[Original posting on this topic appeared in COLLDV-L no. 1348 and is
reproduced below; the response follows it.]
From: DENWALL_at_aol.com
Submitted by Sanford Berman on behalf of the Hawaii
Working Group to the Social Responsibility Action Council
of the American Library Association on 2-15-97 and passed
at the Mid-Winter Conference of the ALA held Feb. 14th-17th,
1997 in Washington, D.C. Forwarded by Patricia Wallace,
Chair, Hawaii Working Group (AIP/SRRT), denwall_at_aol.com
RESOLUTION ON HAWAII STATE PUBLIC LIBRARY
SYSTEM OUTSOURCING
[PASSED BY SRRT ACTION COUNCIL, 2/15/97, Washington DC]
WHEREAS materials selection and cataloging are core elements of
librarianship, ensuring that library resources are both appropriate and
findable; and
WHEREAS commercial vendors, primarily motivated by profit-making,
cannot effectively select and catalog materials for library systems
whose local staffs are much more knowledgeable about their own
collections, user interests, material-sources (including regional and
alternative presses and groups), and access needs; and
WHEREAS the Hawaii State Public Library System last year totally
outsourced the procurement and processing of library materials to a
private vendor; and
WHEREAS such HSPLS outsourcing has clearly weakened service
to Hawaii library users, seriously demoralized HSPLS staff, severely
damaged library collections, and impeded access to library resources;
and
WHEREAS similar outsourcing of basic library functions is either
underway or being seriously considered elsewhere;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Social Responsibilities Round
Table of the American Library Association urges the Hawaii State Public
Library System to immediately cancel its oursourcing contract and permit
Hawaiian librarians to do the selection and cataloging that only they can
do best;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ALA/SRRT recommends that
other libraries do not follow the "Hawaii Model," which demonstrably
leads to wrecked, irrelevant, and inaccessible collections, as well as
wasting both money and staff expertise.
==========================================================================
From: Anthony W Ferguson <ferguson_at_columbia.edu>
This is probably politically incorrect, but -- I suggest that Hawaii's
librarians consider how they can use this opportunity to improve their
service to their patrons. Instead of thinking that selection of
mainstream books and cataloging the same will deprive them of their
ability to do good work, they should use the time that has been freed
up to provide outreach services to their patrons, story hours for
children, web page construction, teaching basic computer skills,
arranging for basic literacy programs to take place in their libraries,
etc.
Here on the mainland, many libraries are voluntarily outsourcing just
what Hawaii is protesting. Tony
Anthony W. Ferguson
Associate University Librarian
Columbia University Libraries
Tel. 212-854-2270
Fax. 212-222-0331
Net: ferguson_at_Columbia.edu
Received on Wed Mar 19 1997 - 10:48:09 EST