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Why does administration do what it does? Questions asked by staff at Traverse Area District Library

Dear Lothar,

In public libraries we all have staff members who talk about the administration and wonder why they do certain things. They talk more among themselves than come out and ask the obvious questions to the responsible individuals. I recently heard about these issues from my staff, and thought that other libraries might enjoy this information.

Respectfully,

Richard Schneider
Library Manager
Traverse Area District Library
rschneider@tadl.tcnet.org

Dear Library Manager,
Why are we spending so much money on technology when it would be better spent on books and staff?

Since moving from the old Carnegie Building to our new state-of-the-art Library, technology has become a part of everything we do. It has helped us to be more productive in our jobs and has attracted many new patrons who rely on us for access to email and the Internet.

Our collection has grown in new technology. We have over one thousand movies on DVD and a vast music collection on compact disc. These technological items made up one third of our circulation last year.

Two thirds of our annual budget is spent on staff salaries. Ten percent of our annual budget is spent on new materials. Books and staff expenses equal seventy percent of our budget. Therefore, there is no reason to cut back on technology and spend it on books and staff.

If our highest priority as a library is serving the patrons, and technology is essential to our success then why is our staff so critical of technology? That is a complex question to answer.

Dear Library Manager,
Why do we buy new computers every year? My computer works just fine.

Typically, we wait until something needs replacing before buying a new one. You have to approach it differently when you have a large capital investment like technology. You have two choices: first, to wait until they all wear out and replace them, which is a major expense; or second, to replace the oldest ones every year from your annual budget and try to avoid the larger expense.

If we try to replace a third of our computers every year, that means that some will still be under warranty and not as old as others. Some individuals have argued that when we buy new technology it is because we want to keep up with the newest fashions. That is not our reason for buying computers every year. We have to keep within the limits of our budget. If a new product will help us do our job and it fits within the budget, we will buy it.

Dear Library Manager,
Isn't it true that the people working in the technology department have to have at least a college degree? That new guy is just out of high school.

Yes, a bachelor's degree or related education and experience, is required. That kid out of high school may have as much education and experience as a kid finishing his bachelor's degree with a computer major. Our kid has work experience and specific computer certification. That makes him qualified for our technology position. His knowledge and background help him fit perfectly on our team of network specialists. It is not possible to find the one employee who can handle all of the technology problems we encounter in libraries, which is why we have several full-time employees.

Our recent high school graduate is working full-time at the library and taking a full load of college courses. In two years he will have an Associates degree, and may leave our library to finish his undergraduate degree somewhere else.

Dear Library Manager,
Why do we always have strange people working in the technology department? I heard that last year we overspent our budget on technology consultants.

Yes, unfortunately we had a special project that got out of hand. Do you remember that last year we introduced a new email and intranet program? We needed outside experts to help accomplish this important goal and in the beginning of the project we had no idea what problems would come up as we went along. It took a lot more time than expected for the consultants to do the work. I had to go to the Director and try to stop the over-spending, and then go the Board with the bad news. We did complete the project and now have our new system in place, but at more expense than we expected.

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