Letter from Dennis Hays to Sharon Bulova: Economics of the Friends

Dear Sharon: 

Sorry to keep bothering you but the issue of accountability keeps coming up and I think it important you have an accurate picture of what the various parties involved contribute.      

• The Friends receive no cash or funding from the County.           
• The County does provide space to the Friends, which certainly has value.  
• In return, the Friends give the County hundreds of  thousands of dollars in direct and indirect support..    
• The County gets back at least six or seven times the value of all support provided to the Friends.           

Over the years the County has received millions of dollars of "free money" from the Friends.  The margins we produce are not possible under any other arrangement.  

BACKGROUND:  You may remember all of this started four years ago when the Friends asked for an audit of the Library Director's Gift Fund due to reported irregularities.   We have never received a response to this request.  Instead, the County turned around and initiated an attempt to audit the Friends!  This was dropped only when an attorney for the Friends hammered home that the County had no right to demand an audit of independent, 501 (c) 3 organizations.  

A year later came the initial attempt to unilaterally modify the MOU.  This fizzled when the Trustees were unable to say why the existing MOU wasn't serving all parties well and what the purpose of the new MOU would be.  

Now comes yet another attempt to intrude negatively on the Friends operations.   

The Economics of the Friends:  

The following pertains specifically to the operations of the Friends of the Reston Library.  Each Friends Group is different, of course, and there may be unique situations here and there, but in general all Friends Groups operate under similar circumstances.      

What the County Gives to the Friends:   In general, books discarded by the County are of zero value.  They tend to be soiled, torn, dog eared, outdated, missing pages, etc.   As a rule, we don't accept books from the County.  There are, however, a few excepts - occasionally we will accept a book, generally non-fiction in the categories of hard science (physics, math, biology) or history as these books (sadly) are rarely checked out and thus are in much better shape.  I wish to correct my statement in an earlier message that Reston sells no books from the County.  My apologies.   A more accurate statement would be we sell extremely few books originally purchased by the County.  The books received from the County contribute an amount of less than one third of one percent of our sales.

      

What the Friends Give to the County: It is important to note the public donates their books to the Friends, not the County.  Many of our books are collected directly from patrons' homes.  I know some dispute this, but this is at best a difference without a distinction as the books all go to supporting our common goal of helping the Library.  This is only an issue if someone wants it to be.  There is more to story, however - the County provides us with a list of desired titles (mostly popular current fiction) and we hunt down these titles, tidy them up, and give them to the County.   In fact, library staff are welcome to take desired volumes at any time, including in the middle of a sale.   Whatever the source, a donated book has an initial value of three to five cents (wholesalers pay two dollars for a large box of random books)   ALL of the subsequent increase in value is due to the work of the Friends.  

Space allocation:  Here the County does provide a vital service:  The Reston Friends occupy roughly 450 square feet of space in the Reston Library on a continuing basis.  Comparable space in Reston goes for between $2.00 and $2.50 a sq ft per month.  Taking a mid-point value of $2.25, the value of the space we occupy would be about $12,000 a year.

Return on Investment:  Last month we authorized over $70,000 in contributions to the Reston and Herndon libraries.   We sponsor speakers, put on children's programs, buy books, support English language training, purchase makerspace equipment, buy garden supplies, purchase furniture, pay for periodicals, put on SAT workshops, support the page program, provide budget supplements,  fund volunteer recognition, pay for library outreach materials, replace easels and carts, fund pre-school programs for children with sensory needs, provide educational opportunities to school aged children during holidays, supply bottled water service for the staff, etc. etc.  

Putting on a Sale:   Each year we hold two large general sales, two childrens' and young adults sales, a holiday sale, a puzzles and games sale and a mystery books sale.  Plus, of course, the ongoing sales.  We have a year round operation with hundreds of volunteers.  A very conservative estimate of the volunteer hours needed to accomplish all of this is between 5,000 and 6,000 hours.  The State of Virginia values volunteer service at $26.71 an hour. 

