By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Thanks to volunteers and the help of a Common Council member, a public library is reopening Wednesday.
The Mead Branch, located in Buffalo's Lovejoy District, was scheduled to reopen its doors at 12noon. The branch permanently closed in October as a result of county funding cuts to the library system.
But Lovejoy Common Council Member Richard Fontana says the community has decided to reopen the branch. Citizens won't be able to check out books, but they can go inside to read or conduct research. Adelphia is providing free Internet service for the computers.
"We won't have circulation. We won't be associated with the library board," Fontana said. "But the board left all the materials and computers, and Adelphia is providing the hook-ups. So we are doing the best we can to provide a service."
Fontana says since the city still owns the building, and must pay for heating costs, he decided it makes sense to offer it for community use. But Fontana maintains costs will be minimal.
"There are utility costs, but the city has to leave them on. But I think those will be minimal. There is only a small boiler in the basement," Fontana said. "There are no staff costs, and we are going to maintain the premises ourselves with our own lawn mowers. We are just going to do this as a community effort and provide citizens with some service."
Fontana says he believes this effort will serve as a model for other communities that also suffered the loss of a branch due to Erie County's fiscal melt down..
"They cut us at the knees but to be honest with you as a community you just can't take cuts and punches without punching back a bit. And our punch back is to say, okay, if you're not going to do it, then we have to do it," Fontana said. "We don't want them to close our libraries, but if they do we can't just sit on the couch all day. We actually have to get up and do something about it."
Fontana says the branches are a service that residents deserve.