November 20, 2002

CHICAGO -- Dozens of doctoral students, librarians, filmmakers and library aides handed out fliers and held up placards Tuesday to criticize recent cuts made by the Chicago Public Library.

Demonstrators say it was politics and revenge that prompted library officials to transfer veteran research librarians from the main library to neighborhood branches.

Library officials deny that, saying changes were made as part of citywide budgetary cuts.

"We had too many vacancies in some areas and we had to fill them," Library Commissioner Mary A. Dempsey said.

Nearly two dozen librarians with specialties in various research fields have been transferred from the downtown Harold Washington Library to neighborhood branches.