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.”