If you want my 2¢ worth

Citation

(2002), "If you want my 2¢ worth", The Bottom Line, Vol. 15 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/bl.2002.17015baf.002

If you want my 2¢ worth

Edited by Kent C. Boese, Arts Cataloger, Cataloging Services Department, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Washington, DC, USAKeywords: Librarianship, Financial management, Funding, Censorship

TBL interviews Ann K. Symons, a Library Consultant based in Juneau, Alaska. Ann was Treasurer of the American Library Association from 1992 to 1996 and later served as President of the American Library Association between 1998 and 1999.

TBL: What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Symons: One – the ability to live in a small and isolated community, work in a one-person library, and still serve as the elected president and treasurer of the American Library Association.

Two – steering a community through a censorship challenge that came out perfectly. We not only kept the books on our library shelves, we were also able to build an intellectual freedom infrastructure to ensure that all the libraries in Juneau provided users with unfiltered Internet access. During our intellectual freedom challenges, people from all walks of life came to hearings to testify how important the library is in their lives. This community support directly translates into dollars for library programs.

TBL: Who are your heroes in real life?

Symons: LeRoy Merritt, who was Dean of the School of Librarianship at the University of Oregon. He taught the principles of equal access and the value of fighting censorship. Margaret Edwards, a young adult librarian, past-president of Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), and funder of the Margaret Edwards Trust, which funds programs for teenagers. Her legacy funded ALA's first preconference on library services for gay teenagers – and my colleague and friend Pat, a local school librarian, who purchased Daddy's Room-mate for her library and then asked for help when parents challenged her decision.

TBL: What do you think of corporate sponsorships? While they bring significant funds to libraries, do they threaten the library's neutrality?

Symons: Corporate sponsorships are a mixed blessing. They take time to develop and "care and feeding", once they are developed. They are really partnerships and, by definition, need to bring benefits to both parties. Of course, they can threaten the library's neutrality, if we "give away the farm". We must always keep the library's mission in mind, as well as our values and goals. The most important considerations for corporate partnerships involve policy questions: Do you want partners at all? Why? What kind? For how long? What are you willing to do in return? What is the benefit to the library and the user community? Is the partnership a contractual agreement? What kinds of stipulations are in the contract to ensure that the library can retain its basic mission and not seem to be advertising a product or company?

I recall one ALA partner in the telecommunications business who knew up front that there would be the possibility that ALA would testify in Congress against some of their plans. This in fact happened – but it wasn't a surprise.

TBL: How do you see the funding mix for public libraries shifting over the next ten years? Will the local, state and federal pieces of the pie grow or diminish?

Symons: I do not have a crystal ball, but I suspect that the federal piece of the pie will remain about the same. Our community of librarians has been very successful advocating for federal money. While we do not see great increases, our success has been in keeping this money steady. I live in Alaska. Budget deficits from falling oil revenues will ensure that more of the responsibility for funding is transferred to the local level. My guess is that local authorities will be stretched to find ways to fund libraries at the same level we have today. Libraries will always look for alternative sources of revenue – such as grants, fund-raising and partnerships. At the same time, directors will work toward more funding from tax bases.

TBL: In 20 years, will libraries purchase (as opposed to license or lease) any information resources?

Symons: Everyone has his or her own opinion about what will happen in the next 20 years. Clearly technology is going to bring changes that we did not imagine ten years ago and we couldn't yet imagine for the future. Libraries will purchase or lease materials in formats that will continue to make older formats obsolete. Will VHS disappear with the onslaught of the DVD? Will we check our computers to take home and go online using the library's wireless connection, or perhaps just check out computer and sit in the sun outside the library to go online? Will more and more information be available online, searchable and printable with the click of a finger? What about digitization – how much of the unique collection of libraries will be available for anyone to see, read and capture?

Libraries will continue to purchase books, magazines and other materials and libraries have an important role as a place in society where people can gather, read and enjoy. One of the most important features of a library is service for children. While adults may move to a more digital environment, kids will still learn to read, and to enjoy the wonder and the imagination that books bring to their lives.

