Library board chair: Charter changes would only slow the pace of the library's growth
Editor’s note: The following text is an open letter from Rochester Public Library Board Chair Antinea Ascione regarding a Charter Commission recommendation to limit the power of the city’s library and park boards. The City Council is set to consider the recommendation on Wednesday, February 17. An opposing opinion on this subject can be read here.
Dear Rochester Community,
Recent moves by the Rochester Charter Commission could drastically impact how the library operates and impede our ability to deliver on our award-winning, community-centric strategy. How can you help? Familiarize yourself with the proposed changes to the library, and share your thoughts with the Rochester City Council.
Established as a Home Rule City in 1904, the City of Rochester operates under a voter-approved charter. This means that residents have the power to shape city governance as they see fit. Subsequently, the City of Rochester established three governing boards that manage and operate Rochester's public utility, parks, and library. Comprising of community members who can apply for positions as they become available, Rochester’s governing boards make decisions that drive strategy and support regular operations.
The Rochester Charter Commission is proposing fundamental changes to two of the three governing boards. While keeping the Rochester Public Utility Board unchanged, commissioners voted to decrease the authority of the Rochester Public Library (RPL) and Parks and Recreation boards, requesting they shift from a governing role to an advisory role.
Members of the RPL board are unanimously opposed to these unnecessary changes. For more than 116 years, RPL activity has been shaped by its nine trustees. A limit of 2 three-year terms ensures constant infusion of fresh ideas and new perspectives. This long-standing arrangement has allowed numerous local residents to lead the library through decades of changes, challenges, and victories while staying within the financial boundaries set by City Council. At monthly, public meetings RPL board members receive community feedback, review updates on library administrative decisions, and vote on proposals and large expenditures, with a minimum 5-4 vote required for approval. The agility and speed this decision-making approach allows was recently on display when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In June 2020, the Library Board eliminated late return fines, a direct response to a struggling community.
The RPL board takes its role as a conduit to the community seriously, and in the last decade it raised the bar on community engagement, soliciting greater input into the decision-making process. Thanks to our strong community partnership, the Rochester Public Library received national recognition in 2018, winning the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, an annual honor bestowed only upon ten libraries and museums nationwide.
Reducing the RPL board’s authority to that of an advisory body would shift decision making to the Rochester City Council, adding to their already packed agendas. We are confident that City Council will not have the bandwidth to discuss library decisions and engage community members to the extent that the RPL board has been able to do over recent years. Given the critical role the library plays in Rochester, it is in the community’s best interest to ensure dedicated attention to the library. Modifying the structure of the Rochester Public Library Board within the city charter would serve no purpose other than to add additional oversight and bureaucracy, slow the pace of the library’s growth, and further decrease community member influence on decisions.
The current governance structure balances the adequate amount of oversight by the City Council with the right amount of representation and input from the community. On February 17, there will be a public hearing on this issue at the regularly scheduled City Council meeting. If you feel strongly about these proposed changes, we recommend you attend this meeting and share your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Antinea Ascione, Library Board President
