At 4:00 pm on Wednesday, April 18, the Mason Square branch library advisory committee is planning an event to announce the results of a public vote for a suitable location for a new branch to serve the surrounding neighborhood (technically the juncture of several neighborhoods). The event will take place at the current Mason Square branch library. Results will also be presented to the Mason Square branch library steering committee.
The vote is aimed primarily at children in five city schools: DeBerry Elementary School (above left), Rebecca Johnson School (above right), Homer Elementary School (below left), Margaret Ells School (below right) and Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence (not pictured).
School librarians there are being asked to make ballots available to students next week, April 9 through 13. The advisory committee is creating ballots for the vote, and has offered to make ballot boxes if students or the school librarians don’t opt to make ballot boxes themselves. Ballots will be collected from the schools at the end of the school day on Friday, April 13.
Students and their families are being encouraged to talk over the options for a new library site. The goal of the vote, which is non-binding, is to encourage families and teachers to be aware of the significant civic process taking place in searching for a new library site. The advisory committee wishes to give children, their parents, and their teachers a chance to speak out for libraries.
Ballots will also be available to the public—of any age—at the Mason Square branch library. Conceivably, anyone can vote by showing up to place a ballot in the box, and your opinion will be counted.
The announcement of the vote results on April 18 is intended to be synchronous with National Library Week, April 15 to 21, also spring vacation for students.
An article appearing this week in the Republican details the sites that will be included on the ballot:
Closed Mason Square fire station
Lease at Dunbar Community Center
Lease at American International College library
City-owned lot at Massachusetts Career Development Institute
Combination vacant lots on Hayden Avenue
Current Mason Square library site
Not only can voters select the existing sites under consideration, but they can also effectively "write in" a site that officials haven’t yet considered, so the field is wide open. Refer to the steering committee’s notes for details on the sites.
What site will you vote for?