The fact that you can sit at home and enjoy many of the services of the library only makes the library more important, not less. The library in 20 years will still be the place in our society where you can get information free or, at least, free to the user.

The decision whether to lease information or to purchase will go back to the mission of the library, as well as what is financially viable.

TBL: What do you perceive to be the most compelling financial concern facing libraries in the next five years? How would you address this issue?

Symons: Librarians have always been early adopters of technology, of new formats, and new ways to serve the public. Some examples include 24/7 telephone virtual reference service and e-mail reference service. These newer services are expensive, and yet we are often unwilling to drop any services already in place. Strategic planning, prioritizing services and knowledge of the community are crucial.

TBL: Given the opportunity, how would you resolve the copyright protection vs unfettered Internet access conundrum?

Symons: The key to copyright protection and unfettered Internet access is still fair use. ALA and its library partners have made sure that we are "at the table", when copyright issues come up. We are not winning but we also are in a period of history where things are changing quickly. I believe that copyright legislation will come up for review more often. We are unlikely to see bills that guarantee rights "forever". It will be up to consumers and library advocates to lobby articulately for their fair use rights.

TBL: If money were no object, what is the most significant change that you would institute in your library?

Symons: More space, a larger staff, a bigger collection, more staff training, and more money for staff travel to conferences.

TBL: How have you dealt with the rising cost of serials?

Symons: Initially, by canceling subscriptions. The Alaska State Library negotiated a state-wide database license. This license gives access state-wide to all libraries and citizens to several proprietary databases. It has freed up funds we used to spend independently for subscription databases for other materials.

TBL: How important are digitization projects to your organization, and how did you allocate funds to undertake this initiative?

Symons: We are not in the digitization business. We will probably never have enough staff, expertise or unique material to digitize. We are, however, a net user of digitized material. We appreciate and support those libraries that are digitizing material from their collections. Being a small library in a remote area and still being able to access primary source material on the Web "from the comfort of the library" benefits our students.

TBL: What is the easiest decision you have had to make in your career?

Symons: Choosing to become involved in a censorship challenge in my community.

TBL: If your budget were decreased by 10 percent, what would your response be?

Symons: My response would be "Here is my plan" – or perhaps, I would say "How about 5 percent?" My response would be identical, if you asked how I would spend an additional 10 percent, or here is some year-end money, spend it now. Planning for a budget decrease should always be a part of a contingency plan. It should be done ahead of time, not when someone announces that there is a budget cut in the works. Financial planning in our school district always includes the fact that the district often freezes money in the spring, if other budget lines are over-budget. Timing of how money is spent is "wildly important". If March or April comes and you still have 10 percent of your money left to spend before the end of the year, you may wake up one morning and find it gone.

TBL: From your years of service in the profession, is there one piece of advice on fiscal responsibility that you would like to give today's library managers-to-be?

Symons: How about something like "program drives finances, not the other way around".

TBL: How did you first get involved with library finance issues?

Symons: I spent almost my entire library career as a "library director". As a school librarian, this means that the entire library staff was sometimes one person – me – and in later years 2.5 FTE; one librarian and 1.5 FTE para-professionals. My budget has always been small, ranging from a low of $4,000 to a high of $25,000 excluding personnel. Personnel decisions as well as funding decisions were often made many levels "up". If that sounds grim to you, remember that you always have the ability to influence your own situation through planning, advocating for library programs with students, teachers, administrators, community members and even with school board members. My budget never had unspent "end of the year" money, but I always knew that somebody's budget did. I was always prepared and knew what services and materials would serve my users and went after them.

When I was elected to the ALA Executive Board, the association's budget had many more "zeros" than my budget. Mine was thousands. ALA's was millions.

It was only "zeros"! The skills that it takes to manage a small library budget are definitely transferable and my education came from ALA's staff and members.

TBL: Did you have a mentor?