BOTTOM LINE:  ALL the flow of money goes FROM the Friends TO the County.  And we ask nothing in return other than some space to do our job.  

For over a year all we have asked to be treated as an equal partner - is that too much?  

 

 

Sincerely, Dennis Hays 

Re-post: Fairfax County Public Library and Friends of the Library clash over finances, Fairfax Times, June 22, 2018

The following is a partial re-post of a recent Fairfax Times article by Angela Woolsey on the dispute between FCPA and the Friends of the Library:

Visitors to the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library used book sale on June 1 through 3 received a slip of paper with their purchase warning that the quarterly sales could come to an end.

The paper explained that the book sales are at risk of ending due to an ongoing disagreement between Fairfax County and the various Friends of the Library groups that fund and sponsor many library activities.

The Friends of Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library then suggested that concerned citizens contact their local supervisor and the Fairfax County Public Library administration.

The rift between the library administration and the Friends stems from a new memorandum of understanding that outlines the responsibilities that each party has as participants in a public-nonprofit partnership.

Library administrators say the MOU is necessary to clarify the county’s relationship with the Friends groups, which are independent, nonprofit community organizations run by volunteers and dedicated to supporting library activities.

However, members of several Friends groups argue that the terms in the memorandum are intrusive and restrictive, especially when it comes to their financial reporting obligations, and that the library is using the threat of eviction to pressure them into signing a document despite their objections.

Click here for the rest of this article.  

Fairfax Library Advocates letter to Library Board, Administrator re Memorandum of Understanding, July 10, 2017

From: Dennis Hays
 
To: Miriam Smolen ; Michael Donovan ; Charles Fegan ; "darren.ewing@fairfaxcounty.gov" ; Fran Millhouser ; Gary G. Russell ; Karrie Delaney ; Priscille Dando ; Sheila Janega ; Suzanne Levy ; "willard.jasper@fairfaxcounty.gov" ; "yearn.choi@fairfaxcounty.gov"
 
Cc: Linda Smyth ; Cathy Hudgins ; Jessica Hudson
 
Sent: Monday, July 10, 2017 11:05 AM
 
Subject: MOU between the Trustees and the Friends

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       July 10, 2017

Dear Ms. Smolen:  Thank you again for organizing the May 30th public meeting of your ad hoc committee on the MOU.  This resulted in a useful discussion.  I've read the two different versions of your minutes and as such minutes serve as the official record of the meeting I'm taking the liberty to add some additional detail to present a bit more perspective.  

In addition to yourself and Director Hudson, around fifteen representatives of various Friends groups spoke.  It is worth noting that none of them spoke in support of your presentation.  None of them.  Far from it.  Emotions were heated, although proper decorum was maintained.  A large number of issues were raised by the Friends, but none of them were answered to the satisfaction of the 50 or so individuals present.  

Speaking generally, there appears to be continuing confusion of the part of the County and maybe even one or two of the Trustees about what the Friends are and do.  This is not just unfortunate, it is dangerous - and inevitably will lead to serious miscalculates.  Presumably you are familiar with the fable of the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs.   If so, you may remember the story did not end well for either the goose or the farmer.   

Fortunately, there is a quick and easy path forward to deal with this confusion - you could START by talking to the Friends before huddling with County attorneys and embarking on a rewrite of a set of agreements that have served the County, the Libraries and the general public well for over a decade.  After all, the MOUs are between the Trustees and the various individual Friends groups.  Shouldn't the other equal party in an MOU be consulted?  

It appears from your remarks you envision a single MOU will apply to all Friends Groups.  Is this so?  Please remember that each Friends group is an independent organization with its own Board, history, mission, volunteer base, goals, financial resources and relationship with its respective Branch.  Some Friends groups are large and well funded, others are much smaller and more constrained as to what they can do.  An attempt to have a "one size fits all" approach seems inappropriate.  In any event, any new MOU will need to be negotiated with each Friends group individually.  

