P.O. Box 1041

                                                                                                Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230-1041 U.S.A.

                                                                                                Telephone: 412-561-7876

                                                                                                Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@andrewcarnegie.cc >

                                                                                                Internet Web Site: < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc >

                                                                                                2006 June 23

 

By Certified Mail; Return-Receipt Requested

 

Ron Moehler, President

Board of Trustees

Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall

300 Beechwood Avenue

Carnegie, Pennsylvania 15106-2699

 

Dear Mr. Moehler:

 

On April 22, the 104th anniversary of the official dedication by Library Donor Andrew Carnegie of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, I mailed my annual donation checks to the Library’s Acting Executive Director, Maggie Forbes, along with some concerns I have regarding operation and rehabilitation of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall. Maggie did send me a short reply on April 27, indicating that she would address some of the questions I raised “under separate cover.” Thus far, she has not responded to any of these questions.

 

Speaking with Library staff members, and one Library Board member, I was quite surprised to learn that the size of the Library’s collection has now fallen well below the size listed for 2005 on the Library’s web site, and may be further reduced!. While it was my original understanding that the construction of the elevator and new restroom required a slight reduction in collection size, from my discussions with the staff and board member I now understand that the gutting of the Library’s collection is due, primarily, to the Library Board’s wish to maximize Allegheny Regional Asset District (ARAD) funding through the “Collection Turnover Rate” criterion of the Allegheny County Library Association (ACLA) funding distribution formula..

 

After spending five years on the Library Board working to keep the Library open, I must tell you that I am aghast to find that now nearly half the Library is gone !!! Andrew Carnegie, who put great value in the self-improvement potential of books, would be turning-over in his grave if he knew what has become of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library!

 

With continuing reduction in the Library’s collection size, the Library could soon come to the point where it is no longer relevant to the community. Up until now, people throughout the Chartiers Valley have come to the Andrew Carnegie Free Library for their library needs, particularly when their smaller home-community library could not satisfy those needs. With a small collection size, those people will now by-pass the Andrew Carnegie Free Library for larger libraries in Green Tree, Crafton, Mt. Lebanon, and Moon.

 

The Chartiers Valley Partnership’s goal of making (actually keeping) the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall the primary cultural center for the Chartiers Valley region would have failed. The Andrew Carnegie Free Library’s core mission has been severely compromised by this ACLA formula !!!

At this time, the Andrew Carnegie Free Library may be the worst case, but ACLA’s funding distribution formula, particularly the Collection Turnover Rate criterion, is damaging library service throughout Allegheny County. I cannot stand-by and watch this formula (which was bad when I was on the Library Board, but is now much worse) continue to do damage to library service in this County.

 

 

Ron Moehler                                         2006 June 23                                          Page 2 of 2

 

 

 

Consequently, I have already delivered public statements to the Board of Directors of the Allegheny Regional Asset District (on May 30) and the Board of Directors of the Allegheny County Library Association (on June 13) demanding an end to ACLA’s micromanagement of libraries through this formula, but particularly the elimination of the Collection Turnover Rate criterion. Attached are the texts of these two statements.

 

You may be interested to know that I was not the only person to complain to the ARAD Board regarding the ACLA formula at the May 30 meeting; indeed, I was one of four people who spoke-out against this formula. This included State Representative Shawn T. Flaherty of the North Hills.

 

This also included a member of the Board of Directors of the organization which manages the Lauri Ann West Memorial Library in O’Hara Township. Note that this Library Board member spoke-out, despite the “gag-order” in the ACLA Member’s Agreement, where ACLA could terminate a library’s membership if that library is perceived as jeopardizing funding to ACLA.

 

As I said in my statement to the ACLA Board, if they are not willing to make changes, I will have to start informing the general public, as well as more public officials, of how the ACLA formula is damaging library service in Allegheny County. As a private citizen, with no affiliation with any library, ACLA has no gag-order on me!

 

I would welcome the active support of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library in this effort. With the elimination of the Collection Turnover Rate criterion, the Andrew Carnegie Free Library could slowly start rebuilding the Library’s collection.

 

However, at the very least, I, respectfully, ask that the Board of Trustees of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library institute a one-year moratorium on any further reductions in the Library’s collection size. This will provide time to convince public officials how damaging the Collection Turnover Rate criterion is to library service in Allegheny County.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

 

 

Glenn A. Walsh

 

gaw

 

Attachments 2

 

Copy:     Board of Trustees, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall

Janet Sharp, Interim Library Director, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall

Maggie Forbes, Acting Executive Director, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall

                Charles R. Goetz, Co-Chair, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall Campaign

                William E. Manby, Co-Chair, Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall Campaign