[Publib] AP story on library outsourcing

[Mark Furukawa]

Perhaps the 'writing on the wall' is that we need to "focus on our core
products" as they say while they lay off vast numbers and close superfluous
offices around the world -- being an employee, I'd like to avoid the lay-off
scenario. 

Re-evaluating what we do is a non-stop, never-ending part of the job. Too
often we try to be all things for all people all the time. We equate 'expand
service' with 'improve service' when the expansion can instead lead to
poorer service. But, drastically shorter hours and significantly lesser
service is the opposite extreme. How about some middle-ground?

On the other hand, the services we provide are unique and we do a dang good
job of them, if I do say so myself. Taxpayers get a heck of a bang for their
buck. Now, if we could just impart this information to the public as
efficiently and as effectively as we provide reference information. Even the
local utility company advertises (and where else am I going to get my gas
and electricity?) but we expect people to somehow perceive our wonderfulness
by magic. 

Regarding my pension, dang it, I earned (am earning) it! I could be making
more, and getting a better pension, with fewer responsibilities, in the
private sector. [Just what is Wal-Mart's pension plan? Maybe it's not too
late to change my career path?] And, yes, there are those who make less and
have no pension. Librarian pay gives me a comfortably middle-class
life-style. (I'd rather have my Congressman's pay & pension.) Instead of
apologizing for the size of our paycheck/pension, let's make sure people's
perception of our pay-scale is accurate. I'll say it again, they're getting
a heck of a bang for their buck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mark Furukawa, Branch Head
Calumet Township Branches
of Lake County Public Library
940 N. Broad St.
Griffith, IN 46319-1528 (USA)
mfurukawa(at)lakeco.lib.in.us
http://www.lakeco.lib.in.us/griffith.htm
http://www.lakeco.lib.in.us/blackoak.htm
http://www.lakeco.lib.in.us/fortyfirst.htm
     May I deal with honor,
     May I act with courage,
     May I achieve humility.
                from "Straight"
                by Dick Francis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
 
|Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2007 00:51:34 -0700
|From: Joe Schallan <jbsphx at cox.net>
|Subject: [Publib] AP story on library outsourcing
|
SNIP
|
|Would you rather be on your city's/county's benefit plan
|or on Wal-Mart's?
|
|One thing I feel confident in predicting is that as the
|American economic decline continues and resistance to
|taxes grows, the budgets of local governments will
|grow tighter and tighter.
|
|In such an environment, how do you keep the public
|library open?
|
|Are we seeing the handwriting on the wall?
|
|
|--Joe Schallan
|    Phoenix