Books vs. Profits: Protest Bosses’ Grab of Gary’s Main Library

GARY, IN, January 21 — For over a month, a small but dedicated group of local activists have been leading a campaign against the Gary Public Library Board’s racist closing of the city’s downtown main library branch. Although the branch stopped its services last December 30th, the group shows no signs of giving up on the struggle.

The roots of the library board’s decision to close the downtown branch date back to last spring, when  the president, Tony Walker, started to unveil plans for a museum/cultural center that would operate for a profit in the current library building. Among other points, Walker stated that the building in its current state was structurally unsound and in drastic need of renovations. In a “public” meeting that hardly represented the voice or interests of the city’s citizens, the board voted to end the library services in the downtown building and forge ahead with the plans for the cultural center.

For those familiar with the political scene in Gary, the corrupt actions by the elected and appointed officials were business as usual. All meetings that are open to input from local residents involve the city council members quickly pushing their anti-working class motions through early on during the session, then opening the floor briefly to public comments, well after the point that the citizens’ opinion on the issue can have any effect!

This joke of a public proceeding is a microcosm of capitalist “democracy”: creating the illusion that the workers have a say on the decisions that affect their class, when in fact the bosses already have their minds made up about how they can screw us yet again.

On January 2nd, a few days after the downtown branch closed its doors to the public, a group of activists braved the frigid conditions and rallied in front of the facility. Gary residents and other local allies explained a myriad of harmful effects that were bound to occur as a result of the main branch closing. Some of the concerns brought up included how those unemployed could no longer use the free internet and computers to apply for jobs, how the library staff would likely not be retained to work in the new museum and how members of the whole community are losing a centralized and effective resource of information.

Aside from these unethical consequences of their actions, the library board may very well have engaged in some illegal activity as well. From the first time the plans for the cultural center were proposed, the activists have questioned the legality of using public funds — that were generated via taxes specifically designated for library use — to finance a project that will be of far less use to the community. In fact, the board members were quick to point out that the costs of renovating the library would surpass two million dollars, completely neglecting to mention the fact that to remodel the building as a museum would likely be double that!

The group opposing the closing of the library recently met with the mayor of the city to express our dissatisfaction. Though recently elected and no doubt seeking public approval, she was clearly hesitant and reluctant to agree to the group’s demand to recall the four members of the library board who voted in favor of closing the main branch. The mayor, who personally appointed one of those four members, insisted that we continue to circulate our petition. After that, she told us, she would consider holding a public hearing.

A few PL members have been active in this struggle since the Jan. 2nd rally. Although those currently involved in the small group are very motivated and passionate in their efforts, the struggle will no doubt need to expand to include a wide variety of activists, especially the youth of Gary, if we hope to succeed in not only re-opening the library, but keeping the flame of working-class militancy burning as well. We PL members plan to commit much time and effort to raising the issue at our local university in order to get more people involved in the fight.

With fierce commitment and sharp communist leadership, the crooked politicians in Gary will begin to notice that the working-class residents of the city are no longer taking their racist attacks lying down. Under capitalism, libraries and a proper education are luxuries for an increasingly elite few. Under communism, both will be top priorities for all workers. It is our task to convince the working-class that a communist future is the only one worth fighting for. More on this struggle to come!