It also appears there is confusion about what an independent 501 (c) 3 organization is.  For starters, such organizations are not part of the County government.  The Friends work WITH the County, not FOR the County.  The whole point of an MOU is to define the relationship between two entities.  It does not, however, give either entity the right to interfere in the internal operations of the other.  As noted in my earlier message, each Friends group is in full compliance with all State and Federal laws and regulations and produces regular financial reports which are public documents.  Please let me know if you believe the Trustees or the County have a legal right to dictate the internal operations of an independent 501 (c) 3 organization.   

There was universal and vehement rejection of the proposal to place a cap on the Friends funds.  Speaker after speaker noted the County has no right or justification to take such a "Big Brother" approach.  One Friend stated the County was proposing to "punish success".  Several speakers noted one of the main reasons funds accumulate is the inability of the Library to use the funds offered.  For example, the County won't accept donations that have a "tail", that is, ongoing maintenance or service contracts or a need for updated software, etc.  Several different Friends jumped up at this and said they repeatedly have offered to cover all such costs.   There are restrictions on buying books, restrictions of buying machinery, restrictions on programs.   

The Friends exist to support the libraries.  Many of us have long urged the Library Administration to work with the County Administration to broaden the ways the Friends can help.  And finally, there may be a glimmer of hope here - the message Director Hudson sent out to the Friends Presidents last week, calling on the Friends to consider contributing in areas previously not allowed, is a solid step in the right direction.  The fact that the tone of that message is professional, problem solving and respectful is a bonus.  

The issues of liability and insurance are complicated and deserve further study.  

There was a brief discussion of a need to update the Friends Handbook which presumably prompted the following Q&A in the Attachment to the first set of minutes: 

1.  The Library Handbook needs updating. Should the update of the Handbook come before the update of the MOU?
   
   
   Yes, the Handbook needs updating to reflect procedural changes as well as Library Board of Trustee policy changes. The current Handbook can be found at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/friends/friendshandbook/ and it is anticipated that it will be updated in the coming fiscal year. 

  

I assume that by "the coming fiscal year" you mean 2018?  This is encouraging news.   By dropping further discussion of the MOU until the Handbook is updated we all have an opportunity to avoid the mistakes and false starts noted above and begin anew - perhaps this time engaging with the Friends first and advising where you believe revisions are needed.  And, of course, the Friends will likely have areas where they believe revisions would advance our common objectives.   Please confirm you are suspending further action on the MOU until the Handbook is reconsidered.  Or is the statement in the Attachment incorrect?  

The Friends have a long and proud history of supporting the Fairfax County Library system.  As the previous Director noted:

The "Friends have played a pivotal role in the support, expansion and enhancement of this library system. Friends have raised community awareness of the library; campaigned for new buildings; paid for children's programs; lobbied for increased funding and purchased important branch supplies and equipment.

Friends are critical to the library's mission. As you know, the economy is ever-changing, and unpredictable events impact the public funding allocated to county agencies. Through boom times and lean years, we count on our Friends to help us provide consistently excellent service to one of the most literate communities in the world."

Why would anyone want to risk all of this?   

Very best regards, Dennis 

Ambassador Dennis K. Hays (ret.)

Chairman, Fairfax Library Advocates

Open Letter to the Library Board of Trustees, Vera Fessler

   Open Letter to the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees--Vera Fessler by TerryMaynard on Scribd

FCFCA resolution calls for reversing major cuts in Fairfax County Public Library budget.

 

Library Budget Resolution for FY2017

 (Adopted by Board March 17, 2016)

BACKGROUND

The Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations recommends a modest increase to the FY16 Library Advertised Budget to reverse the significant and disproportionate cuts sustained to the library since 2009.   Key priorities include investing in library employees, providing adequate staffing to engage the public and care for the materials collection, and to increase the physical holdings of the library in order to restore Fairfax County Public Library to a world-class facility.

