous misuse of money. If Collins feels that there is a quarter of a million dollars in surplus money, let him use it to benefit, not destroy, the Buffalo and Erie County Library.

Susan Udin
Buffalo

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