11/15/04 - OLC Board Discusses the Issue of Library Consolidations/Mergers; Plans Study
At its meeting on November 4, the Ohio Library Council Board of Directors discussed the issue of public library consolidations and mergers – an issue that is being discussed among several public libraries in Ohio and closely examined in a few communities.
The OLC Board has agreed that library consolidations and/or mergers are issues that should be decided on a local level based upon the needs of the communities that the libraries serve. However, such actions will not happen in a vacuum and have the potential to impact library service in neighboring communities and influence public libraries statewide.
Further, the OLC Board concurred that the ramifications of library consolidations and mergers should be examined, and the issue provides an opportunity for the OLC to take a leadership role in investigating the advantages and disadvantages in the reorganization of library service areas.
Considering the relevancy of this issue and its importance to public libraries, the OLC Board of Directors has directed the OLC staff to investigate the options available for a comprehensive study of the methodologies of cooperation between libraries. The OLC, in cooperation with the State Library of Ohio, will identify an appropriate institution(s) capable of conducting an objective analysis and providing a non-partisan look at how communities should examine the issues involved in the consolidation and/or merger of library services in their community. The focus of the study will go beyond the issue of consolidations and mergers to encompass all of the opportunities for collaboration among libraries.
Initially, the OLC will look at the opportunity to conduct the study in cooperation with organizations such as the Battelle Memorial Institute or the public policy programs at some of the major universities in the state. The research also will include a review of past consolidations and mergers among libraries in Ohio, any similar studies conducted elsewhere in the country, and past studies that have impacted other political subdivisions.
At this point, the OLC Board of Directors has not set a specific timeline for the study. OLC staff will report on the available options and projected costs at the January 21 Board meeting.