WHEREAS, the federal ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) signed into law December 2015 declares public and school libraries to be essential for public education and worthy of support[1]; and

WHEREAS, the home schooling of children in Fairfax County saves the taxpayers in excess of $31M every year, and those children depend on public libraries to serve as their school libraries, budgeting for their educational library materials must be included in the library budget; and

WHEREAS, the Fairfax County Public Library has had its budget reduced to less than 1% (0.007) of the entire  $3.99B FY2016 County budget; and

WHEREAS, the County’s population and cost of living increases since 2004 necessitates a library budget increase in excess of $10 million to maintain services; and

WHEREAS, the proposed Advertised budget is inadequate to properly service and maintain current collection levels; and

WHEREAS, fourteen FTE (full time equivalent) circulation aide positions with budgeted funds to provide overtime were removed last year; and

WHEREAS, half the library page positions and their associated funding were removed in 2009; and

WHEREAS, library books are being discarded because of lack of adequate staff to shelve them; and

WHEREAS, the print collection has been and continues to be decimated by inappropriate culling with as many discards through the first six months of FY16 as the entire year of FY15 according to library documents provided to the Library Board; and

WHEREAS, the Library Board of Trustees requested an additional $2M to the FY2015 budget to support staff levels and replenish the nonfiction collection diminished by twelve years of excessive culling; and

WHEREAS, the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations included a request for an additional $2M in their library budget resolution for FY2015; and

THEREFORE, BE IT

1.  Resolved, that the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations requests that the Board of Supervisors add $2M to the FY2017 Advertised library budget; and be it further

2.  Resolved, that 14 FTE (full time equivalent) circulation aide positions eliminated in FY2016 and their budgeted funding be restored to avoid cutting library hours; and be it further

3.   Resolved,  that the library page positions eliminated in FY2009 and their budgeted funding be restored; and be it further

4.  Resolved, that appropriate measures to protect and maintain the print collection be enacted by the Board of Supervisors and the Library Board including the elimination of "grubby" lists, elimination of the 24-month low-demand review criteria and replacing it with American Library Association standard 60-month review criteria, allowing volunteers and library staff to mend lightly damaged books, and allowing donated books with less than four copies of each title be added to the library's print collection.

---

[1] http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/advleg/federallegislation/ALA%20-%20ESEA%20Conference%20Overview%20%2811-30-15%29.pdf

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2015/12/significant-victory-for-libraries-as-president-signs-essa-into-law/

FCFCA resolution notes cuts in books and shelving in renovated public library branches, calls for sustaining book space.

Below is a resolution passed by the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations (FCFCA) calling for the sustaining of book shelf space in newly renovated public libraries.  The resolution notes that shelving has been dramatically cut in County-approved plans for the renovation of the Tysons-Pimmit Hills Regional Library and the ongoing renovations of Woodrow Wilson Branch Libary.  With the renovation of Reston Regional Library now in the early planning stages, it is important to ensure that future Reston-area residents have access to at least as many books as they have historically. 

  

   FY2016 FCFCA Library Shelf Space Resolution by Terry Maynard

Fairfax County Public Library fails in hiring new Director, plans no immediate action

In an action worthy of the WMATA Board's horrendously inept year-long search for a new General Manager, the Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees failed to find and hire a new Library Director to replace the outgoing Sam Clay as the message from the LBOT Chairman below indicates.  

Worse is the fact that the Board does not intend to find one promptly.  That could well leave Clay in charge of the library.  Over the last decade, he has led the destruction and demoralization of the county's library system.  Some low lights over the last decade:

• The library's budget has been cut by more than 22% over the decade.
• Library spending as a share of the County budget has been cut by 30% and now is less than three-quarters of one percent of County spending.   
• Library staffing per capita has decreased by more than 23%--and open positions are not being filled.
• The county's book collection has been cut by more than a half-million, that's more than 20%, despite continuing growth in the County's population.
• As a result, use of the FCPL system has shrunk over decade as measured by virtually every indicator tracked by the library.
• The county's library system ranks 15th of 19 public library systems in the metropolitan DC area according to the Library Journal. 

