Statement before the        Glenn A. Walsh

      Council of                  P.O. Box 1041

     The City of                  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230-1041 U.S.A.

     Pittsburgh:                   Telephone: 412-561-7876

 Carnegie Library’s           Electronic Mail: < gaw@andrewcarnegie.cc >

Allegheny Regional          Internet Site: < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc  >

    Branch Library                2007 December 12

 

Good morning. I am Glenn A. Walsh of 633 Royce Avenue, Mt. Lebanon. Today I am speaking as a private citizen representing no organization.

 

Attention people concerned with the future of public libraries!  Attention people concerned about the loss of Pittsburgh history! Attention all North Side residents!

 

A very important City Council public hearing will be held on Tuesday Evening, December 18 to discuss the future of public library service on the North Side. Will North Side residents continue to enjoy library service in the large and historic Allegheny Regional Library building, built nearly 118 years ago by Andrew Carnegie for the neighborhood where he grew-up, or will the North Side be consigned to a small, downsized library branch three blocks away? December 18 is when the citizens will have their say on this issue vital to the future of the North Side!

 

The public hearing will be held in the New Hazlett Theater in the world’s first Carnegie Hall, which adjoins the Allegheny Regional Library. The hearing begins at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 18, 2007. Every citizen is entitled to speak for up to three minutes, to tell City Council members what you think about library service on the North Side.

 

Most of the North Side has been without library service since the unfortunate accident, a lightning strike, which closed the Allegheny Regional Library in April of 2006. Although the building was repaired as of May of 2007, Carnegie Library has refused to reopen the Library, due to their announced plans to build a smaller library three blocks away. And, the groundbreaking for this new building, which was originally scheduled for early Autumn of 2007, has been postponed as money still has not been raised to build the new building. Who knows when this supposed new library would even open!

 

All citizens, and particularly North Side residents, are urged to attend, and pre-register to speak, at this public hearing. Pre-registration to speak at the public hearing is requested and can be accomplished by calling the City Clerk’s Office at 412-255-2138; again, to pre-register for the public hearing, the telephone number is 412-255-2138.

 

Again, this public hearing will be Tuesday Evening, December 18, 2007 beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the New Hazlett Theater, which adjoins the Allegheny Regional Library at 5 Allegheny Square on the North Side. The telephone number to pre-register to speak is 412-255-2138.

 

You can learn more about the Allegheny Regional Library and the public hearing at the new web site:

< www.alleghenylibrary.org >, again the Internet address is:

< www.alleghenylibrary.org >.

 

gaw