An Open Letter to Ms. Nancy Stanbery-Kellam

I was again disappointed at the lack of professionalism I saw at the September 22, 2009 Library Board of Trustee meeting. Once again under your leadership, the board chose the easy way out. Yes you suggested a compromise--making a computer lab out of a thriving library branch at Dacula. Oh, yes, you are going to call it a library. But as the poet said, "A rose by any other name is just as sweet." No a computer lab is not what we paid for, voted for, lobbied for, and supported with our time, effort and sweat. A computer lab is no substitute for a full service library. We need and want the full range of services that you and the board have denied us.

Your continuing reference to over 200 years of experience in library matters in the meeting was offensive. Yes, we want to hire good people, but we have high expectations for those people. I was struck by the experiences of those in the audience whose opinions were actually denigrated. That experience level, conservatively, would have been over a 1000 years experience--maybe not in library science--but in good old common sense. Those folks understand that the likelihood of every reopening a full service library in any one of the computer labs is practically nil, notwithstanding the board's statements to the contrary.

It appears to me that you have been less than candid with the public. In an email (July 12, 2009) to Phil Hoskins at county government you make the statement, "While we would hate to have to close one branch (my comment i.e. DAC vs HML), this seems to be the best solution. But we need to know that the county will support us if we do this!" Mr. Hoskins replied three days later, "I'm not aware of any concerns."

Obviously, the board's claim to be non-political is sheer nonsense. You failed to mention to Board Member Saxton that this action was underway, and you hid it from the District Commissioner Beaudreau. I am assuming that you, Rhonda Boyd, and others met with Chairman Bannister, Jock Connell, and Phil Hoskins on July 20, 2009 to discuss the opening of Hamilton Mill. Ms. Boyd's email of July 15, 2009, to Mr. Hoskins stated "We have some ideas about how we could accomplish that (and why we think it would be a good solution), and we want to make sure there are no objections before we speak with Commissioner Beaudreau and his Library Board member, Phillip Saxton."So much for your board's claims. You obviously had at least a tacit understanding that your appointing authority had county political support for this move. Only a great outcry, maintains the Dacula branch and others from complete closure. I guess you learned to at least make an attempt to reach out to local leaders in other areas slated for the computer lab designation. You didn't show me or any leadership in your Dacula service area that courtesy.

How can we in the areas to be discriminated against trust your judgment any longer?