So much for attracting families and employers to Fairfax County and its "knowledge corridor."  Sam Clay has been a disaster for the County's libraries and their future.  His continued "leadership" of FCPL will only assure the continuing strangulation of our public libraries.  

Clay, the LBOT,  and the Board of Supervisors have driven our public libraries into such a budget and management hole that no qualified candidate apparently wants to take on the job of leading it.

To prevent further destruction of a vital county asset, Clay must go.

From: Charles Fegan [mailto:csfegan@verizon.net]
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2015 3:32 PM
To: karrie.delaney@gmail.com; bfm1010@cox.net; Miriam Smolen; 'Michael Donovan'; 'Donald Heinrichs'; Suzanne Levy; Willard Jasper; D Ewing; 'Priscille Dando'; josephsirh@cox.net
Cc: Molchany, Dave; Clay III, Edwin S.; White, Nhu-An; Rowe, Sherry R.
Subject: Library Director

Dear Members,

I would like to take a moment to thank you for your time in participating in the recruitment preparation and interview process in search for our Library Director. As you are aware we had a thorough process in place to identify the right candidate not only for our library system, but also for our staff, customers and community. While we identified and interviewed several viable candidates during the process, some elected to withdraw. An offer was made to the selected candidate, but unfortunately, the offer was declined.

Today, Karrie and I met with Deputy County Executive Dave Molchany, and the HR staff and it was determined not to immediately proceed with launching a new recruitment search for the Library Director; however, we would like to reassess the current situation and work on the next step after the New Year.

Again, thank you for your continued support. I look forward to our further collaboration.    

Charles

WaPo editorial criticizes Fairfax libraries for skimping on books.

This is found in the middle of today's Washington Post editorial on the need for books AND e-books in libraries:

. . .In Fairfax, library officials seem more concerned about their shrinking collection, but not because they think buying in print and buying electronically are mutually exclusive. Instead, Fairfax libraries simply lack the funds to maintain robust collections.

The difference between the District and Fairfax is simple. D.C. libraries have enjoyed generous government support over the past decade, Fairfax’s less so.  With enough money, they can build new infrastructure for new times, boosting e-book collections without cutting print sources people still need. When budgets are tight, however, any e-book comes at the cost of a printed volume. . . .

Here's the full editorial.

The Cost of Ebooks vs Print Books for Libraries

Fairfax Library Advocates reports that, in 2013, the lifetime cost of e-book leases ran 28 times higher than the price of a printed book.  New pricing schemes (and less information available from FCPL) indicates e-book pricing schemes have since lowered that ratio to 4- to 10-times the cost of a print book. 

Read the details here:  http://ffxlibraryadvocates.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-cost-of-ebooks-vs-print-books-for.html

Stop censorship in our County library system!

There is no room for censorship in a public library system. 

 

Despite this commonly held belief, library staff themselves are being censored here in Fairfax County. Staff have traditionally been encouraged to share any and all news about our library system with each other on the "FCPL In The News" site. Recently library administration has censored stories and comments that may seem negative toward the current administration. This is wrong and fundamentally against our basic beliefs in regard to freedom of thought and opinion.

Please sign our petition HERE (PETITION LINK) and join us for the Invest in Fairfax Rally on April 8th to tell Fairfax County to stop censoring librarians.You can RSVP for the budget hearing here (BUDGET HEARING APRIL 8TH)


 SUPPORT QUALITY LIBRARIES
AND SERVICES
IN FAIRFAX COUNTY

  Invest In Fairfax Rally

April 8, 2015 at 4:00 pm

Fairfax County Government Center

Questions?  Contact FairfaxLibraryAdvocates@gmail.com

Fairfax Library Advocates have joined a coalition dedicated to advocating around budget issues. Invest in Fairfax is a broad coalition of businesses, non-profits, human service providers and advocates dedicated to the proposition that Fairfax County, Virginia is an excellent place to live.  Libraries are an essential part of Quality public services in Fairfax County. The members of the
Invest In Fairfax Coalition believe that Excellence is at risk in our community. 

