Entire OWS Library Taken By Dept. Of Sanitation, But NOT Destroyed!

The library in its more permanent structure. (Photo via David Shankbone's flickr)

As we originally reported at 4:15 a.m., the NYPD and Department of Sanitation tossed the entire contents of the Occupy Wall Street library into some dumpsters. At that time, the library's Twitter account transmitted this message: "The NYPD has destroyed everything at #OccupyWallStreet and put it all in dumpsters, including the #OWSLibrary. It's time to #ShutDownNYC." The library had more than 5,000 books, and recently Patti Smith funded a more permanent structure (pictured) to house it in.

Even though the city has been telling protesters that things would be stored in a Department of Sanitation facility at 650 West 57th Street in Manhattan, and could be picked up after noon, many believed and reported that the books had been destroyed. When we called the DoS this afternoon it wasn't looking good, the woman who answered the phone simply told us, "my boss isn't sure where the books are." And earlier today the library's blog had updated saying tonight at 6 p.m., "writers and readers from across New York City will gather in Liberty Plaza to reoccupy the space and rebuild the People’s Library."

But alas, good news has just arrived via the Mayor's Twitter account: the books are "safely stored" at the West 57th Street garage, and can be picked up tomorrow. They even provided photographic evidence. But how about the book shelter that Smith provided?

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By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment on November 15, 2011 3:47 PM

Comments [rss]

Eggcream

Didn't something like this happen in Germany in the 1930's right before the Hitlerites started murdering Jews? Oh wait, that's right, the Nazis burned the books they confiscated. NYC government only confiscated books, they did not burn them.

Shows you what strong air pollution laws can really do, huh?

Brenda Tobias

All of a sudden people care about a library. I'm just sayin'

JacksBack72

A friggin' LIBRARY??! So how about a Hospital; a Fire Department; a Police Force; a Public Tranportation Department; a Judcial System; a Corrections facility. . .
Just what NYC needs; a 'subcultural Subcity! Smarten-up assholes!

Geez- I do hope that the Bloomberg Administration and the NYS Judicial System- see to it that protestors who are arrested, are kept in the jail/court/probationary system for the rest of their natural lives on the planet! Freedom is not 'free'. . . and Protesting should not be 'free' either!

ian schlein

Yeah! We really gotta fix that darn Constitution...

JacksBack72

Don't worry about that. . . O-Ba-Ma is fixing it, one Executive Order at a time!

SpideySense

Shades of Berlin in the 1930s.

Virginia Hoge

Yep.

theevilerone

Right. Because the Nazis let everyone pick up their property the next day. Get over yourself.

Detex

These guys are Nazis Walter?

No, Donny, these men are nihilists. There's nothing to be afraid of.

Jack Reno

Oh stuff and nonsense.

sxe60

We have books where can we send them?

theevilerone

To your local library.

chuzzlewit

they took the books because they couldn't figure out how to slash the funding, fire the librarians, and lock the doors like they've done to the rest of the libraries in town.