Ousted library head: Boston just like Venezuela, only colder in the winter
Good for Bernie Margolis for breaking his silence, although you wonder if it will help or hurt him in a search for a new job.
Dan Kennnedy wonders how Tom Menino will react (beyond refusing to talk to the Globe):
The only way Menino can make amends for this stunning exercise in political bullying is to bring in a first-class replacement for Margolis. We'll see.
One section of the story I find interesting:
Aides also directly contradicted Margolis, saying that the library president focused on the central library in the Back Bay, the crown jewel of the city's library system, at the expense of the branch libraries in the neighborhoods.
Ever since the Menino minions first started spouting this, I've been amazed. For the past eight years or so, my wife and daughter have been dedicated patrons of the West Roxbury branch library. Kidlet's graduated from toddler story time to performing in summer plays there; wife is a member of the library book club. It's a great library. Maybe the West Roxbury branch benefits from being in a politically active neighborhood, but until somebody can prove that to me, I'm going to keep hoping City Hall can come up with a better reason for getting rid of Margolis.
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There's only one man suited
There's only one man suited for this job - The Sak. Now he just needs to move into Boston to meet the residency requirement.
You should visit and see
some of the branches in Dorchester. Field's Corner, Egleston, Lower Mills. The conditions are deplorable. And the Johnson building downtown (the new building) itself is no prize. Leaky ceilings, moldy, worn carpet. Old furniture which is scarred wood and broken. Librarians working at makeshift desks made out of old tables and chairs. The McKim building (the old one) is in no way representative of the current conditions of the 27 branches as a whole. Lots of money went in to the restoration of McKim...but for every day operating costs elsewhere, not so much.
And where does the money come from?
If we're talking about the physical buildings, the McKim building was restored thanks to help from donors. Where's the money supposed to come from to restore the branches? Not from the city, as the Mayor has been starving the budget of the BPL for years. If you want to know who's neglecting the branches, look to the mayor's office...