The Nation: Recent Events Should Be Wake-Up Call for NYC Mayor Regarding New York Public Library’s Central Library Plan

From The Nation’s Scott Sherman:

On December 12, in a decision formulated behind closed doors, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation green-lighted the New York Public Library’s request to demolish seven levels of book stacks inside the main branch of the 42nd Street Library. But first, the corpse must be prepared for burial: before proceeding with the demolition, the NYPL was instructed to hire an archaeologist or historian to document, via photography and archival evidence, the stacks designed by Carrère and Hastings, which were hailed as marvels of engineering when they were unveiled in 1911.
This is a wake-up call for New York’s new mayor, Bill de Blasio, who held a press conference on the steps of the NYPL on July 12 to declare his opposition to the Central Library Plan (CLP), which also entails the sale of the bustling Mid-Manhattan Library to private interests.

The article continues by pointing out a July 2013 letter from deBlasio to Michael Bloomberg, NYC Mayor at that time
Scott Sherman then shares his thoughts about how the mayor should move forward including what to do with the funds for the CLP if it’s stopped.
Direct to Full Text Article (via TheNation.com)
See Also: The Nation Publishes “The Hidden History of New York City’s Central Library Plan” (August 13, 2013)
See Also: Roundup: NYPL Central Library Plan Gains City, State Nod; Stacks Demolition On Hold (December 18, 2013)
See Also: Wall St. Journal Architecture Critic Blasts NYPL Renovation Plan (December 4, 2012)
The essay by Ada Louise Huxtable that’s linked to in this post is mentioned in Sherman’s piece.

Filed under: Conference Presentations, Libraries, News, Public Libraries, Roundup