What’s Wrong with this Email from City Council Speaker Christine Quinn?

About twice a day a perfect argument for why even competent writers need editors lands in my Inbox. Below is the latest, and it typifies one of the primary ways organizations misuse email, churning out external communications that are not only too long but also, ultimately, ineffectual.

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Nutter Cuts Library Budget

From Publishers Lunch, bummer news on the public library front:

As municipalities across the country face large gaps in their budget, Philadelphia is taking “drastic new steps” to face the “economic storm” that include closing 11 of the 54 branch libraries that comprise the Free Library of Philadelphia. Three other branches will have Sunday hours eliminated. Mayor Michael Nutter said the branches were chosen “after careful review of building conditions, utilization and distance to other libraries in the Free Library system.” Cutting 220 jobs throughout the city government, approximately one third of those layoffs will come from the library staff.

This development — and the fate of public libraries across the country for several years now — is interesting because libraries have always represented a kind of private/public partnership.

The bulk of small neighborhood branch libraries that sprouted up in the early 20th century were bankrolled by Andrew Carnegie, industry wizard and rich bastard par excellence. The bill for the upcoming renovation of New York’s 42nd Street Public Library — the one with the lions out front — is being footed by Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of the Blackstone Group. His total gift should pay for more than just floor polish; he’s forking over $100 million to the NYPL system, and in exchange he gets air kisses and naming rights.

I’m hoping Will Smith gets the same itch. The Will Smith Free Library of West Philadelphia sounds about right.