Project 4 - Annotated Bibliography

 Libraries In Crisis Throughout The US and Canada – Philip Rozes

Oliviero, Helena. "Metro Libraries Cope with Money Woes." Ajc.com. The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, 8 Apr. 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2012.

In this April 8th article, Helena Oliviero discusses the desperate condition of Atlanta’s Public Library
System. As recent as 2010, Atlanta legislators were pushing to renovate and expand all of the city’s
public libraries; but now, only two years later, these same libraries are struggling to survive. This
cutback in library funding is a national trend. Oliviero highlights similar situations in Fulton County,
Georgia – where legislators did not anticipate the cost of upkeep for their eight new libraries – and in
Philadelphia – where eleven of the city’s forty-eight were closed in the wake of budget cuts. The
article concludes by explaining what people are doing to keep their libraries alive and how you can get involved.

I find this article to be invaluable to our research, because not only does it show multiple
instances where libraries are struggling; it elaborates on what people are doing to make a difference.
The final portion of the article can guide us in what we do with our project.

Rego, Mike. "East Providence Library Branches Fuller, Rumford to Close at Month's
End."EastBayRI.com, 6 Apr. 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2012.

In a story much closer to home, “The East Providence Public Library Board of Trustees “regretfully”
announced the closing of the Anne Ide Fuller and Rumford Branch Libraries at the end of April in a
press release Thursday, April 5.” Due to budget limitations, the city was forced to close two of their
four libraries, despite public opposition. The article stresses how reluctant the council was to make
these cuts.

This article is an example of how relevant the issue is to us. The location is terrific for an
appeal to Pathos in our project. Although the article is not very dense, the pathetic appeal is invaluable.

Thanh Hu, Tu. "Walkout to Shut down Toronto Public Libraries." Home. The Globe and the Mail, 18
Mar. 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2012.

Last month in Canada, the public library problem reached its boiling point. Thousands of library
employees throughout Toronto staged a walk-out in opposition to the city’s plans to cut library
funding. The city has already ravaged the city’s libraries of much of their funding, and this protest is
their last resort.

This article hits two major points. First, it shows how this problem is not only limited to the
United States. But more importantly, it presents what could be a frightening future for America’s
public library system. Unlike Central Falls or East Providence, the Toronto Public Library System has over ninety branches; this is an example of the problem on a much larger scale – where literally billions of dollars are at stake. Because this story happened last month, a follow up article will be useful in discovering what the future may hold for America’s libraries.