The Walking Dead

Tony Mack and Anthony Roberts are proceeding with their plan, unapproved and unsanctioned by ANYONE – not Council, not the State, not any accountable group of Citizens meeting and discussing openly – to open two Zombie Libraries on Monday afternoon.

These are Zombie Libraries because they will Look like Libraries: they may lend books (which do not belong to them); they may offer newspapers and magazines (although since the branches have been closed since the Fall of 2010, the news may be a little stale);  they may offer Internet access (under whose name has any service been restored? Who authorized this and how?); and they may offer homework assistance to children, staffed largely by volunteers solicited via this press release from Anthony Roberts (but who will they be? Will they be screened? Will they have background checks performed? Or will Tony Mack and Anthony Roberts take any stranger off the streets and  have them work with our children?)

But do not be deceived, these are Zombie Libraries, the Undead and Corrupt playthings of a corrupt Mayor and his corrupt Administration!

These “Libraries” will not be under the use and control of the Trustees of the Trenton Free Public Library, as required under State Law. “The only public library administration we recognize is the Trenton Free Public Library board,” says Associate State Librarian Victoria Rosch.

These “Libraries” were planned in secret, by a process that the Administration has consistently lied about.

The Administration has talked to several private groups about the management of the branches, in violation of state Purchasing and Contracting law.

One individual has stated he has been promised Employment by the City. The state Department of Community Affairs has no knowledge of this, or any other offers of employment, and has not given their required approval. All other individuals the City plans to employ for this project are unknown, unexamined, with unknown and unverified credentials, experience, knowledge. And, like the “Volunteers” referenced above, these unknown individuals will be working with Trenton’s children as of Monday.

City Council has not authorized any funds to be expended for these… things. They have never been informed of plans nor consulted in any way.

These “things” will open with no Accountability, no Visibility, no Background checks for Employees, no Training, no Nothing.

The Mayor calls them Libraries, and will gladly and proudly put his name on them. Since they are totally illegal and wrong, I call them Zombie Libraries. As much as I want to see the neighborhood branches reopened, this is the wrong way to do it. Like The Walking Dead, they need to be stopped.