Reopen Florence's libraries! The situation is discouraging, workers and citizens take to the streets

While the whole world of production and commerce has already reopened, in many cases even at full capacity, in many cities of our country the situation of libraries is discouraging: this is the case in Florence, where many hubs are still closed and others open at very reduced hours. To date, the Biblioteca delle Oblate, the Biblioteca Mario Luzi, the Biblioteca Villa Bandini, BiblioteCaNova Isolotto and the Biblioteca Filippo Buonarroti remain open, and for lending and return services only (so no to consultation, reading, study, events). With limited hours: they are open only four days a week, five hours a day (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 7 p.m., Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.), and access is by reservation only. All other libraries (Palagio di Parte Guelfa, Pietro Thouar, Fabrizio De Andrè, Children’s Library, Dino Pieraccioni, Galluzzo Library, Horticulture Library, ITI Leonardo da Vinci) remain closed to the public.

In all, out of 13 city libraries, only 5 are active, and what’s more, at reduced ranks. To protest this situation, library workers, along with many citizens, took to Piazza della Signoria yesterday for a sit-in, in which a “funeral” of culture was also staged, with some demonstrators carrying a coffin on their shoulders. The problem, in fact, is not only the reduction of an essential service in a modern city, but also the fact that many precarious workers are in danger of losing their jobs. According to the workers, the virus has little to do with it, since everything in Italy is reopening: it is an excuse to cut back on libraries. Now, they are therefore demanding guarantees and precise answers for the future.

In previous days, the precarious workers of the Florentine libraries had also launched a petition on change.org: “we contract workers of the municipal libraries and the Historical Archives of the City of Florence, who since 2007 allow most of the services offered to the citizenship,” the text reads, “since June 15 we have been at home without pay, without redundancy pay and without further benefits. In the meantime, the city of Florence is offered a very reduced library service, of just 20 hours a week only for lending and restitution, and consultation only by reservation as far as the Archives are concerned. Political and economic choices are holding the lives of over a hundred people in check, left in uncertainty and without official answers. We clamor that no one be left behind, that they be allowed to return to work to return to offering a complete and quality essential service to citizens and visitors, finally with the certainty of stability and fair pay.” The petition collected five thousand signatures.

A delegation of protesters was then received at Palazzo Vecchio by the president of the city council, Luca Milani, while they were unable to speak with Mayor Dario Nardella and Culture Councilor Tommaso Sacchi, who were absent due to other “institutional commitments.” Also bringing the demands of the protesters to the city council were Councilmen Dmitrij Palagi and Antonella Bundu of Sinistra Progetto Comunae: “the junta,” the two said in their speech, “cannot further postpone a decisive intervention in favor of the working classes. Today’s passage was intended to testify to the seriousness of the situation of these contracted staff of library services and to attest to the strong support that comes to them from the entire citizenry and the world of culture. The service they provide is essential and must be fully restored. We want to thank those who are vigorously pursuing this struggle and the labor organizations that are supporting the dispute. We will continue to support these workers with the utmost determination.”

The protesters reiterated that “the administration must have the courage to reverse course, starting again precisely from culture and work, inalienable pillars of a society that wants to consider itself civilized.”

Reopen Florence's libraries! The situation is discouraging, workers and citizens take to the streets

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.