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Boston PL Defends Reputation in Wake of Scathing Report

A report in the March 11 Boston Globe claims that a new study shows the Boston Public Library is underperforming when compared to other large public libraries in terms of circulation, visitors, and public relations. The newspaper reported that the “preliminary findings” included no recommendations but had prompted an unnamed “city watchdog” to speculate that Boston “must consider consolidating and closing some of the city’s 27 branches,” despite the fact that the city is planning to open a new branch in Mattapan and a combined school library and city branch in Dorchester.

The problem with the Globe report, BPL President Bernard Margolis told American Libraries, is that it was based on an uncorrected draft intended for review, not release to the media. The library received the report March 9 and noted that it contained a number of misleading and downright incorrect pieces of information, including the purported decline in circulation. In fact, Margolis said, BPL circulation over the last 10 years is up 16%, “which I think is incredible for an urban library with an old stock of inadequate facilities.”

Margolis issued a public statement March 16 “to clarify some of the information included in the study draft in order to provide a clear picture of the state of the Boston Public Library.” Among the clarifications:

  • The study was commissioned by the Boston Public Library Foundation (not the trustees, as the Globe reported) and “is still in progress.”
  • The draft misstates the library staff counts and operating hours.
  • Comparing the library to 77 large public library systems, including countywide systems that serve vast suburban populations, does not take into account BPL’s role as a major research library. As Margolis noted, “Our circulation is higher than Los Angeles, Chicago, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Detroit.”

Margolis told AL that the study, when completed, would no doubt yield valuable analysis, but he expressed dismay over the premature and inaccurate picture presented by the Globe. The report is correct, he said, in concluding the library does a poor job of promoting itself, but he said the solution is increased support. “Our promotion budget amounts to zero dollars. For the past few years we have had to ask for a waiver for meeting the requirements for state aid. How can you say to your constituencies that we can’t meet these requirements but we can shift resources to promotion? We rely on our friends in the media to help us,” he lamented.

Posted March 17, 2006.

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