Privatizing Libraries

by Nancy Bolt

This timely special report from ALA Editions provides a succinct but comprehensive overview of the "privatization" of public libraries. It provides a history of the trend of local and state governments privatizing public services and assets, and then examines the history of public library privatization right up to the California legislation introduced earlier this year to restrict cities in the state from privatizing library services.

The book also examines what happens when a private, for-profit organization takes over essential management tasks and decisions of a public library, including the effects this can have on services, patron satisfaction and staff, as well as legal issues. It provides in-depth recommendations for librarians who want to retain control of their own institutions. Complete with case studies, statistics, and a valuable checklist of to-dos for libraries that are facing partial or complete privatization.

74 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published by the ALA, who has taken a policy position against privatizing libraries, the bias this book is pretty obvious. Though we speak generally of “privatizing libraries,” there is only one company that offers these services, Library Systems & Services Incorporated (LSSI). So when we say a library has been “privatized” we mean its management has been contracted to LSSI. Of the libraries they profile, the ones that went with LSSI did so because of unique circumstances wherein the local municipalities could not provide management services themselves. In these cases, privatization was a good option and solved their problems. One of these municipalities even reverted back to public management after things got off the ground. The harsh truth of matter is that the only area a private firm can cut financial corners that municipalities cannot: staff and benefits. At least in a RFP response. None of the libraries profiled showed any significant savings. Macro-factors in a given community seemed to determine if a library saved any money or not.

Of course you can always privatize a library like this.

[Hava · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is no hiding it - the bias in this book is overwhelming. ALA thinks privatizing libraries is a horrible, horrible thing, and there's no reason you would ever feel differently about it - there are no circumstances under which this is a good and reasonable thing to do. It was just so outrageously biased, it was hard to take it seriously. Even when something good happened with the LSSI governing it, the book still completely discounted it.

[Mike Heyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I disagree with other reviewers' complaints about this book's bias. Yes, it is biased, and yes, it presents the American Library Association's position against privatization. But it does so candidly and in a surprisingly unemotional and non-judgmental way. The authors aim to give libraries and their communities a toolbox to do what is best for those communities. I think they have achieved that aim.