Adrian Walker: Let a politician with no library experience run the BPL
Walker is to be commended today for actually taking a stand on something. Whether you agree with him that Tom Birmingham, the former state Senate president, should become the next president of the Boston Public Library is, of course, another matter.
Walker's basic point: The fact that Birmingham has absolutely no experience whatsoever in running any library, let alone the oldest public library system in the country, is secondary, partly because the man has been going around looking at libraries of late and so is very earnest, partly because the way Bernard Margolis was shown the door as the last library president shows the position needs a politician:
[B]ringing in a professional librarian from elsewhere didn't work out because understanding libraries is only part of the job. Understanding Boston is the crux of the job.
There is a lesson in the Margolis debacle, and the trustees would be wise not to ignore it.
Did William Bulger work out for UMass?
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William Bulger had all sorts
William Bulger had all sorts of family issues and a rap sheet a mile long (not really his own, but his name was linked to everything because of a certain brother) so his tenure at Umass was contentious from a political stand point. While at Umass he increased fundraising and got more money into the system than anyone though was possible because he knew which levers to pull and just started mking the phone calls. The man didnt know how to run a University and guess what he wasnt "running" Umass, he was oerseeing those who were running it and getting exposure and money. Like I said , if it werent for the bad connection with the name and Romney looking to score political capitol he would still be there.
Birmingham is just as connected as Bulger ever was , but is missing the same personal drama that the Bulger family brough to the table. He proved himself capable of being able to manage complex issues, but he also showed he is not that great when it comes to wooing over large crowds of people. He is a back room political guy with the smarts, connections and experience to get it done. I dont care if he has never picked up a book in his life (as a student of Harvard and Rhodes Im assuming he has lol) if he can get the job done then who cares. If the job were for head curator I would ask questions. In fact I would fault them for choosing a professional librarian for the position because I doubt a professional librarian would really be able to handle the job as it should be handled.
Its not like the guy is going to go in and change the way the catalogue is organized.
It's the Massachusetts way
It's the norm around here to find the best political/business-type person to run an organization, then try to teach that person the basics of the field once on the job. Remember, this is a place where a town water commissioner is an elected official, rather than chosen by, oh, I don't know, the people who work with the water.
I've worked for a number of healthcare providers where the supervisors on up were all MBA types who knew nothing about working in healthcare. It was pretty dysfunctional and frustrating to have a boss who doesn't understand the first thing about what I do all day. The healthcare provider I've worked for for the past 5 years is run by a couple of people who started out as personal care attendants 40 years ago, started their own small group home, and now have 2000 employees and have done the coursework in running a large business along the way as it's seemed necessary. They hire specific financial folks and whatnot as the company grows and they need the expertise, but the people calling the shots are people who've done the type of work that the company does. When we go to ask the people in charge about a change we want to make, we're talking to people who've done the work we do, and who know what it's really like. It's a much better place to work than any of the places I've worked where some brilliant businessperson with no healthcare experience is at the helm. I'm not sure why other places don't learn from this.
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
A BPL guide to problematical library use
Navigating Boston Public Libraries collections, Copley Square buildings, floors, departments, curatorial experts is difficult. A BPL guide to problematical library use is needed that among other things lists the most treasured BPLers each with their special expertise on varied aspects of BPL collections. BPLers should be encouraged to blog about the collections instead of being intimidated by the institutional environment that their criticisms would get them retribution from BPL leadership and managers. A BPL guide to problematical library use would improve the usability of BPL collections with hints, tips and pointers from all stakeholders not just the formalities from the librarians. Some librarians can be shortsighted when offering hints, tips and pointers especially where the users are not considered VIPs or not considered as worthy as some of the other library users/clientele/customers/consumers .
Something to be said for that
Having a library science degree is a key to many library jobs, whether it makes sense or not. This creates something of an insider club. There's something to be said for having the library run by someone who isn't in the club.
By the way, I believe the oldest library system in the country is the one I work for, on the other side of the Charles. You didn't say "public" library.
Back when books were books
And you could get an entire school (or town) named after you just for donating some books. I've added "public" to the original post.
I know many many towns have
I know many many towns have Carnegie Libraries that were built using grants from Carnegie.
It doesnt seem like people do things like that, on that scale, anymore. Nor is it easy to engage a whole community like that. Bill Gates would be the closest thing we have to Carnegie and he tends to not deal in in infrastructure , especially at the municiple scale. Its not often that you see someone come in and just give a city/town a building (although I have seen big companies do that with parkland, mostly as a way to have local authorities allow them to build a building out of zone.)
Different kind of infrastructure
Through his foundation, Gates has given a whole ton of money ($10 million? Somebody correct me if I'm wrong) to Boston Public Schools. Whether the computers that paid for are being used effectively is another question, but he is putting his money into infrastructure, just a different kind than Carnegie.
Adam, thanks for your
Adam, thanks for your diligence in posting this before the Zak could
Navigating the Guide to
Navigating the Guide to Problematical Boston Public Library Use is difficult and problematical.
If only someone would create a Guide to Problematical Guide to Problematical Boston Public Library Use Use.
8am Thursday 14 August 1st floor Orientation Room McKim Bldg BPL
8am Thursday 14 August 2008
1st Floor Orientation Room, McKim Building
Copley Square Boston Public Library
Trustees to Meet August 14
A Public Meeting of the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston has been scheduled for Thursday, August 14, at 8 a.m., in the McKim Building's Orientation Room, Copley Square, for the purpose of selecting a new president of the Boston Public Library.
The Trustees may opt to continue the selection process on Friday, August 15, at 8am
http://bpl.org