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To: All those in power

Keep Our Library Public SAVE BLASCO!

Please watch our documentary here: https://youtu.be/eow_HaOUd10?si=RLvr3vrXhyCABC5f
Stand With Us Against Misuse of Public Resources

Keep Our Library Public (KOLP) filed a legal complaint in the Erie County Court of Common Pleas to prevent 3200 square feet of Blasco Erie County Public Library in Erie County, PA from being leased to a tax-exempt, private, religious university. 

Please watch SAVE BLASCO!, the award‑winning documentary the media ignored. It chronicles Erie community members rallying to protect the Blasco Memorial Library from a contentious lease agreement with Gannon University, a private Catholic Institution.

Help spread the word—watch and share SAVE BLASCO!, and see the EveryLibrary interview with director Cayce Mell and Anna McCartney: https://keepourlibrarypublic.com/save-blasco/

A settlement which the news media, other than the Erie Times-News, did not adequately cover was a big win for KOLP and the community.

The KOLP settlement made crucial changes to the Gannon lease, which didn’t exist before the lawsuit.

Major Changes

  • Most importantly future leases or sales of library property will require public input.

  • Gannon staff (NOT LIBRARY staff) must oversee their space and maintain library hours.

  • Public Access to Gannon space must be FREE.

  • Gannon can’t use the Idea Lab and classrooms. 

  • Access to the Hirt Auditorium/Admiral Room is restricted and must be paid for.

  • Lease revenues will pay for library initiatives.

  • Gannon’s monthly useage must be reported to the Library Board.

  • Lease from 25 years to 10 years.

  • ERIE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY cardholders can use the Gannon Nash Library for FREE.

We couldn’t have done it without the support of hundreds and Every Library’s tools for tax‑exempt donations and petition signing.

Thank you to everyone who donated, spoke or attended County Council meetings, protested, watched SAVE BLASCO!, or otherwise helped — we couldn’t have succeeded without you.

Learn more at keepourlibrarypublic.com


Why is this important?

Erie County Executive Brenton Davis and some members of the County Council wrongly entered into a lease agreement with Gannon University, a private, religious, tax-exempt institution without input or approval from taxpayers.  The lease granted Gannon the takeover of 3200 square feet as well as access to substantial portions of the only public library located within the City of Erie—the Raymond M. Blasco Memorial Library.  

Members and supporters of “Keep our Library Public” (KOLP) span all ages, genders, incomes, backgrounds, and political affiliations.  We live and pay taxes in municipalities throughout Erie County.  We believe our elected officials should carry out their official duties openly, responsibly, and with reasonable input from their constituents—the residents and taxpayers of Erie County.   

But over and over again, our elected officials, the Bishop of the Erie Diocese, and the Gannon University administration, have ignored the voices of library users and hardworking taxpayers. The past County Council Chairman denied our right to speak at a December 2023 public meeting, and even had people removed from that meeting. 
 
Sign and share this petition to tell our elected leaders and Gannon to listen to taxpayers, keep all libraries public, and protect our public resources.  

Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States

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Links

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Updates

2024-08-16 10:41:13 -0400

For further information–including copies of the Gannon/Blasco lease and our complaint, please go to https://keepourlibrarypublic.com/faqs/.

To see how the lease affects you as an Erie County PA taxpayer, please go to https://keepourlibrarypublic.com/taxpayer-facts/

What can you do? DONATE!
Because EveryLibrary is a 501c3, these donations are tax-deductible: https://www.fundlibraries.org/erie

2024-07-09 12:34:35 -0400

Keep Our Library Public (KOLP) has filed a legal complaint in the Erie County Court of Common Pleas to prevent 3200 square feet of Blasco Erie County Public Library in Erie County, PA from being leased to a tax-exempt, private, religious university. Please help us fund our legal fight!

https://keepourlibrarypublic.com/donate/

2024-07-08 22:04:27 -0400

Please help us fund our legal fight!
Donations given through https://www.fundlibraries.org/erie are tax deductible.

Thank you for your support! Please share the petition with everyone you know!

Together we can win this fight!

2024-07-01 19:11:29 -0400

Watch video of news coverage of our lawsuit against Brenton Davis and Erie County here: https://www.yourerie.com/news/pennsylvania-news/erie-county/keep-our-library-public-files-lawsuit-against-erie-county-brenton-davis/

2024-07-01 07:12:30 -0400

100 signatures reached

2024-06-30 13:12:06 -0400

50 signatures reached

2024-06-29 09:51:36 -0400

25 signatures reached

2024-06-29 06:42:24 -0400

10 signatures reached