To the Editor:
I was disappointed and saddened last Friday to see a closing notice posted on the door of Bayonne’s Branch 2 Library. This closing is a travesty to uptown children, seniors and neighbors.
Before reaching this decision, I am hopeful that the mayor and City Council members visited late mornings when unemployed adults are using computers for job searches. Did they visit early afternoons when seniors gather to discuss and compare recent best sellers? Did they visit after 3 p.m. when the branch is converted to an extended classroom? Students from Washington and Woodrow Wilson schools would scurry for a place at the computers to research projects and complete homework assignments.
The heart and soul of this branch is the librarian, Susan Humenic. Her personal attention to clients is unparalleled. Sue is more than a book facilitator. She is a research assistant, counselor, literary critic, parent, computer technician, friend, teacher and so much more!
Unconventional economic indicators in enlightened communities like Montclair show extended library hours. During this recessive economy, families are relying more frequently on free public libraries. They have become community learning centers for all ages where exhibits are displayed, books and videos borrowed, special interest groups meet and the Internet easily accessed.
Closing a library is tantamount to closing a mind.
ROSEMARY PARLAVECCHIO