I thought you might be interested in the ALA response to the NY Times story, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/business/27libraries.html?emc=eta1"><em>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/business/27libraries.html?emc=eta1</em></a><br>
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<div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Keith Michael Fiels</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:kfiels@ala.org">kfiels@ala.org</a>></span><br>Date: Wed, Sep 29, 2010 at 7:39 AM<br>
Subject: [alacoun] President Roberta Stevens' response to the New York Times story on outsourcing<br>To: <a href="mailto:alacoun@ala.org">alacoun@ala.org</a><br><br><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Here is the letter from ALA President Roberta Stevens to the New York Times in response to comments made by Mr. Pezzanite in a recent article on outsourcing library services in Santa Clara, California:</i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Dear Editor, <br> <br>The American Library Association opposes shifting policy making and management oversight of library services from the public to the private sector, not because of its impact on job security, as implied in the article entitled “Anger as a Private Company Takes Over Libraries,” but rather because communities may lose access to trained information professionals – librarians. <br>
<br>I take issue with the statements made by L.S.S.I. CEO Frank Pezzanite. Implying that library staffs are just waiting around to cash in on retirement, when in fact there are thousands of librarians serving 1.5 billion visitors annually with dedication, assumes that people will fall for the “demonization” of the public sector. <br>
<br>Libraries and their employees, who are often paid salaries far below the demands placed on them and the education required for their positions, serve as a lifeline for millions of Americans. From free access to books and online resources to library business centers that help support entrepreneurship and retraining, libraries with top-notch staff are needed now more than ever in our increasingly competitive global economy. <br>
<br>Publicly funded libraries should remain directly accountable to the publics they serve.<br> <br>Roberta Stevens <br>President, American Library Association <br><br></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">LSSI is being discussed on the ALA Council list, because of the piece below. You can see that discussion at<br><a href="http://lists.ala.org/sympa/arc/alacoun">http://lists.ala.org/sympa/arc/alacoun</a> . The discussion can be viewed by anyone. You do not have to login. You do have to click a button that says something like "I am not a spammer."</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">You can also follow the discussion on PUBLIB in the September 2010 archives at <a href="http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/publib/">http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/publib/</a> .</p>
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<p><em>Diedre Conkling<br>Lincoln County Library District<br>P.O. Box 2027<br>Newport, OR 97365<br>Phone & Fax: 541-265-3066<br><font color="#ff0000">**</font>Work email: </em><a href="mailto:diedre@lincolncolibrarydist.org" target="_blank"><em>diedre@lincolncolibrarydist.org</em></a><em> <font color="#ff0000">NEW**</font><br>
Home email: </em><a href="mailto:diedre08@gmail.com" target="_blank"><em>diedre08@gmail.com</em></a></p><br>