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By Staff -- Library Journal, 12/15/2004

Cover the middle

Your excellent update covers jobs and salaries for each graduating class [Stephanie Maatta, "Jobs! (Eventually)," LJ 10/15/04, p. 28–35], and the NextGen column tells of dissatisfaction with job prospects by entering librarians (p. 46). Laments about retirements not translating into entry-level jobs are heard…everywhere. What is missing is an exploration of the middle promotions. For a director's retirement to translate into an entry-level opening, the middle has to move up.

A librarian for a proud ten years, I have had two promotions to middle management. Both came with hard work, lots of sacrifice, and being in the right place at the right time. I am looking on to the next promotion, and what I see is just as scary as what I hear from recent grads. Job descriptions for library directors with "Master's in Library Science or related field desired," not required! "Master's in Library Science or equivalent," and the politics of the situation dictates what that means. I hear in interviews that the agency is looking for someone who will work to change the library, clean out the "old guard," and "break down resistance to the 21st century." With ten years' experience, I am already "old guard." Financial, computer, and political experience is more desired than library experience. So, I am back in grad school. With two more years of hard work to add a Master's in Public Administration to my résumé, I'll see if that does the trick….

A complete picture of where the jobs are needs to include the middle. Don't just find out who retired; find out who got promoted and why. Then newly minted librarians will know what skills they need, and, one hopes, library schools will add the same in new courses.

—Hillary Theyer, Sr. Libn., Torrance P.L., CA

One understated piece of Norman Oder's article is that "When LSSI Comes to Town" (LJ 10/1/04, p. 36–40), library service improves. Those of us who have worked for LSSI as onsite managers or interim directors can attest to that fact. We came to libraries that needed help and as part of the LSSI team helped make improvements in collections, information technology, customer service, staff training, leadership, corporate culture, facilities, and other areas. For the most part, these improvements remain in place.

In each case, we worked with many very capable, dedicated, and hard-working staff members, board members, and community leaders. We are grateful that LSSI gave us the opportunity to work with these communities. We have moved on to new responsibilities and challenges, but we are proud of what we and the communities we served were able to accomplish while with LSSI.

—Tom Hehman, Dir., Wicomico Cty. Free Lib., Salisbury, MD; Greg Pringle, Dir., Bulverde–Spring Branch Lib., Alamo Area Regional Lib., San Antonio; Fran Ware, Lib. Mgr., Montgomery Cty. P.L., Rockville, MD; Lynn Wheeler, Dir., Carroll Cty. P.L., Westminster, MD

Regarding the Jersey City Public Library (JCPL) contract referenced in Norman Oder's "When LSSI Comes to Town" (LJ 10/1/04, p. 36–40): the chair of the library board, Mofalc Meinga, is quoted as saying, "they let us out of the contract early," so the city saved a sizable fee. The statement is ludicrous. The reality is that LSSI would never have sued, because too much negative publicity would have come out about the contract.

The most salient fact is that the only way that LSSI could make a decent profit was by getting rid of JCPL employees. Its own personnel varied in ability. Some were very professional; others were a disaster.

Before the contract began, the director did whatever Mayor Bret Schundler's people told him to do. If they wanted a modernized library, all they had to do was bypass him and get the job done. Consultants and technologists are available. Bringing in LSSI was an ideological decision.

The Arthur Andersen report that praised LSSI quoted only two people by name, one on the LSSI payroll and another who helped bring in LSSI and monitored the LSSI contract. It neglected to quote critics of the contract in my union.

—Bruce Brandt, Supervising Lib. Asst., New Jersey Rm., Jersey City P.L., Shop Steward & Exec. Board Member, AFSCME Local 2265, Jersey City, NJ

With our records waiting to be subpoenaed by the FBI or other federal agencies, as Francine Fialkoff said ["Porn Star(s) in the Library," Editorial, LJ 10/1/04, p. 8], people shouldn't worry about their library reading habits being accessed! Some porn (soft and otherwise) is bought for cash with no record of name or address….

On a limited budget…we tend to buy things that…will remain in the collection until they are weeded…. Sex…would be a big circulation category if we could manage to keep the volumes on the shelf. We respond to customer demand…that frequently means we buy things that the staff may have missed reading about in professional journals. How often do our journals review something on the lighter side of sleaze?

—Cynthia J, Edson, Assoc. Dir., Richards Memorial Lib., North Attleboro, MA