In San Joaquin County, CA, Another Battle Over LSSI
By Norman Oder Jul 15, 2010The combination of a budget squeeze and some dismay over past library leadership has led San Joaquin County, CA, to explore outsourcing management of the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library (SSJCPL) to Library Systems & Services, LLC (LSSI), a process that leads to tightening benefits for staff and perhaps cutting positions (as LJ described in a 2004 feature).
While an ad hoc committee evaluates LSSI's bid--the sole response to an RFP--two local citizens groups have begun raising alarms about library privatization, warning that there has been no public input so far on the process. That evaluation on the proposal--which includes plans to operate either a continued joint system or part of a split one--is due on Tuesday, July 20.
(Update July 23: "The evaluation committee has scored the proposal and, at this point, the decision is in the hands of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors and the Stockton City Council," said Chris Freeman, the library director.)
"After that, the county administrator and the city manager may or may not have a recommendation for their respective boards," Jon Drake, deputy director of purchasing and support services for San Joaquin County, told LJ. "At that time, I'd think there would be ample opportunity for public input and discussion."
That's what the Friends of the Stockton Public Library and Concerned Citizens Coalition of Stockton-a group that successfully fought the city's outsourcing of municipal water service -are hoping for, but they haven't been quiet as they wait. Together, they've hired both a public relations firm and a law firm, which warned the county Board of Supervisors in a letter of potential legal and public policy problems posed by "the attempt to privatize the SSJCPL."
Among the arguments: any such plan would have to go through a state environmental review process-one which has not been pursued with other outsourced libraries in the state, such as in Riverside County. Also, Michael Gorman, University Librarian Emeritus of California State University, Fresno, and a past president of the American Library Association, sent a letter to the board criticizing the potential decision and warning that it violates professional ethics.
Director's take
Freeman told LJ that, while he doesn't have an official position, "I do think it's logical to assume that if an organization is going to reduce costs, primarily through staffing, there will be fewer professional staff on hand, and either the quantity or quality of services will decline."
Freeman told LJ that, while he doesn't have an official position, "I do think it's logical to assume that if an organization is going to reduce costs, primarily through staffing, there will be fewer professional staff on hand, and either the quantity or quality of services will decline."
While "you often read that these companies make every effort to retain 95 percent or 100 percent of staff," he said (Freeman was careful not to use the name LSSI), "it's only natural for people to worry about their jobs. There's been a fair amount of stress [among staff]." Two unions represent staffers.
Freeman started his job only in March, as noted on his Civil Librarian blog. Former director Natalie Rencher had been laid off in February 2009 and in June 2009 was criticized by a civil grand jury for mismanagement and ineffective leadership. She and city officials disagreed with the charges; Stockton Friends president Vince Perrin told the Record-Net "we had no relationship."
Plan surfaces
The possibility of privatizing library operations emerged in April, as the Record-Net reported, with county officials saying they needed to consider offering the most service with a limited budget, after asking for county input before the system cut service hours.
The possibility of privatizing library operations emerged in April, as the Record-Net reported, with county officials saying they needed to consider offering the most service with a limited budget, after asking for county input before the system cut service hours.
The article noted that a similar effort in Nevada County, CA, was rejected by county leaders after much citizen opposition (LJ coverage). The county contracts with the City of Stockton, which manages the operations of the joint system.
When the Board of Supervisors directed the County Administrator's Office (CAO) to get financial reports for each county branch, "the city indicated to our office that it could not provide financials to the county due to its method of accounting," Bobby Magee of the CAO told LJ. Drake produced the RFP, he said, by consulting with other communities that issued library RFPs, and hybridizing those documents and others he could find via Internet research.
There are eight county branches and four city locations, with one of them the central library. The city and county contribute roughly equal percentages of the library's budget, which is less than $20 per capita. (Stockton last year was dubbed by Forbes the country's "most miserable" city, given high unemployment, crime, and other factors. This year it nudged up a notch.)
Coping with change
Last month, the library closed a small Stockton branch, transferring limited services to an unstaffed community center. The library's budget has declined from $10.1 million to $9.9 million.
Last month, the library closed a small Stockton branch, transferring limited services to an unstaffed community center. The library's budget has declined from $10.1 million to $9.9 million.
"For the county, we had decline in appropriations, but an increase by 16.6 percent in hours," Freeman said, citing "smarter staffing models" as well as some additional funds from local municipalities. The library now has 55 staffers, down four, with one laid off directly, two taking jobs in other city departments, and one not accepting another city job.
Are the branches small, LJ asked Freeman. "No, they're short staffed," he replied. He called the employees a "surprisingly enthusiastic and dedicated group, despite what they've gone through in last couple of years."
The library completed a strategic plan before Freeman came on board. While he plans to use that as a long-term guide, he said he hopes to make more immediate changes, replacing outdated self-check machines and implementing credit and debit card payments at all circulation desks, speeding transactions and ensuring fines are collected (an issue highlighted by the grand jury).
"Our web site is pretty outdated," he acknowledged, noting that he's putting together a website redesign team. He's also "actively considering migrating to an open source ILS."
Local debate
Most Friends groups, Freeman said, "have expressed displeasure for the concept of outsourcing library management." Stockton Friends' Perrin told LJ that the county board of supervisors "had a very unhappy relationship with the previous director... so they have kind of a bad taste in their mouths about relations with the city."
Most Friends groups, Freeman said, "have expressed displeasure for the concept of outsourcing library management." Stockton Friends' Perrin told LJ that the county board of supervisors "had a very unhappy relationship with the previous director... so they have kind of a bad taste in their mouths about relations with the city."
He said the city's new Community Services Director is "really good," and Freeman "seems to be doing all the right things... but he's encountering a lot of hostility from the old regime." The Stockton Friends runs a bookstore open five days a week, stocked by book donations and staffed by volunteers and two paid staff.
The store earns $250,000 a year. "We are told by our attorneys that as a nonprofit organization we cannot give money to a for-profit business," Perrin said. "We had discussed that there may be a way around this... but the nine members are violently opposed to privatization." (As for the Friends' concern, the county counsel has not yet rendered an opinion, Drake told LJ, but the Stockton Record noted that Friends groups have coexisted with other LSSI libraries.)
Perrin, in a column for the Friends' newsletter, noted that LSSI "has met with Friends of several county branch libraries and convinced at least one that privatization is the soul of solvency. The company has not approached the Stockton Friends."
Indeed, a June 27 article in the Manteca Bulletin offered a very positive portrayal of LSSI's work in Riverside, cataloging the many improvements over 13 years when "the dedicated tax rate the county contributed to the library system did not change." (The budget, however, went up.)
While the article emphasized LSSI's embrace of technology, it did mention a key difference-unlike government departments that offer pensions, LSSI instead offers a 401(k) plan, the main source of savings that makes the company attractive to bottom-line-oriented officials.
Documents
Below are copies of the letters sent to the Board of Supervisors, as well as the RFP. Note that Gorman's suggestion that the respondent to the RFP would be paid 8.3% is apparently a misreading; Drake told LJ no fee is specified.
Below are copies of the letters sent to the Board of Supervisors, as well as the RFP. Note that Gorman's suggestion that the respondent to the RFP would be paid 8.3% is apparently a misreading; Drake told LJ no fee is specified.
