Statement before the Glenn A. Walsh

Public Hearing of P.O. Box 1041

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230-1041 U.S.A.

City Council: Telephone: 412-561-7876

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

Plan to Close Internet Site: < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >

Branch Libraries? 2008 December 1

Good morning. I am Glenn A. Walsh of 633 Royce Avenue, Mt. Lebanon. From 1995 to 2000, I was a Life Trustee on the Board of Trustees of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, and I author a web site on the History of Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Libraries at < www.andrewcarnegie.cc >. Today I am speaking as a private citizen representing no organization.

Attached, on the reverse side of this statement, is an excerpt from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s 2009 budget request application to the Allegheny Regional Asset District, submitted last July. This application says, in part:

Initiative 2.1
Conduct rightsizing plan to evaluate number and location of library, administrative, shipping and storage facilities.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh developed a Request for Proposals for a Comprehensive Public Service Strategy to address the issue of the number and location of library facilities…Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Economic Development was chosen to conduct the study. Recommendations are due in the fourth quarter and an implementation strategy will be developed in 2009.

Initiative 2.2
Complete neighborhood library revitalization program to renovate/relocate all eligible CLP facilities, based on rightsizing plan.

Last month, the City of Philadelphia announced the closing of 11 neighborhood library branches to partially satisfy a city budget crisis. Will The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh be next to close neighborhood library branches?

Carnegie Library is a city-funded facility serving the general public. This Comprehensive Public Service Strategy study, conducted by CMU, should be released for public scrutiny before Carnegie Library considers any library closings. During Carnegie Library’s annual Budget Hearing before Pittsburgh City Council on Friday, I ask that you insist that Carnegie Library release this Comprehensive Public Service Strategy study to the general public.

Thank you.

gaw (See Reverse Side)