Telephone:
412-561-7876
Electronic
Mail: < gawalsh@andrewcarnegie.cc
>
Internet
Web Site: < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc
>
2003
December 15
Mr. Ellsworth Brown,
President
The Carnegie Library of
Re: SECOND REQUEST under terms of the
Dear Ellsworth:
On November 19 I sent you a
letter [copy attached] with requests under
terms of the
According to a 2002 June
amendment to the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, which legally took effect on
2002 December 26, the
response to Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law requests, by non-Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania agencies, including “agencies” of municipalities, “shall not
exceed five business days from the date the written request is RECEIVED.”
As
I indicated in my first letter, State-funded public libraries are considered
agencies of municipal government according to Title 22 of the
Now, I recognize that the
Thanksgiving holidays would have extended the legal time limit granted, for
response to an official request through the Right-to-Know Law. Hence, I have
waited additional time for the reply to my Right-to-Know Law requests. As of
today, I received no reply to my Right-to-Know Law requests.
Hence, I am sending this SECOND REQUEST directly to you.
The Right-to-Know Law
requests that I mailed to you on November 19 are repeated, following:
According
to an article in the Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review on September 22, Carnegie Library Director Herb Elish
indicated that the decision, regarding the proposed move of the Hazelwood
Branch Library, to a smaller second-floor rental unit, would be made by The
Carnegie Library Board of Trustees. If the Board of Trustees has officially
rendered a decision on this matter, and the lease for the proposed new library
site has been executed (as reported in the November 5 issue of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), then please
send me:
1) A copy of
the minutes of the Board meeting where the decision was rendered;
2) A copy of
the executed lease agreement.
Mr. Ellsworth Brown 2003 December 15 Page 2 of 2
At this time, I would add
five more Right-to-Know Law requests:
1)
Please send me
the date, time, and location for the next meeting of the Board of Trustees of
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, as well as the schedule of Library Board
meetings for calendar year 2004, if this is available.
2)
Please send me
the name of the general circulation newspaper(s) which will be used by The
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to legally advertise the date, time, and
location of Library Board meetings. Please indicate whether these legal notices
will be advertised on a meeting-by-meeting basis or on an annual basis.
3)
Please indicate
the exact location, in The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Main Branch, where
notices, of the date, time, and location of Library Board meetings, will be
posted.
4)
The proposed
moving of certain branch libraries was outlined in, what I understand to be, a
“strategic planning document.” Please send me a copy of this “strategic
planning document.”
5)
Please send me
the following statistical information regarding the Hazelwood Branch Library,
for each of the last ten years:
a)
Annual
circulation;
b)
Annual
registering of new library patrons;
c)
Annual table
count of books [used in the library but not checked-out];
d)
Annual use of the
250-seat auditorium.
Title 22 of the Pennsylvania
Code makes it quite clear that all State-funded public libraries must comply
with the same legal requirements as municipalities. It is my hope that The
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh understands the importance of voluntarily complying with the
Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law and Pennsylvania Sunshine Act.
Sincerely yours,
Glenn A. Walsh
gaw
Attachment: November 19 letter to Ellsworth Brown,
President, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copy: Members,
Council of the City of
Tom Murphy, Mayor, City of
Tom Flaherty, City Controller, City
of
Members, Board of Directors,
Allegheny Regional Asset District
David Donahoe, Executive Director,
Allegheny Regional Asset District
Senator Jim Ferlo, Pennsylvania
General Assembly
Representative John A. Maher,
Pennsylvania General Assembly
News Media in