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The Upper West Side Version of a Data Center

September 20, 2026 | 8:17 AM
in ABSURDITY, ART, COLUMNS
25

By Gary Martin

Gary B. Martin is an illustrator and animator who has lived on the Upper West Side for more than 30 years. His illustrations appear in the Rag on Sundays, chronicling life in the neighborhood, New York City, and the Universe. See them all here. For a broader range of Gary’s work, including animations and other motion graphics, please visit www.martoons.com

Listen to Rag Radio’s interview with Gary Martin — HERE.

Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.

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25 Comments
Amy
Amy
21 days ago

Amen to that!😄 More power to the lions!

12
Reply
Alice
Alice
21 days ago

I love the NYPLs

10
Reply
Mark
Mark
21 days ago

Best kind of data center EVER!

13
Reply
Ken
Ken
21 days ago

Good One! – That will even pass the Governor’s Review Process!

1
Reply
Bill Given
Bill Given
20 days ago

Bringing life back to its simplest form makes it all the easier. Thanks, Gary.

6
Reply
Mary McCarthy
Mary McCarthy
20 days ago

“Artificial intelligence is likely to be either the best or worst thing to happen to humanity.” — Stephen Hawking

5
Reply
Rosie
Rosie
20 days ago

In the land before time, before AI, you could trust the information you got from your local library and from the ultimate heroes of the data revolution — librarians! They’re never give the credit they’re due! Keep libraries! Lose data centers!

15
Reply
D M
D M
20 days ago
Reply to  Rosie

Lose data centers? Let’s not get carried away. It is not either or.

5
Reply
Therese Case
Therese Case
20 days ago

Totally agree!

4
Reply
SusiQW
SusiQW
20 days ago

Hear, hear!💯

2
Reply
Edith
Edith
20 days ago

Hear hear!

2
Reply
Neal
Neal
20 days ago

Proud to say my library card is in a disgraceful condition due to overuse.

5
Reply
Mia Trachinger
Mia Trachinger
20 days ago

Aw! Melts my heart. I just finished Susan Orleans library fire book, which describes libraries as evolving into community centers full of resources and life.

5
Reply
Susan
Susan
20 days ago

So true!

4
Reply
Joanna
Joanna
20 days ago

Yes!! You’re reminding me how nice it is to spend time in the library.

2
Reply
Macadoody
Macadoody
20 days ago

Wholeheartedly AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!

2
Reply
Pat Hogan
Pat Hogan
20 days ago

So many mixed feelings about AI. But going to the physical 4 walls of libraries makes me warm and fuzzy inside!

2
Reply
Joe Chiplock
Joe Chiplock
20 days ago

ABSOLUTELY!

1
Reply
Debfrombrooklyn
Debfrombrooklyn
20 days ago

Aw, shucks. I have a card to New York Public and Brooklyn Public. I mostly order and check out from BPL The Friend’s Groups at most branches are impressive. Thanks for the reminder!

1
Reply
Gabriella Radujko
Gabriella Radujko
20 days ago

Refreshing and true…let’s run this one every week as an homage to libraries in New York City and every city, town and village nationwide.

2
Reply
Sue Taffet
Sue Taffet
20 days ago

Excellent! We should all use that “data center”!

2
Reply
Steve M
Steve M
20 days ago

What is a data center but a faster, more effective and more comprehensive library in digital form? I’ll gladly take it! Luddites will be left behind in the dust of history.

2
Reply
Eljay
Eljay
19 days ago

Hear! Hear!

1
Reply
Peter Birkenhead
Peter Birkenhead
19 days ago

Second that emotion!

1
Reply
Tuna Jack
Tuna Jack
18 days ago

That’s refreshing!

0
Reply

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