Ian Stade wrote:
Eric Hinsdale - Working librarian with many fresh ideas about technology
and service, does have governing board experience, worked with MELSA, the
board would be well served with a librarian on it and he is the best of the
three running
I could not disagree more. The MPL board is a citizen board. There are
many, many librarians around the MPL that board members can call upon if
they need information and ideas. In fact, most of the information they
have to work with is supplied by, of all people, >>>>>> librarians!
Library staff, as a rule, are so good at that by trade. From Alpha to
Omega, it is librarians and library employees who keep the ship of state
afloat in all things libraryish. That is a blessing for which I am
personally very grateful.
I would argue that they are an intrusion as board members. The library
board is one of two or three places in the world where the presence of a
librarian is not required. (If you're still nursing a Fibber McGee
closet, you don't want them there, either. They weed--with a vengeance.)
The point of a library board is to set policy from the viewpoint of the
polis. While it is true that the greenest librarian, the greenest page,
even, is bound to know more about the nuts and bolts of MPL than anyone
who has never worked in a library, it is also the job of a library
board, I would argue, to reflect back to the library what is working for
the users, what is not working for the users, and to ask for
clarification about points of confusion and that the clarifications be
made to the public as well as the board.
That being the case, input through librarians of issues patrons cite has
already been filtered. As a group, librarians vary as much as the
general public. They have an equal number of biases, likes and dislikes.
In Minneapolis at least, librarians and library workers have direct
access to the board as voters and constituents, so their voices get
heard. Their various unions and professional organizations also get
their points across.
Before the election >>next week<<, an example: library board candidates
and board members running for re-election, please tell us your position
on library fines vis-a-vis the budget. In these tough times, with the
library short sheeted by the legislature, the mayor, and council,
collection of library fines becomes a greater issue. What would you do
candidates, as board members, about library fine collection. What is
your perspective on library fines? I'll say no more, so as not to sway
the debate in any direction.
WizardMarks, Central
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