Elmwood Park Public Library Director Michael Consiglio presented a new policy to force the Elmwood Park Advocate and other community groups based in Elmwood Park to pay a $100 fee when they use the library’s main meeting room.
The Library Board's behavior here is really abhorrent and in clear violation of First Amendment rights. I think the Advocate should consider legal action. No matter your political affiliation, we should be concerned and angered that our public services, paid for by our taxes, are being denied to members of the community. If the current administration is operating above-board and in favor of its community, why are they so obsessed with silencing differing opinions?
Thanks, Annie. We're considering all options. From the beginning, when we insist that we have the right to access the room and create a space for dialogue between residents on community concerns, the newsletter has faced erratic, inconsistent, and unfair treatment.
Wow. This is totally bonkers. You have this journalist's support... as a community newsletter, you should be able to utilize public spaces such as libraries for community conversations. This is, in fact, the beauty of independent journalism. This example paints the image that village leadership doesn't stand for the First Amendment... and that is wholly concerning.
Thanks for your support. I see you're in Franklin Park. I pointed this out to the library board director and trustees before his plan to suppress community conversations was unveiled.
"The Franklin Park Public Library in Franklin Park does not apparently charge for the use of their meeting room. Their policy states that residents of the library district and 'Non-profit organizations, groups, or agencies that serve the residents, businesses, and/or industries of the Library District' are eligible to use the room."
It was one of five local libraries that I highlighted. The library director still said, "We want to be consistent with other libraries. Other libraries charge people that don’t have 501c3."
Community conversations are such a simple way to increase democracy and amplify voices that we might not normally hear from. Charging the Advocate ANY amount of money is wild. The library board should be ashamed. Will be following along closely. Thanks for your work, Kevin!
Exactly. And I will share with you that this newsletter was started in May as a response to the loss of local newspapers and local journalism in general. We know from the Northwestern University Medill School's Local Journalism Initiative that this is diminishing civic engagement. Good luck to you, Ambar! —Kevin Gosztola
The Library Board's behavior here is really abhorrent and in clear violation of First Amendment rights. I think the Advocate should consider legal action. No matter your political affiliation, we should be concerned and angered that our public services, paid for by our taxes, are being denied to members of the community. If the current administration is operating above-board and in favor of its community, why are they so obsessed with silencing differing opinions?
Thanks, Annie. We're considering all options. From the beginning, when we insist that we have the right to access the room and create a space for dialogue between residents on community concerns, the newsletter has faced erratic, inconsistent, and unfair treatment.
Wow. This is totally bonkers. You have this journalist's support... as a community newsletter, you should be able to utilize public spaces such as libraries for community conversations. This is, in fact, the beauty of independent journalism. This example paints the image that village leadership doesn't stand for the First Amendment... and that is wholly concerning.
Thanks for your support. I see you're in Franklin Park. I pointed this out to the library board director and trustees before his plan to suppress community conversations was unveiled.
"The Franklin Park Public Library in Franklin Park does not apparently charge for the use of their meeting room. Their policy states that residents of the library district and 'Non-profit organizations, groups, or agencies that serve the residents, businesses, and/or industries of the Library District' are eligible to use the room."
It was one of five local libraries that I highlighted. The library director still said, "We want to be consistent with other libraries. Other libraries charge people that don’t have 501c3."
—Kevin Gosztola
Community conversations are such a simple way to increase democracy and amplify voices that we might not normally hear from. Charging the Advocate ANY amount of money is wild. The library board should be ashamed. Will be following along closely. Thanks for your work, Kevin!
Exactly. And I will share with you that this newsletter was started in May as a response to the loss of local newspapers and local journalism in general. We know from the Northwestern University Medill School's Local Journalism Initiative that this is diminishing civic engagement. Good luck to you, Ambar! —Kevin Gosztola
Well done, Kevin.