Harper Massey, 10, makes posters in defense of the Forest Green Library
Families showed up Sunday, posters in hand, in support of replacing the outdated and undersized Forest Green Library with a new building nearby. The City of Dallas has already purchased a new site on Greenville Avenue near Braum’s, and the city council will vote Wednesday whether to keep money in the 2017 bond for construction of the building or cut funds in favor of other projects. The cost is just under $8 million.
Organizers staged a social media mini-protest, with children brainstorming catchy phrases and using markers and colored masking tape to create posters. They then walked to the future library site to Facebook Live and Tweet their adventures and walked back to reward themselves with Braum’s burgers and sundaes.
“I love libraries because they have air conditioning,” said 10-year-old Harper Massey. (In her defense, it was very hot.) “I love to read, and they have a summer reading program. If you read a certain number of minutes or books, you can get prizes.”
Though the Dallas City Council upped the total bond package spending total to $1 billion, Forest Green is still not a done deal. Councilman Philip Kingston, representing District 14’s Lakewood and Oak Lawn areas, previously said via Twitter that the proposed new Vickery Meadow library was the only library capital need he’d support.
“Dallas needs to build that library, too,” said Anne Harding, Sharpie marker in hand. “It’s not about Forest Green versus Vickery Meadow. It’s about reading and computer access and ESL classes and citizenship classes and community building and all the other great things that go on in a neighborhood library.”
The council votes Wednesday. You may email members here.
Top: Harper Massey, Suzanne Massey, Anne Harding, Ryan Schwope, Julia Schwope, Kate Thompson, Jenny King and Kristine Schwope. Bottom: Cooper McGough and Ashton Thompson
Build Forest Green!
We love books!
Cooper McGough on the Greenville Ave site
