The Boston Globe editorializes: The search for a new president for the BPL is nearly complete. On Thursday, the library trustees will meet the finalists.
The library’s former president, Bernard Margolis, left the job in June after trustees decided not to renew his contract – and after years of disputes with Mayor Menino. Praised for nurturing the central library in Copley Square, Margolis was also criticized for neglecting the branches.
Are Bostonians being given the entire story?
In the name of transparency, the trustees’ meeting – where the finalists will be interviewed – will be open to the public. But this transparency comes late. The list of finalists has largely been a secret, with media reports naming only former Massachusetts Senate president Thomas Birmingham and Amy Ryan, chief librarian for Hennepin County, Minn., as candidates. But the finalists’ names won’t be officially announced until Thursday.
John McArthur, former dean of Harvard Business School and one of a team that has been vetting the candidates has told the Globe that the process is meant to protect candidates’ privacy. But a true public process would have given Bostonians a chance to assess the finalists.
Transparency. Our cities’ public libraries.
Transparency needs to be addressed more at our cities’ public libraries of which Boston is a good example of a bad example. Stakeholders should have access to the our cities’ public library agencies’ public documents in accordance with sunshine open public meetings principles, FOI freedom of information public records principles, open government principles, intellectual freedom principles and freedom to read principles. Stakeholders, library users/clientel/customers/consumers , library staff, library collective bargaining labor relations advocates, all library advocates should have better access to public archives of our public institutions. Our cities’ public libraries should be models of this transparency. American Library Association’s J. Krug failed to acknowledge significant shortcomings about this lack in transparency. More up do date intellectual freedom advocacy staff are needed at the American Library Association.
Well…
Don Saklad should be happy
8am Thursday 14 August 1st floor Orientation Room McKim Bldg BPL
8am Thursday 14 August 2008
1st floor Orientation Room, McKim Building
Copley Square Boston Public Library
Trustees to Meet August 14
A Public Meeting of the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston has been scheduled for Thursday, August 14, at 8 a.m., in the McKim Building’s Orientation Room, Copley Square, for the purpose of selecting a new president of the Boston Public Library.
The Trustees may opt to continue the selection process on Friday, August 15, at 8am
http://bpl.org
http://bpl.org/general/trustees/trustees.htm
Amy Ryan has been offered
Amy Ryan has been offered job –