Boston PL's Margolis Gets the Axe

Under direction from Mayor Thomas Menino, the board of the Boston Public Library (BPL) voted November 13 not to renew the contract of Bernard Margolis, president for the past ten years. Margolis's contract expires June 30, 2008. Board president Jeffrey Rudman told the Boston Globe that the library would place a new focus on its branches.

A 2006 study commissioned by BPL and the City of Boston reported that BPL was behind on circulation compared with peer systems, and BPL has opened only one new branch in six years and two in the last 20 years. Still, the interpretation of such numbers is a matter of dispute, and Margolis's supporters started a letter-writing campaign when the news of his dismissal first surfaced.

In an editorial, the Globe offered praise for Margolis's stewardship but also said a new leader should be “reaching into the neighborhoods by energizing the library's 27 branches.” The Boston Phoenix, however, called criticism of Margolis “a campaign of disinformation,” noting that he “has had to fight City Hall every step of the way” in an effort to expand branch hours and services.

Library services have grown during Margolis's decade-long tenure, but city funding has increased only from $28.1 million to $28.8 million since 2000, the Globe noted, while full-time staff positions have been slashed from 603 in 2002 to 483 in 2007—with only four of those positions from the branches.

Once the board acted, Margolis spoke out forcefully, calling Menino authoritarian and explaining that he so feared the city would sell treasures from the Central Library that he got state legislation passed to protect against such sales.

“I am not happy that it came to this,” he told LJ. (See also Blatant Berry, p. 10.) “Still, it is a great opportunity to have a community discourse on the library. I hope it will help get rid of that untrue stereotype and show that librarians can be forceful, outspoken, that we are powerful and important. Second, I hope it will get the public invigorated in a discussion of what the role of the public library is today.”

Margolis suggested that his successor have a library degree, which is not required, noting that the credential equips a manager with grounding in professional issues. “My first day in Boston began with those issues,” he said. “The mayor wanted to filter the Internet terminals. I didn't. The compromise we negotiated was the same as the outcome in the Supreme Court's later decision.”

Margolis said he was happy with the community response to the news of his departure. “I've even had a couple of job offers,” he said. “I'm not sure whether to look at professional opportunities, in Boston or not, or whether to consider a career change.”