LM_NET: Library Media Networking
I'm sitting here wondering what it is that we, the members of this
listserv, might do in protest of what is happening to the libraries and
to the librarians in Hawaii. It dawns on me that one thing we could all
do is email the head librarian and voice our protest over her
dictatorial actions. We might even want to consider action against
Baker and Taylor. This latter move seems to me to be the wrong focus at
this time; one cannot blame the company if it is following the
guidelines and contract. It is at times like these when individuals
feel very alone. If someone puts the librarian in question email
addresss on the list, I for one, will write her an email message of
protest. This seems to be a logical first step. There are after all
some 6000 of us. The next step would be for us to begin flooding the
mail room of the newspapers in Hawaii with letters on what is happening
to the libraries in their state. Food for thought.
Bob Laramee
Arvin High School
Arvin, CA
Elizabeth Letterly wrote:
>
> This is terrible and sad. Has the media taken this up? Has ALA taken this
> up? I would think that some strong letters and strong stances need to be
> taken by people whose professions are made important by the ideals freedom
> of speech and the support of each community's diversity. What about other
> state library directors? Are they remaining silent? What about the schools
> of librarianship; are they silent? This needs to be talked about and
> reacted to. Librarians are supposed to support their communities in
> collection development, IMHO. This is wrong, wrong, wrong. I think I, for
> one, will be writing to Baker & Taylor and asking for a response and
> indicating my dismay. God help us if this goes anywhere else under a guise
> of a "good idea;" God help Hawaii's libraries. Has anyone contacted the
> Electronic Frontier Foundation or any others devoted to freedom of
> expression via electronic communication? This may be an issue for their
> strong voice.
> At 01:48 AM 11/14/96 -0500, you wrote:
> >***********************************************
> >To ALL: A poignant picture of the plight of Librarians in
> >HawaianPublic Libraries. From Pat Wallace........
> >.Denwall@aol.com
> >***********************************************
> >Renee Olson reports in her article in the November issue of
> >School Library Journal that the Honolulu Advertiser
> >reported October 3rd saying:
> >"internal e-mail sizzles with reviews, mostly negative,
> >that say a mainland firm doesn't--and can't--have the
> >knowledge to buy books for the Hawaii library market."
> >She continues: "Early in October, staff received e-mail
> >from library management forbidding the use of in-house
> >e-mail for discussion of book purchasing problems..."
> >
> >On Sunday, November 10th I got this account of that
> >gag order from a librarian in Hawaii whom I will not identify:
> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >Le gag order.
> >
> >You already know about the reengineering that Kane [Head of
> >State Library System in Hawaii] initiated.
> >When Kane eliminated all of the geographic divisions
> >he also eliminated all of the staff that handled the
> >day to day administrative tasks, like hiring, supplies,
> >maintanence etc. He formed new divisions to handle this.
> >
> >The person who now oversees the day to day activities
> >of the state libraries is Caroline Spencer, Head Librarian
> >at the Hawaii State Library (The main and largest
> >branch in downtown Honolulu) It was she that issued
> >the gag order.
> >
> >The gag order came after a YA librarian lashed out at what
> >happened at a Youth Services meeting that was held on
> >9/27/96. This particular librarian was told to leave the meeting
> >by Caroline Spencer. We were told to e-mail our evaluations of the meeting.
> > This particular YA librarian did that. It took up
> >several pages and was sent to the entire system
> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >The following is the gag order sent by Caroline
> >Spencer on Sept. 30, 1996 at 7:53 AM.
> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >"I realize some staff members enjoy a good arguement
> >/debate/discussionbut e-mail isn't the place for it.
> >Please restrict e-mail to information needed to get the
> >job done and only include others if the message is pertinent
> >to all. Keep e-mail short. This is a problem for libraries
> >with only one terminal.
> >
> >E-mail is not the place for debates, etc. We have a job to do
> >and this only takes away from it. Thank you."
> >``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
> >````````````````````
> >This gag order that attempts to keep the library staff
> >from talking to each other is very hard on the outer
> >islands. Since long distance calls are prohibited, the only way
> >they can communicate is through e-mail. We want to remain
> >a collective force, but management is trying to isolate us by
> >1) keeping us from talking to each other,
> >2) putting each library in a self-directed work team.
> >
> >On Oct 29, 1996 a system wide e-mail was sent out
> >expressing dismay over that weeks shipment of B&T
> >books. Here it is, as the system read it:
> >
> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >"I just received this week's shipment from B&T and after
> >looking with dismay at what I received, I have made some
> >observations:
> >
> >Out of 85 juvenile books received 61, YES 61, were paperback.
