▁program ▁attend ance . ▁ ▁Mayor ▁Dav lin ▁even ▁described ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁services ▁as ▁a ▁blow ▁to ▁“ liter acy ▁and ▁a ▁soci etal ▁goal ▁of ▁providing ▁educational ▁access ▁to ▁our ▁citizens .” ▁ ▁But ▁the ▁short fall ▁was ▁too ▁great ▁and ▁some ▁form ▁of ▁cut s ▁seemed ▁im min ent . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Mayor ▁Dav lin ▁announced ▁his ▁new ▁budget ▁for ▁fis cal ▁year ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁which ▁began ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁with ▁many ▁cost - s aving ▁measures . ▁ ▁This ▁included ▁the ▁closure ▁of ▁the ▁Lincoln ▁L ibr aries ▁branches . ▁ ▁Within ▁several ▁weeks ▁of ▁the ▁budget ▁announ cement ▁the ▁branches ▁were ▁closed ▁with ▁little ▁resistance ▁from ▁the ▁public ▁or ▁polit icians . ▁ ▁Because ▁the ▁city ▁le ased ▁the ▁building ▁where ▁the ▁S out heast ▁branch ▁was ▁located ▁all ▁books ▁and ▁materials ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁removed ▁by ▁March ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁February ▁ 1 1 ▁press ▁release , ▁the ▁city ▁announced ▁the ▁closing ▁of ▁the ▁branches ▁and ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁S out heast ▁branch ’ s ▁collection . ▁ ▁While ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁collection ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁branch ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁collection ▁was ▁put ▁on ▁sale ▁for ▁the ▁public ▁or ▁other ▁organizations . ▁ ▁During ▁these ▁clos ures , ▁several ▁al der man ▁expressed ▁their ▁sad ness ▁at ▁losing ▁library ▁services ▁but ▁maintained ▁hope ▁that ▁these ▁clos ures ▁would