Outsourcing Public Libraries
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2012-03-08/outsourcing-public-libraries
Cash-strapped communities across the country have outsourced services ranging from trash pickup to tech support. But in a trend that's sparking debate around the country, more and more cities and towns are hiring outside contractors to run their public libraries. Some see the move as a savvy way to save money, while others worry about the implications allowing a private company to take control of the neighborhood library. We explore both sides of the issue.
Guests
David Shumaker
Clinical Associate Professor, School of Library and Information Science at The Catholic University of America
Patricia Tumulty
Chair, American Library Association Committee on Library Advocacy; Executive Director, New Jersey Library Association.
Comments
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I've noticed that when a company says "we can do this cheaper & more efficiently", cheaper = we will cut salaries and provide fewer or worse benefits, and more efficiently = cutting services.
When considering wage and benefit cuts, people don't seem to take into account the negative effect that the worker's reduced buying power will have on the local economy.
Additionally, cheaper sometimes means hiring less educated workers and that just amounts to deprofessionalization of librarianship.
I thought it was a shame that no one from LSSI was on the show. I've met the Pezzanites (LSSI's owners) and they are nice people with a strong background in managing libraries. The company is based in the DC suburbs and they started by managing federal libraries.
We may not like the idea of outsourcing libraries but I also don't like the kind of waste and inefficiencies I see in the way municipal government works either.
I also thought that the caller wanting to pick a fight over leaving archivists and records managers out of the tent was hilarious! Information workers need to band together, not fight over the scraps of funding provided to libraries and archives today.
Good show. It could have been a lot better though.
We agree Rich -- the conversation would have been more informative with an LSSI representative included.
An LSSI guest was twice confirmed to join us -- with the show date originally scheduled a month in advance. Unfortunately, LSSI canceled with only a few days' notice on both occasions. The first time, we accommodated LSSI, and rescheduled the on-air conversation.
In yesterday's case, LSSI had reconfirmed CEO Ron Dubberly's participation on Monday, by phone and by email. Then on Tuesday, we were notified that an 'unexpected scheduling conflict' now made it impossible for him to join us.
We asked LSSI to provide a replacement guest -- another LSSI executive, a member of their Board or Advisory Council, or someone employed at one of their libraries across the country -- to take part in the conversation. We learned Thursday morning no one was available, but decided to go forward with the conversation anyway, as we felt the topic was an important one for our audience to hear and discuss.
Thanks for listening to the KojoShow and for engaging with public radio.
I have had a good career in the federal library contracting sector, but am concerned about some trends towards 'piece work' in government libraries and information centers. If companies are paid by the piece of work handled, rather than budgeting for a set number of full-time positions, this may be advantageous to the companies, enabling them to be low bidders, and to government, to save costs. But workers, library patrons, and the library profession may be shortchanged by work environments which move library workers into reduced or curtailed benefits scenarios, along with jobs not being structured to allow for professional development time to take trainings, attend conferences, and so on. As far back as the '90s, the library school program I attended was raising questions about whether the profession would allow libraries to turn into electronic sweat shops. I think we should pause and ask if the piece work mentality, exercised in some contracting or privatization environments, is making worse work environments for library professionals. An increasing population of older workers looks for stability and decent benefits in a job, rather than the piece work environment of shifting staff sizes, lowered pay, and reduced benefits.
I work for FCPL. I can't speak to the inefficiencies of other county agencies, but I find it difficult to understand why there is a perception that libraries are wasting tax payer money. If you look at the most recent advertised budget, the library system has been allotted about .8%. With those funds, we run 22 branches (that are open 6-7 days a week), access services, technical operations, library administration, and Fairfax County/Virginia archives. Those funds pay for staff salaries, acquisitions (books, audiobooks, dvds, periodicals, digital content, database subscriptions, etc.), computer equipment, interlibrary delivery, office supplies, programs, and much more.
Furthermore, admin estimates that we receive 150,000+ hours of volunteer service in the system each year. Volunteers provide tutoring, lead programs, and assist with many daily tasks (such as shelf reading, checking in materials, pulling holds, mending books, etc.). We would not be able to provide the same level of service without them.
Is less than 1% of the county budget really too much to ask?