Since early 2023, Huntington Beach residents have packed City Council chambers or watched via TV or YouTube to observe the conservative majority introduce the latest MAGA-inspired scheme. Regardless of how appalling, the proposal passes predictably with a 4-3 margin prior to flippant commentary from the majority. Yet convincing arguments from the minority council members and public at large are brushed aside.
The March 19 Council Meeting was no exception when the Council voted 4-3 to explore through the request for proposal process the privatization of our beloved, award-winning Huntington Beach Public Library (HBPL). The proposal was accepted despite 100 citizens expressing opposition at the meeting along with 600+ individuals who wrote emails against privatization.
Credit: Cooper Carrasco
Some members of the Friends of the Huntington Beach Library (FOTL) caught wind of a disturbing rumor in late January, which ironically was the eve of our city’s “We Love Our Library Month.” They heard that Mike Posey, former Huntington Beach mayor and now sales executive of the country’s largest public library outsourcer Library Systems and Services (LS&S), had submitted an unsolicited bid to provide “managed library services” to our city’s cultural crown jewel. The fact that a former GOP mayor of our city was soliciting a bid to outsource our public library to a private for-profit corporation raised more than a few eyebrows.
When we approached city staff in February, we were told that this was just standard operating procedure since it’s the city’s fiduciary duty to look for ways to save the city money. They used the analogy of assessing new software products as possible cost-saving strategies. As it turned out, the city spent at least 20 hours of staff time assessing LS&S’s proposal and all without any input from library staff or the public. It’s wrong that the city hasn’t shown residents this unsolicited proposal but is continuing to pursue the possibility of signing a contract with LS&S.
The library represents only 1.9% of the city budget with just 27 FTEs, yet the city launched a secret study to consider outsourcing our public library to a private equity-funded corporation that caters to its investors — not Huntington Beach residents. Would the city outsource our police services to a private security company? Or our legal department to a national law firm? Those budgets have a lot more meat than the library’s lean budget. Our library system is the most efficient in Orange County, costing residents only $27 each year; Riverside County Library is privatized by LS&S and costs $30 per person.
Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark has stated that the RFP is necessary for studying potential cost savings measures for the city. If that’s the case, why did she and her conservative colleagues spend $480,000 to place the charter amendments on the March ballot instead of the November general when it would have only been $80,000? Most Huntington Beach residents are not fooled by the majority’s pretense that the privatization RFPs are simply related to cost cutting. We see this as another way for the authoritarian majority to seize control of the public library’s collection and programming, such as with the controversial volunteer book review committee, and generate funds that will help offset a small fraction of the costs associated with their ill-conceived and unwinnable city lawsuits.
LS&S is the only full-service, outsourcing company for public libraries in the United States. When it privatizes a library, it controls the library’s staffing, collection management, community outreach, website, and e-books. Skilled library staff tend to be replaced with inexperienced employees and turnover results. The book collection is depleted considerably with more focus on best-sellers, resembling a cookie-cutter Barnes & Noble outlet.
When the company was first founded, it targeted small, troubled libraries located in rural areas. It has grown and become more aggressive, going after much larger, financially healthy library systems like HBPL.
Some cities end up cancelling their contracts with LS&S due to poor performance, a loss of community control, no transparency, and unanticipated costs. In 2018, the Santa Clarita City Council brought its library system back under public control after declining performance by LS&S. They were able to keep the same level of staffing and saved nearly $400,000 the first year after the switch. In 2022, Fullerton’s Library Board of Trustees rejected a proposal from LS&S, recognizing the dangers of outsourcing to a private, for-profit corporation.
Outsourcing our public library to a private firm would leave a stain on our community for years to come. Next year, HBPL (founded in 1909) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its stunning Central Library, designed by Dion Neutra, son of iconic mid-century modern architect Richard Neutra. Unlike most libraries that LS&S manages, our library and cultural center boasts a diverse range of services and programs, such as our award-winning children’s StoryTime, genealogy library, literacy program, Makerspace, Veteran’s Resource Center, book clubs, author luncheons, seed library, art & crafts classes, well-curated gift shop, and one of the largest used books stores in Orange County.
Many of these services, as well as book purchases, are supported by over 1,050+ dues-paying members of the FOTL and other volunteers, who in addition to contributing over 33,000 hours of time annually (equal to 16 FTEs) make a collective donation of about $250,000+ annually to the library. How will LS&S or a smaller outsourcing company be able to generate that level of community support when the profits go to LS&S shareholders? Many FOTL members have said they will stop volunteering if the library is privatized since the don’t want their time and taxpayer money going to a corporation with no transparency.
Credit: Martha Elliott
Our library has 125,000 cardholders. Over 4,250 children and their families attended Youth Services program in January alone. There’s no way LS&S can do a better job. There’s also no way the city would save $1,000,000 by outsourcing our public library. Our City Council majority and their corporate profiteers need to stop spreading mistruths. And they need to keep their hands off our much-loved, well-managed public library.
Carol Daus is a 28-year resident of Huntington Beach. She serves on the board of the Friends of the Huntington Beach Public Library.
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