The Worcester Library voted on September 7, 2011 to allow the Nazis group, NEWP, to use the meeting rooms without any limits.The Nazi group, based in New Hampshire, has used the Library for organizational meetings. In effect Worcester Library will be their headquarters
As most people know organizational meetings are not a free speech issue. Monthly organizational meetings are meeting where plans are made and treasury reports are read. Associations or corporations have to find a private space for such meetings. The Nazis have met several consecutive months and have sent to the Library requests for many more monthly reservations.
When Worcester based groups such as Worcester Area Rainbow Coalition wanted to have consecutive monthly meetings we were turned down by the Library saying that consecutive monthly meetings were organizational meetings and that such meeting would prevent other groups from getting an opportunity to use the meeting rooms.
The Library has opened a can of worms by allowing the Nazis to reserve rooms months in advance for organizational meetings. It has created a precedent for other groups to reserve rooms months in advance. So let’s do the math. Since there are only two meeting rooms and only five days the Library is open there are only at most 40 reservations per month. That means only 40 groups could usethe library meeting rooms. Limiting the Library meeting rooms to only 40 groups is not freedom of speech. The late comers for reservations would be shut out for the distant future.
What is worse there is no Worcester preference for people who live and work in Worcester. That means groups from Maine and New York could shut out Worcester’s people from the use of our Library.
