The board just backed down and voted to keep the library system public which honestly feels completely surreal. I am sitting here shaking a little bit because those 167 signatures really forced them to listen when they were ready to just hand everything over to that company in Maryland. We …
March 28, 2017
Final supporters
The Hancock County Mississippi Board of Supervisors wants to privatize the management of the Hancock County Library System to save money. There are many reasons why this is bad for patrons, services and employees.
Hancock County Library System is an award winning Mississippi Star Library. Resources, programs and services at this system include a competitive catalog of books, e-books, and audio books. Monthly programs feature technology training, creative learning, innovative children's events and seasonal favorites like Blind Date with a Book in February and the annual Library Tree Gala. Individuals in need of help with resumes, genealogy searches, homework research, job searches and much more can access these resources at any branch. In other words, there is nothing that this library system doesn't already offer.
If privatized, Library Systems and Services (LSSI) promises to offer all of the things that Hancock County Library System already has to offer in our community. And our library staff provide these things with a local, personal touch, not with a CEO and management team from Maryland.
If this library is privatized and absorbed by Library Systems and Services (LSSI), employees will be forced to reapply for their positions and they will lose their PERS retirement benefits. Positions may be cut, branch hours reduced and this move might even result in the closing of branches so that LSSI can make a profit. If LSSI is able to save Hancock County money by privatizing these libraries, it will happen at the EXPENSE of library patrons and Hancock County.
Sign this Petition and tell the Hancock County Mississippi Board of Supervisors:
"I OPPOSE the privatization of our Hancock County Library System in Mississippi. We must stop any efforts to outsource or privatize our library system.”
Updates
January 31, 2017
I have been hearing from so many of you about how vital the branches are to your daily routines and honestly it just reminds me that a company in Maryland has no business managing our local collections. I am spending my afternoons digging through public records to see exactly what they think they can do better than our own librarians because the math they are pitching just does not add up to me.
January 31, 2017
I really thought this might just be a small vent session but seeing the momentum build makes me realize how many of you value our library staff as much as I do. It is honestly overwhelming to see people rallying for our local branch without any prompt from me and I keep thinking about how much those Maryland executives would hate seeing this response.
Reached 100 supporters
January 31, 2017
66 Comments
We have a great system! I don't honestly believe they will provide the same services at a lower cost.....will they cut full time positions, programs, shut down branches? MS already ranks at the bottom educationally. Why do we continuously feel the need to take away more opportunities to learn?
We need to make sure that our library is not privatized. Efforts to privatize MS state agencies has failed in the past. A private company was going to save the state money by privatizing child support. It was a disaster.
I love our library and don't want people who are not from here controlling it. Look at what privatization has done to the prison system. The almighty dollar can't replace autonomy and a passion for literacy.
The Hancock Library system is a gem. The excellent Bay Library is one of the reason I moved here. It has continued strong despite funding cuts. Stop pursuing privitazation.
This is NOT good for Hancock County! I have researched LSSI and the way they "save money" is by cutting staff, hours and services. Our library is everything we need it to be. Let's keep it just the way it is.
For profit means for exploitation of the working class.
Do NOT privatize our libraries!
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
The board just backed down and voted to keep the library system public which honestly feels completely surreal. I am sitting here shaking a little bit because those 167 signatures really forced them to listen when they were ready to just hand everything over to that company in Maryland. We …
March 28, 2017
Final supporters
The Hancock County Mississippi Board of Supervisors wants to privatize the management of the Hancock County Library System to save money. There are many reasons why this is bad for patrons, services and employees.
Hancock County Library System is an award winning Mississippi Star Library. Resources, programs and services at this system include a competitive catalog of books, e-books, and audio books. Monthly programs feature technology training, creative learning, innovative children's events and seasonal favorites like Blind Date with a Book in February and the annual Library Tree Gala. Individuals in need of help with resumes, genealogy searches, homework research, job searches and much more can access these resources at any branch. In other words, there is nothing that this library system doesn't already offer.
If privatized, Library Systems and Services (LSSI) promises to offer all of the things that Hancock County Library System already has to offer in our community. And our library staff provide these things with a local, personal touch, not with a CEO and management team from Maryland.
If this library is privatized and absorbed by Library Systems and Services (LSSI), employees will be forced to reapply for their positions and they will lose their PERS retirement benefits. Positions may be cut, branch hours reduced and this move might even result in the closing of branches so that LSSI can make a profit. If LSSI is able to save Hancock County money by privatizing these libraries, it will happen at the EXPENSE of library patrons and Hancock County.
Sign this Petition and tell the Hancock County Mississippi Board of Supervisors:
"I OPPOSE the privatization of our Hancock County Library System in Mississippi. We must stop any efforts to outsource or privatize our library system.”
Updates
January 31, 2017
I have been hearing from so many of you about how vital the branches are to your daily routines and honestly it just reminds me that a company in Maryland has no business managing our local collections. I am spending my afternoons digging through public records to see exactly what they think they can do better than our own librarians because the math they are pitching just does not add up to me.
January 31, 2017
I really thought this might just be a small vent session but seeing the momentum build makes me realize how many of you value our library staff as much as I do. It is honestly overwhelming to see people rallying for our local branch without any prompt from me and I keep thinking about how much those Maryland executives would hate seeing this response.
Reached 100 supporters
January 31, 2017
66 Comments
Bringing in a management team from another state? Taking our tax dollars out of the area? Let's keep our tax dollars here at home with our local folks.
We have a great system! I don't honestly believe they will provide the same services at a lower cost.....will they cut full time positions, programs, shut down branches? MS already ranks at the bottom educationally. Why do we continuously feel the need to take away more opportunities to learn?
We need to make sure that our library is not privatized. Efforts to privatize MS state agencies has failed in the past. A private company was going to save the state money by privatizing child support. It was a disaster.
I love our library and don't want people who are not from here controlling it. Look at what privatization has done to the prison system. The almighty dollar can't replace autonomy and a passion for literacy.
The Hancock Library system is a gem. The excellent Bay Library is one of the reason I moved here. It has continued strong despite funding cuts. Stop pursuing privitazation.
This is NOT good for Hancock County! I have researched LSSI and the way they "save money" is by cutting staff, hours and services. Our library is everything we need it to be. Let's keep it just the way it is.
For profit means for exploitation of the working class.
Do NOT privatize our libraries!
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
Bringing in a management team from another state? Taking our tax dollars out of the area? Let's keep our tax dollars here at home with our local folks.