If the current public management is bad, the solution should be to bring in new public management. The fact that the alternative is private equity should be the indication that this fight is purely ideological rather than a fight against bad management.
Based on my experience with county boards of supervisors and their interactions with library management and library funding decisions, the Warren County Board of Supervisors' statement that the library has poor management shouldn't be given much credence unless backed up by evidence.
Somewhat amusingly, the library is a subordinate of the county. If the library is in fact poorly managed, the poor management is the fault of the board of supervisors.
It really depends on how "library of the year" is determined.
Some years back now, our local library got a new boss who was determined to do everything the new and modern way. In the process, the boss drove away half of the paid staff, I don't know what fraction of the volunteer staff, and the entire community support organization. But hey, those are all old people and their values clearly don't matter (who cares if they're the ones with tons of free time?). Help, I don't have the money or people to run programs anymore! Better run away and get another job. Now, the library still exists but a lot of people are going to the next town over, and the new new boss is struggling to rebuild from scratch.
It would be completely unsurprising if "do things the modern way" and "chases awards" are significantly overlapped without corresponding to "improves things for the actual users", and "support LGBT" is code for "gerontophobia".
If the current public management is bad, the solution should be to bring in new public management. The fact that the alternative is private equity should be the indication that this fight is purely ideological rather than a fight against bad management.
It's a non-profit, they can't just replace their management.
They've created a new library board charged with determining how to provide library services in the county: https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/warren-supervisors-appoint-n...
Based on my experience with county boards of supervisors and their interactions with library management and library funding decisions, the Warren County Board of Supervisors' statement that the library has poor management shouldn't be given much credence unless backed up by evidence.
Somewhat amusingly, the library is a subordinate of the county. If the library is in fact poorly managed, the poor management is the fault of the board of supervisors.
If doing a bad job is being the 2024 Virginia library of the year I doubt it.
It really depends on how "library of the year" is determined.
Some years back now, our local library got a new boss who was determined to do everything the new and modern way. In the process, the boss drove away half of the paid staff, I don't know what fraction of the volunteer staff, and the entire community support organization. But hey, those are all old people and their values clearly don't matter (who cares if they're the ones with tons of free time?). Help, I don't have the money or people to run programs anymore! Better run away and get another job. Now, the library still exists but a lot of people are going to the next town over, and the new new boss is struggling to rebuild from scratch.
It would be completely unsurprising if "do things the modern way" and "chases awards" are significantly overlapped without corresponding to "improves things for the actual users", and "support LGBT" is code for "gerontophobia".
What library is this? Put a name to the story so we can actually confirm what you're saying.
You just fantasized an entire line of reasoning to hate a library for checks notes winning a best library award. Use more critical thinking.
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Might be a case of ginned up accusations of “poor management” to cover for political animus.