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Jennifer Maffett is a writer, artist and educator living in Pembroke.
I listened in on the Maine Library Commission’s (MLC) April 6 meeting about the rule they are creating to define public library standards. To me, the meeting seemed less about standards than a cumulative pat on the back for the library profession. They also have a surprising and concerning approach to resource management in times when resources are being so stretched.
The commission began their discussion stating that their role was to define the standards of “quality library service.” A foundational principle for a free public library is that it provides access to information for all citizens. I listened for two hours hoping to hear a commitment to public access reflected in their discussions. Access comes in several forms, from library locations, internet access, to shared resources such as interlibrary loans. Access to information is vital for a democratic society.
Historically, Maine has celebrated its ability to provide information access for all. Admittedly, there are challenges in this big state. Sadly, I didn’t hear “access for all” embraced at this MLC meeting.
The commission is well positioned to ensure and support creative solutions for extending resources to underserved patrons in rural locations. But what I heard instead was a constant threat to access: ways MLC intends to limit public access by creating library requirements that rural communities and their essential libraries cannot meet despite the need being most critical.
Almost all of the commissioners are professional librarians, so it is perhaps not surprising that they spent much of the meeting defending their profession, talking about training needs and diminishing volunteer library directors as not having an appropriate level of training, accountability or commitment. I have a great deal of respect for the profession but as the commissioners said several times, different communities have different needs.
Consider my volunteer fire department. I am thankful for their service, not wary of it. My small town’s expectation of fire emergency service is not like other larger towns or cities. Nobody in my town will need to be rescued from a 41-story building, but our volunteer squad is willing and able to perform the service our town needs excellently and reliably.
In the same way, collection development, advocacy, strategic planning and board management look very different in a small volunteer-led library compared to larger organizations. Imagine telling your local volunteer fire chief that has been on your library board for 50 years that he has to resign unless he gets professional training in library science or strategic planning.
Volunteerism should be encouraged and supported now more than ever. Volunteers extend themselves to support their community. They come to work with passion and pride, not just because of a paycheck. They could be out golfing, but they choose to work. Some high schools even incorporate volunteer programs into their curriculums to help students learn the importance of civic responsibility.
Many library workers are retired from their professions or volunteer in addition to their primary profession. They bring with them important skills. Some are former college professors or researchers, highly skilled in organizing information and also can work with diverse populations. Some come from business organizations and understand resource management. Some are teachers who know how to develop programming opportunities. These differ from library training, but they are highly valuable skills especially for managing small libraries that require workers to wear many hats from collection development and budgeting to window washing.
I urge the Maine Library Commission to take a strategic approach that honors the commitment to provide access to all. Instead of finding ways to serve fewer libraries, I hope they focus their future energies on how to serve more patrons wherever they live. Doing more, even with less resources, depends on clever resource management — depending on talented volunteers, creating efficient new ways to deliver existing services, sourcing new vendors, finding effective training solutions, and understanding where gaps of service exist and working to bridge them.
