Ever since her first child was born six years ago, Patricia Sherry-Crews has visited the North Branch of the Evanston Public Library on a regular basis.
In the winter, she and her children go to the library to break the monotony of the day, Sherry-Crews said. In the summer, they read books there to cool down from the sun’s heat.
“That library is a big part of our lives,” she said. “It really fulfills something that is lacking in most modern communities.”
In his original budget proposal, City Manager Roger Crum suggested cutting the North Branch, 2026 Central St., and the South Branch, 949 Chicago Ave., to help eliminate the city’s $4 million budget deficit.
But after hearing the concerns of about 90 Evanston residents who gathered Saturday outside the Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave., City Council passed a motion to preserve the library branches until at least March 2003.
The residents rallied for about an hour Saturday, cheering and waving signs with messages such as, “Don’t take chances, save our branches.”
Ald. Ann Rainey (8th) said the council decided to keep the branches because so many Evanston residents supported them.
“Never before in the history of Evanston has there been more citizen participation,” Rainey said at Saturday’s budget workshop.
To many Evanston residents, saving the library branches shows the city is committed to preserving its friendly neighborhood atmosphere. But other community members said having more than one library is a waste of money.
Evanston resident Mary Janzen said she attended the rally Saturday to persuade the council not to cut the libraries. Janzen works as an outreach worker at The Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., in Chicago. She said branch libraries are needed to attract first-time visitors who might be intimidated by the size of Evanston’s main library, 1703 Orrington Ave.
“Branch libraries are a homey place where people feel welcome,” Janzen said. “Closing them would be a terrible loss to the community.”
But Evanston resident Debbie Hillman said the libraries all are located on the same bus line, making the main library accessible to people who do not live within walking distance. The branches just take money away from the main library, she said.
“It’s basically a duplication of services,” Hillman said. “It just doesn’t make sense to have three libraries in such a small geographic area.”
Library Director Neal Ney said having branch libraries are useful to children and the elderly who cannot easily access the main library.
But as to maintain the branches, Evanston is forced to spend more money on its libraries than other communities of its size, Ney said.
“It’s kind of like an animal caught in a trap,” Ney said about the proposal to close the branches. “The animal would gnaw its foot off to get away, but not because it doesn’t want its foot.”
Sherry-Crews said she is glad the city ultimately decided to keep branch libraries open.
“The branches have established a sense of community in Evanston,” she said. “It’s important to keep them around.”