Join the Coalition at the Budget Hearing of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on April 8, 2015 at 5:00 pm.   This will take place in the Board auditorium of the Fairfax County Government Center - 12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA 22035 . A group of folks will be speaking to the Board of Supervisors in support of quality libraries and services in Fairfax County.  Please let us know if you want to register to speak.

Staging Area:  Come to Rooms 2 and 3 between 4:00 and 5:00 pm at the Government Center to receive stickers, signs, and instructions for the Rally.   There will be food and beverages served courtesy of SEIU Virginia 512.

Let's rally together to Save Our Libraries and protect
Excellence and Quality public services in Fairfax County.

RCA Board of Directors seeks additional resources for Fairfax County Public LIbrary

RESOLUTION

In the matter of

Resources for the Fairfax County Public Library

Reston Citizens Association 

February 9, 2015

                The Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) is a public institution that is vital to the high quality of life of the residents of the County and especially important to less fortunate individuals and families who rely on its resources for helping children learn, job hunting, and starting and managing small businesses. 

●     WHEREAS Reston is a planned community whose vision is to provide a high quality of life for people of all incomes, ages, races and ethnicities;

●     WHEREAS the Reston Regional Library, in partial fulfillment of that Reston vision, is among the County’s busiest in serving a wide variety of people;

●     WHEREAS the Reston Regional Library, like the other 22 FCPL branches in the County, has suffered significant, continuous cuts in its budget, staff, and collection over the last decade;

●     WHEREAS FCPL as a whole has experienced a 22% decline in its operating (General Fund) expenditures —while the county-wide budget has increased 15% in the same timeframe;

●     WHEREAS FCPL as a whole has experienced a 14% decline in full time positions over the same timeframe - while county-wide full time positions have increased by three percent since FY2007;

●     WHEREAS FCPL has reduced its collection inventory by 16% in the decade between, including a 12% reduction in children’s books;

●     WHEREAS FCPL has reduced the number of library children’s programs;

●     WHEREAS FCPL’s policy of considering the discard of library materials after only two years of being unused is exceptionally short by public library norms and has contributed substantially to the decline in the FCPL materials inventory;

●     WHEREAS FCPL does not include in-house use of library materials prior to creating the "dead" list,

●     WHEREAS the impact of all these reductions in budget, staffing, and materials collection has caused a decrease in the quality of the FCPL system and by extension a decrease in the quality of life for Reston Life;

●     WHEREAS this has been exhibited by the American Library Association’s Public Library Division which ranks FCPL in the bottom third of Metropolitan Washington public library systems (14^th of 19 public library systems);

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the RCA Board of Directors calls upon:

●     The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (FCBOS) to index the FCPL budget for FY2016 and all following FY to other comparable libraries in the Washington DC Metro area;

●     The FCBOS to fill the vacant full-time positions and ensure that FCPL library staffing levels are indexed to regional norms;

●     The FCBOS to increase the number of full-time positions—and fill them—at least at the rate of growth of the County’s population over the next decade;

●     The FCBOS to direct the FCPL to replace any discarded materials at least one-for-one plus increasing holdings at the percentage change in the county’s population year-to-year;

●     The FCBOS to direct the FCPL to include in-house use of library materials such that those books are not included on the initial "dead" list to be discarded.

●     The FCBOS to direct the FCPL to change its “unused” material discard policy to national and regional norms;

●     Fairfax County citizens and homeowners associations to adopt similar resolutions to encourage the FCBOS to treat the libraries as essential to the quality of life for Fairfax County citizens.