Original Cyn writes “For more than 100 years, the City has operated the Dallas Library System. A recent proposal to privatize the library has caught the attention of supporters and the Dallas City Council.
Under the plan, Dallas could farm out the management, staff and operations for some or all of its 22 branches. The city would still own the books, assets and library structures.
The company being considered to manage the system is LSSI, a 22-year-old firm run by professional librarians. LSSI is known for stepping in to help troubled library systems. The company touts good service and a good return for tax dollars invested.
Original Cyn writes “For more than 100 years, the City has operated the Dallas Library System. A recent proposal to privatize the library has caught the attention of supporters and the Dallas City Council.
Under the plan, Dallas could farm out the management, staff and operations for some or all of its 22 branches. The city would still own the books, assets and library structures.
The company being considered to manage the system is LSSI, a 22-year-old firm run by professional librarians. LSSI is known for stepping in to help troubled library systems. The company touts good service and a good return for tax dollars invested.
Still, some on the council are skeptical. “My perspective is, the library system isn’t broken, it is working and working well, and I don’t see a need for radical change,” council member Lois Finkelman said.
Others want to consider the proposal. “Showing interest in using outside resources to help us do a better job for less taxpayer money is a sign of strength, not a sign something is broken,” council member Gary Griffith said.
Library supporters suggested that its unique character would be hard for LSSI to maintain. Librarians answer questions, help kids read, foster knowledge and perform other services hard to quantify. They questioned whether a company that values profit will feel the same about the community.
“They’re not here for charity, you know. If their focus is on making money, I’m not sure they can afford to give the kind of service we want,” said June Leftwich, chairwoman of the Dallas Library Board.
LSSI said its business is keeping libraries alive and thriving.
— Chris Heinbaugh / WFAA-TV
Wednesday, August 20, 2003″
We’ve run stories on LSSI before:
LSSI and paying the bills, Passaic NJ Looks to Outsource Operations to LSSI, and a Few More.
Someone gets shortchanged
This may be the topic of a future “Crawford Files,” so I’d love to have input:
Anybody care to tell me how LSSI can do the same job for less–or even the same–money and turn a profit without shortchanging somebody?
Either services suffer, or nonprofessionals are substituted for professionals, or professionals are robbed of the Magnificent Chests of Gold that public librarians currently earn. (Yes, that’s sarcasm: How can you possibly pay people even less than typical public librarians and get any kind of quality?)
The money’s coming from the taxpayers in any case, and through the same city bureaucracy. So, somehow, either the public or the employees have to be taking it in…
Never mind: What am I missing here? How can this possibly be a win:win situation?
subbing out the library
I have to agree with others – farming out library services to a contractor doesn’t make any sense. My experience is with law firms and the high level managers will tell you that they are saving the cost of the employees, through more efficient processes, PLUS their benefits but if the bennies are what are being saved that means the poor schmoes working for the contractor aren’t receiving proper benefits AND, most likely, their salaries are lower. Who is winning this foot race? Besides, didn’t I see that LSSI was having some troubles with one of their “managed” library systems?