Library Advisory Board against moving library to Parks & Recreation Department
Under Anchorage Mayor David Bronson's proposed budget, many city departments would become divisions, and the city’s library system, which up until now has been its own department, would become a division of the city's Parks and Recreation Department.
By moving the Anchorage Public Library (APL) system to Parks and Recreation, Mayor Bronson would, according to those critical of the proposal, circumvent the Assembly's authority to approve or deny the library director who, under the new proposed budget, would be appointed by the parks director instead of the Assembly.
In August, the Assembly voted down Mayor Bronson’s appointee, Sami Graham, to head the Anchorage Public Library (APL) after the Assembly received “hundreds” of emails sent by residents concerned about Graham’s appointment. Assembly member Austin Quinn-Davidson indicated at the time that the emails were largely unfavorable to Ms. Graham's nomination.
After seeing Graham's appointment voted down, Mayor Bronson then nominated controversial failed school board candidate Judy Eledge as library director. In response to her nomination, the Alaska Library Association sent a letter to the Anchorage Assembly in September detailing their concerns about Eledge, writing that she did not meet the qualifications defined in the description for the position of director.
Growing Alaskan Leaders (GALS) took what many observers interpreted as the unusual step of issuing an action alert over Eledge's nomination, writing that she had "very hateful views" and had made racist, homophobic, transphobic, and xenophobic public statements on social media.
Now, the nine-member Library Advisory Board (LAB), established under Chapter 4.60.40 of the Municipal Code and which acts as the planning body for library activities and special projects, makes recommendations to both the administration and Assembly and which reviews annual budgets and operations has weighed in on the matter, passing unanimously, a resolution opposing Mayor Bronson's plan to move the APL under the Parks and Recreation Department, where they say a "non-librarian" would oversee the library system. LAB sent its resolution to the Anchorage Assembly last week.
Some of the more noteworthy concerns expressed in LAB's resolution state that there are little budgetary savings to the city by moving the Anchorage Public Library and that such a move would dilute the essential role of the library.
"...the Anchorage Public Library, and our community patrons, need to have a department run by librarians who have the appropriate qualifications, foundation skills and knowledge to provide an essential center for learning, where there is free and equal access to information and library spaces, and where literacy and life-long learning is promoted," the resolution states.
The first public hearing on the proposed budget is Wednesday, Oct 27. Interested individuals who wish to provide written testimony or provide testimony over the phone during the Assembly meeting can sign up at this link.
LAB's resolution to the Anchorage Assembly can be read below.