> >At $20.94 a pop, someone is making a killing. Who could
> >that be? Did we get what our kids are asking for??
> >Goosebumps?? Choose your own adventure?? Baby-sitters Club??
> >NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. We got more paperback series that
> >start in the middle that we have not carried before. We also
> >received paperbacks for hard copies we already have.
> >
> > Why are we getting all these Easy Readers
> >in paperback??? We are talking heavy circulation here!!!
> >I KNOW they make hard covers. I see them in catalogs.
> >I have touched them at the book stores. I have them on
> >the shelf here at this library. I know they exist!!
> >I would rather have a hardback that will last many years
> >longer, than a paperback which can disappear in a bookdrop
> >moment. CRUSH!!!!
> >
> >Let's talk about all this time we are supposed to have for
> >customer service. I spend less time now on customer
> >service because I spend so much time fixing books that
> >have something wrong with them. 33 of the 85 books do
> >not have the labels on the spine. Which means I have
> >to move them or make new labels.
> >
> >LESS TIME FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
> >
> >The new book notation, in the collection field is ridiculous.
> >Why?
> >1. Who is going to remove it when the book is not new?
> >We are.
> >
> >2. Most libraries have quick easy ways to mark new
> >books. It is faster to put a dot on them, than to change the
> >holding record. If we didn't put these markers on, how
> >would our shelvers know they are new books? Double work.
> >
> >3. The word "new book" in itself is a joke! Not all new books
> >are new. I remove the new notation now. Can you imagine
> >trying to track down all these books later?? I can just see
> >patrons 2 years from now looking for a "New Book" that has
> >been on the regular shelf for year.
> >
> >LESS TIME FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
> >
> >Since there are so many paperbacks, the spines must be
> >taped to make them last longer. More tape. More time.
> >
> >LESS TIME FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
> >
> >A big bad company like B&T could not figure out how to
> >cover "My Many Colored Days' by Dr. Seuss. B&T did not
> >plasticleer covers on all the copies that it sent to the
> >system. Are we going to get reimbursed for this??
> >Our library's gift copy of the book is beautifully
> >plasticleeredwith all the little color boxes showing.
> >Does that mean that B&T just gives up when they come
> >across a problem book? I can just see them in their offices,
> >wondering how to cover "My Many Colored Days".
> >They probably concluded that it was not in the contract
> >to figure things out, throw it in a box, and get it the heck
> >out of here.
> >
> >So.............
> >We have to do it......LESS TIME FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
> >
> >I know everyone in the system is reading this. We are told
> >that we are being heard. We are told that things will be
> >fixed. When???"
> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >END OF TRANSCRIPT OF INTERNAL E-MAIL MESSAGE
> >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >Our library was sent an e-mail the following day [Oct.30th] from Caroline
> >Spencer reminding us to keep our messages short, because libraries with only
> >one terminal were complaining.
> >
> >The following morning, I sent an e-mail out to the entire
> >system asking the libraries to let me know if they did
> >NOT want to receive long messages. Only 2 out of 48 libraries saidsend
> >shorter version. What I got was an overwhelming
> >response saying, that we should NOT be limited to a
> >'20 words or less' mentality.
> >
> >Now I will attempt to explain a gag order or rather
> >lack of one, regarding talking to the press etc.
> >
> >One must understand not only office politics, but also the
> >ethnic culture that is Hawaii. There is a fear to speaking out.
> >With office politcs, you may not be fired, but you will be made
> >to feel very uncomfortable. You may not be promoted, you
> >may not get funding, equipment may not get repaired. I know
> >I am not talking to an ignorant audience. We ALL know that
> >outspokeness can get someone in trouble. Even when
> >what is said is the whole truth.
> >
> >Now enter the cultural diversity here in Hawaii.
> >A lot of the librarian workers come from an Asian
> >background where, speaking up is often frowned upon
> >especially if that person is a female. They may be a 3rd
> >or 4th generation American but, this rich culture that is
> >celebrated here, tends to hold some people back.
> >They want to speak up, but do not often know how.
> >Please do not assume, that Hawaii librarians have
> >weak backbones, inside they are seething at what
> >has happened with this contract.
> >
> >They need support more than anything.
> >*************************************************
> >End of Message
> >*************************************************
> >
> >
> Elizabeth Letterly, District Librarian eletterl@abelink.com
> Williamsville CUSD #15, Williamsville IL USA 62693
> "Freedom is an inside job." -- Sam Keen
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