Letters

I have spent 20 great years in the land of Allie Beth Martin and Lee Brawner benefiting from their foresight (see Editorial, "More Successful Than Begging," LJ 6/15/02).

My experience in a state library consulting with public libraries, in a municipal library in a large Texas city, and in a regional district library in Missouri convinced me that the district is the only governance and finance system that will remain stable over a long period.

When I sought a position as a director, I discovered that Oklahoma had offered the district alternative since the 1960s. A poor, regional suburban/rural area of Oklahoma, bordering on Tulsa to the west and the development area of Branson, MO, to the east seemed to many of my friends to be a poor career choice. As it turned out, because I gave so much weight to the district factor, it became the choice factor. That has made my career a fairy tale of high achievement from shoeless beginnings....

When I consider leaving this district library serving 225,000 people, I look at what district governance and funding has enabled us to do. I am astounded and awed to have been so lucky that the path led here.

—Marilyn L. Hinshaw, Dir., Eastern Oklahoma Dist. Lib. Syst., Muskogee

Norman Oder's "Can Atlanta-Fulton PL Emerge from Turmoil?" (LJ 6/1/02) was good, fairly even-handed, and chock-full of facts on a wide variety of topics. Your editorial (John Berry, "The Atlanta Lessons," LJ 6/1/02, p. 6) was really fine. There are too many still unresolved questions for our system, but the editorial does a good job of summing up a potential path to follow.

As the former central librarian during the time of the racially motivated transfers, I tried to work within the system and with the current administration to resolve the situation without severe repercussions. I failed. I do not believe that any of the current participants are interested in a resolution of the problems confronting us. Until the cast changes, there will be no changes…. As I read the editorial, I wept.

—Bill Munro, Atlanta

I just read your editorial ("The Salary Effort Gets Rolling," LJ 7/02) and looked at the ALA web site "Advocating for Better Salaries and Pay Equity Toolkit" (www.ala.org/pio/advocacy/better_salariestoolkit.pdf). Frankly, I am unimpressed by the contents, the thrust of which places the onus of salary increases on individual librarians. Individual bargaining has never worked, which is why we're in the state we're in currently. I would like to know if there has ever been a national movement to unionize as librarians, in the same way teachers once organized. Call me Norma Rae.

—Donna Beales, Health Science Lib., Lowell General Hosp., MA

In the report "As Conference Approaches, SLA Seeks Leadership, Stability" (News, LJ 5/15/02), Roberta Shaffer, executive director of SLA for five months, describes her rapid exit as "a selfish decision." The story adds, quoting Shaffer, that when "it became apparent that SLA 'would not be able to achieve what I wanted, in the time frame I created,' she chose to leave."

Fortunately for SLA, not many other decisions are made from that perspective. The SLA staff are hard working and dedicated. The board and members have spent many years dedicated to the profession and many hours of their free time mentoring, teaching, and supporting special librarians. This community of information, networking, and coaching is one of the things that makes this association unique. It spans the United States and reaches librarians in countries all over the world.

I understand that Shaffer's students hold her in very high regard. I'm sure that honor is well deserved. Perhaps she should keep on teaching, just not a class in "How To Find and Keep a Job."

—Nancy Stewart, SLA member for many years, currently Lib. Dir., The Freedom Forum, Arlington, VA

The responses to How Do You Manage? (LJ 6/1/02) did not take an adequate stand on the sexual harassment issue. A staff member is threatening to sue the harasser. This may or may not pan out by the court system. It will certainly be the long-winded approach. Management is responsible for a harassment-free workplace. Any liability claim would include management and the Board of Trustees as defendants. Director Sirignano knows about the behavior, yet has not adequately dealt with it…. You would not tolerate theft, so why tolerate sexual harassment?...

Sirignano does not need to "empower the library staff" to deal with the problem. She needs to empower herself as the director and address this behavior at once. Hollis McCright was right on the money that the director must sit down with Cahill…. She must clearly and simply explain how to extract himself from a potential disaster for himself and the library….

Important information is omitted from each analysis. An employer is responsible for its acts and those of its agents and supervisory employees with respect to sexual harassment, regardless of whether the employer knew or should have known of their occurrence…. Sirignano must take the leadership role in dealing with this complaint. What matters is how she addresses Cahill.... She just might find that an aggressive stance could work out.

—Marc Horowitz, North Babylon P.L., NY