The city’s four branch libraries closed their doors in June and will not be reopening soon, despite a surge of support from the Board of Aldermen and outraged citizens.
Mayor David Cohen shut down the neighborhood libraries in Auburndale, Newton Corner, Nonantum and Waban, after residents voted against a $12 million tax override, which left the libraries and other public services out of the city budget.
“Prior to the override vote, the mayor had asked each department to present a reduced budget in case the override failed,” said Jeremy Solomon, the mayor’s spokesman. “The library director and trustees recommended the closure of the branch libraries with their reduced budget, and Mayor Cohen deferred to their judgement.”
Patrons of the branch libraries have condemned the decision, arguing that the city’s one remaining library, the Newton Free Library, cannot serve all 13 villages.
“We’re sad that we’ve lost that extra dimension to the library services available in Newton,” said Dana Hanson, an Auburndale resident who regularly visited her neighborhood library with her family. “It’s just really frustrating because it was a great community gathering place.”
Patrons are also upset that the librarians who worked at the branches lost their jobs.
“The branch librarians were phenomenal,” said Ward 4 Alderman Jay Harney. “They knew all the customers by name and helped to run events.”
But officials say that the benefits of the branch libraries do not outweigh the costs.
“We do not have the money to reopen the branches without negatively affecting the operations of the main library, which provides services to all residents of Newton,” said Nancy Perlow, director of the Newton Free Library.
Cohen inspired further debate this month, when he announced that Newton has $11 million in unused funds from last year’s budget.
The Board of Aldermen requested that this money be used to reopen the libraries, but Cohen said he intends to fund future city projects with it instead.
“The problem is the same thing that we’ve needed to change all along, which is to get the mayor to agree to return some of the city services with the free cash,” said Ward 4 Alderman Leonard Gentile. “But to this point, he has been reluctant to do so and that remains our biggest obstacle.”
The aldermen are planning a special board meeting in October, where they will again ask the mayor to restore some of the items that were cut from this year’s budget, including the branch libraries.
The mayor has maintained his stance that the newly discovered free cash will not go toward any budget items, but there may be hope for former patrons of the libraries.
“Mayor Cohen has made a commitment to the Board of Aldermen that the branch libraries will not be sold or altered,” Solomon said. “If the city’s fiscal outlook improves, we will be happy to examine the possibility of reopening the branch libraries.”
But for now, the doors to the libraries remain locked.
“This isn’t the end,” Harney said. “I’m going to make very loud noise during the next year, because for me and for many people in my area, one of the most important issues is getting the branch libraries reopened.”
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