Metro is leaving their HQ and is going virtual. From their website:
"The compounding crises of the pandemic have necessitated difficult changes across the library world, including here at METRO. We have decided to leave METRO’s midtown Manhattan headquarters behind, and transition to become a completely distributed, remote-first service agency. We made this decision because of a 22% reduction in library system funding from New York State and a loss of revenue from activities we used to hold in our space."
However, they plan to continue to bring most of their programs and services virtually:
"Without the overhead costs of rent and related infrastructure, METRO will be able to offer more and better services by delivering those services in new and innovative ways. Our new digital grant program, Equity in Action, will grow as we are able support applicants with more funding. You’ll see us invest more in Archipelago repository services, resource sharing programs, delivery services, and more. Look for METRO pop-up events as we emerge from the current public health crisis, and in addition to our growing digital workshops and symposia, you can expect METRO staff to bring training and programming opportunities directly to our member’s spaces as well."
See
https://metro.org/goodbye-metro-office/ for the full story.
