Supporters of the Carnegie Library in Beechview rallied last night to save their library as the library system's board of trustees decides how to make the system financially sustainable.

To Rep. Chelsa Wagner, D-Beechview, talk of making the library system "sustainable" is code for making it smaller.

"That's a fancier way of saying what would naturally come after sustaining it, which is how do you do that?" she said. "That probably means closing libraries."

At $23 per person, total spending on the Carnegie Library system is far lower than in many cities, Ms. Wagner said. Philadelphia libraries receive about $50 per resident, while some communities in Ohio receive as much as $200 per person, she said.

Beechview was among the non-renovated libaries examined as -- but not recommended for -- possible candidates for closure in a Carnegie Mellon University study released in February. Others include Hazelwood, Carrick, West End and South Side, and library advocates fear even more might be closed when trustees meet on Monday.

Administrators for those four libraries, and potentially others, have been called to a meeting preceding the all-staff meeting of Carnegie Library employees scheduled for Oct. 6.

Advocates for the Beechview library, located at 1910 Broadway Ave., point out that not only Beechview residents but also those from surrounding communities rely on it because it has a large selection, ample space and access to public transportation. The library, open since 1967, has an operating budget of $250,000 -- smaller than many other libraries -- and needs no major renovations, they say.

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