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Dec 12 East Cambridge Planning Team

12/12/1996

East Cambridge Planning Team

Meeting, Thursday, December 12, 1996. In attendance: Richard Vendetti, Doug Willen, Steve Sack, John Maddeb (sp?), Robert Green, Nicholas Geracgery (sp?), Helen Iantosca, Jennie Iantosca, Dolly Duffy, Elizabeth Ann Voto, Wanda Piecint, Joyce Travers Brito, Jer Syulerin (sp?), ? , Frank Marganelli, Pam Thomure, Hugo Salemne, Lt. John Hallice, Frank Birdage, (?)S. Ahear,(sp?) N. Fer. (sp?), Pat McGuire, Manny Rogers, John McKim, Becky Brannon, Chester Galemkind, Judith Sworden, Ed OíConnell, Charles Hunter or Huide(?) and Karen Carmean of Library 21
To provide access to all the people of Cambridge and to insure that we manage our resources well, Library 21 is gathering information from as many groups as possible about what the people want.

What would you like in the library?

A. Community Activity Center

  • Foreign movies in branch libraries
  • Italian movies in branches
  • Poetry readings in branches
  • Author readings in branches
  • How to protect yourself lecture
  • Personal effectiveness lecture
  • Programs aimed by childless adults
  • Cultural programs
  • Older adults programs
  • Cultural events at library
  • Heritage programs
  • Polish programs
  • Irish programs
  • Events in the evening not just during day
  • Architecture lecture at East branch drew 200 people
  • Coffeehouse in library like bookstores have
  • Specific subject matter: organize a whole evening around a specific subject matter and if the subject matter attracts enough people and they would like to meet again, then have that subject be a continuing meeting
  • Special interest groups could meet at library
  • Access to meeting place for clubs
  • TV at branch libraries
  • Cable television programs shown at branches
  • Special community programs on local cable
  • Child care facilities
  • Nursery facility for community
  • Holiday events
  • History lessons from W.W.II lectures
  • W.W.II films

B. Community Information Center

  • Scholarship information for high school students
  • Announcements of community information

C.. Formal Education Support

D. Independent Learning Center

  • Course materials available at branch like court stenography
  • Computer literacy
  • Computer training

E. Popular Materials Lending Library

  • Films on W.W.II
  • Tapes at branch not just at main
  • CDs at branches
  • Movies at branches
  • Books at branches
  • Videos at branches
  • Business materials needed for small business uses- need to ask small businesses what they want like the Cambridge businesses
  • Donations of books should be accepted by library
  • Cultural collections at East library were thrown out- what happened to them
  • Books for all ages
  • Donít have a Heritage library in East Cambridge
  • More books
  • More videos
  • Full service library
  • Newspapers available at branches
  • Magazines available at branches
  • Cable access at the library

F. Preschoolers Door to Learning

  • Story hour for young children

G. Reference Library

  • Reference materials excellent so children can use it.

H. Research Center

  • Research materials at branch so professors can look up things

I. Other- important functions missing from list

  • Rapid interlibrary access so we donít have to go to main branch
  • East Cambridge branch to get something, not all for main branch
  • East Cambridge folks should have input into East Cambridge library
  • Outreach needed beyond youth
  • Outreach to more groups in the community with different programs for older adults, childless adults, cultural programs
  • Procedure for donations to library of books, etc.
  • Harvard library cards should be given to every city resident
  • Survey Cambridge residents to find out what they want
  • Better promotion and ads for library services
  • Advertise to whole neighborhood
  • Decentralized library system, all branches, no branch larger
  • Longer library hours, weekends and evenings
  • Some library in city should be open all the time- perhaps adjacent branches have opposite hours
  • Bicycle racks for bicycle safety next to library. Perhaps lockers in sheds next to entrance so can put helmet there and not take up an extra seat in the library
  • Handicap access to make E. Cambridge branch accessibility
  • Bathrooms for handicapped
  • Activate library, make it vibrant, get people to come back into the library
  • Advertise to the whole neighborhood and explain why the neighborhood should come back
  • Instead of $26 million to main library, divide the money equally among the branches
  • Better use of land
  • Procedure for weeding and throwing out books developed and explained. We saw books in the trash from the cultural collection
  • Atrium reading room
  • Water garden in reading room
  • Empire building creates need for main library which is not what we need in Cambridge
  • Each library should be equally funded
  • Location, location, location: put branch on main street like Cambridge St.
  • Newsletter should include events which are held at library and explain why people should come back to the library
  • Direct mailings to everyone in the neighborhood in large postcard size to announce library events and explain why people should use the library
  • Money should go to neighborhood to decide what to do

J. An Important Civic Building