the San Francisco Chronicle Reports on sad news in Jackson County in southern Oregon. The 15 libraries serving this rural forest community lost $7 million in federal funding this year — nearly 80 percent of the system’s budget. All 15 branches are to shut April 7th, in what’s being called the largest library shutdown in the United States. The crisis in southern Oregon can be traced not only to changing funding priorities on Capitol Hill, but also to crooked railroad deals in the Wild West, a spotted owl and a shrinking timber harvest.
The Chronicle’s Meredith May was there, and she spoke with a number of children to hear what they think about losing their library. You can listen to that Here as a podcast.
And…
And the ALA’s crack team of experts to help save the library by re-aligning business practices, consolidating functions, reducing overhead, and elminating redundant staff and procedures will be flying in shortly to help. The short term goal is to keep as many services available to the public, the long term goal is to implement industry wide best practices to contine the library’s core functions with limited funding and allow it to move forward as it obtains alternative sources of funding.
Jack Welch former CEO of GE now president of the ALA recently gave a public statement acknowledging the poor local management and insists that while the ALA will be assisting a new Library Director develop his management team and implement changes needed to save the sinking ship; it will not be staying on to keep things afloat. “Library management and library decisions are best left to local control. While we can float the ship again, it is up to the local people to manage their recovery by implementing some tough changes. Think of us a harbor pilot for their ship. We can take them through thier tough journey, but they have to have the skills and convictions to successfully continue the voyage alone.”
See I can write fiction.
Libraries are not that significant to many people
There is little doubt that libraries are invaluable to society, then why are libraries closing? It is because libraries are not that significant to many people, only so to librarians.
having worked there…
I can attest that the library was mismanaged. That’s not the only reason it is being shut down, but lack of preparation for a crisis like this was huge.