Statement before the        Glenn A. Walsh

Allegheny County                   P.O. Box 1041

Library Association:          Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15230-1041 U.S.A.

Lack of Publicity for          Telephone: 412-561-7876

ACLA Public Hearing       Electronic Mail: < gawalsh@andrewcarnegie.cc >

On RAD Formula              2007 July 16

 

Good evening. I am Glenn A. Walsh of 633 Royce Avenue, Mt. Lebanon. I served as a Life Trustee on the Board of Trustees of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library in Carnegie Borough from 1995-2000, Library Treasurer 1995-1996, and Library Delegate to ACLA 1995-1999. Today I am speaking as a private citizen representing no organization.

 

This evening, ACLA will hold its first official public hearing. And, barely anyone even knows this hearing is going to happen! However-many people show-up for this hearing tonight, there should be three or four times that many, because people in Allegheny County do care about their libraries. However, the vast majority of these people have no idea this hearing is happening!!!

 

I understand that a flyer, publicizing the public hearing, was distributed to libraries. But, little other publicity occurred. At a previous Board meeting the President said that this public hearing would be advertised on the ACLA web site and in the press. Neither happened!!!

 

Oh yes, it was noted on the ACLA web site’s calendar. This is not advertising! Why did you not simply publicize the Summer Reading Program on the calendar? No, you prominently advertised the Summer Reading Program on the cover page of the web site, while there was not one mention of the public hearing on the web site cover page! How was a member of the public, looking at your web site cover page, supposed to know to look on your calendar page for the date of a public hearing—particularly considering that ACLA has never before held a public hearing!!!

 

What was your media advertising budget for this public hearing? Did you even distribute a news release? I found no actual news release on your web site. And, apparently none of the media saw a news release either because there was no mention of the public hearing in either Pittsburgh daily newspaper!!!

 

The lack of publicity for this public hearing clearly shows the ACLA management’s continual disinterest in public input, or anything else that is seen as an impediment to management’s empire-building agenda.

 

A second, well-publicized public hearing should be held in September, following the release of the consultant’s draft report, to allow the public the ability to comment on the findings and recommendations of the consultant.

 

Thank you.

 

gaw

 

 

 

 

 

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