Symons: Yes, I have had many mentors, too numerous to mention by name. When I sat down to answer this question, I realized that the two people who were the most influential in guiding my philosophy, principles and values surrounding money were my parents. Work hard, always save some of what you earn, invest wisely, and for the future. Plan, plan, plan – and then do it again. Honesty and integrity were two of the values learned at home.

Know where you are going and what you want to achieve financially. Delay gratification, because you cannot do everything at once. Spend your money according to your values. Take care of others. Always ask questions, if you don't know the answer. Do not always take the easy way out. Examine all factors and work toward an outcome that will be best for you or your organization. These simple answers can be used in any organization, large or small. If you do not know where you are going, you are not likely to get there.

At the risk of leaving out many names, I will tell you that I would not be sitting here today writing this response, if it had not been for the financial influence, help and guidance of four people: Pat Schuman, Carla Stoffle, Mary Ghikas, and Gregory Calloway. Pat Schuman, past ALA treasurer and president, always had time to answer questions, and pass on ALA's culture, history and financial information. Carla Stoffle not only had time to answer interminable questions, but also encouraged me to ask the really hard questions – those that people want to sweep under the table. She also saw potential where I did not. She encouraged me to learn as much as I could about organizational finance, particularly ALA's and to run for treasurer. Greg Calloway is ALA's chief financial officer. He is infinitely patient and a great teacher. Mary Ghikas was chair of ALA's budget committee and involved in ALA finances before she became ALA's second in-command. Mary, Pat, Carla and Greg were my financial mentors throughout my ALA treasurer's term.

I admire many of my ALA colleagues for their work for ALA, their integrity and for taking on hard issues.

TBL: What do you think libraries can do or offer to make better funding of libraries a higher priority in our society?

Symons: Participating in advocacy campaigns, advocacy training and getting our message down to the grass-roots level is top of my list. Look to ALA and to the state library associations around the country for leadership and guidance. ALA's @your library campaign should be evident not only in our professional magazines and conferences, but also in your home town. The bumper sticker on my car reads: Juneau … it's@your library. The bumper stickers are the result of local involvement to tailor the national message for Juneau's citizens. ALA paved the way – we live it.

TBL: What do you think are the best ways to help insure free and equal access to information for library users?

Symons: There is no better way to serve one's public – be it a community, a school population, a specialized audience – than to insure that you and your governing body are clear about your mission, your goals and how to achieve them. Know your user populations. Know whom you are serving and, perhaps more importantly, know whom you are not serving and why.

Being vigilant about the freedom to read, to learn, and to connect in our libraries is vital, if we are to enjoy our freedoms in this country. Free and equal access to information for library users is not achieved by putting the Library Bill of Rights on the wall. Advocacy, staff training, educating our communities and examining our own behaviors all belong in a very long list of what we can do.

TBL: What are the most important skills that new librarians need to succeed in the twenty-first century?

Symons: The skills librarians need in the twenty-first century are in many ways the same skills needed in the twentieth century. First and foremost is an understanding of what we do and why: library values. All of our staffs need to be open to change, to learning new ways of delivering information. Each staff member needs to be an advocate for libraries. We all need to keep learning and growing professionally by attending conferences, staff training sessions, and by active participation in local, state and national associations.

TBL: Are library schools doing enough to prepare librarians to be sound financial managers?

Symons: No. It was a long time ago, but I remember very little in my library school curriculum that had to do with financial management of public or private institutions. Some of our learning we bring with us, depending on our backgrounds. Much of it we learn on the job. What I hope library schools are doing to prepare librarians is teaching and instilling values. How to manage money should always be linked back to the values that drive our decision making.

TBL: If you had the opportunity to do it all over again, would you still choose a career in this profession? Why or why not?

Symons: Absolutely! In fact, if I could return to the past, I would have gone to library school immediately after receiving my undergraduate degree. I have been an avid library user as long as I can remember. Libraries truly are one of our nation's essential services. I am proud to be counted among the thousands of librarians who help with the information needs of those who live, work and learn in our communities.