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consolidating
hennepin county library
and
minneapolis
public library
framework
for next steps
background
On May 24, 2007, Governor Pawlenty
signed into law legislation enabling the consolidation of the Minneapolis
Public and Hennepin County library systems. The legislation was a joint initiative of the
Minneapolis Public Library Board, the City of Minneapolis, the
Hennepin County Library Board and Hennepin County, all four
of which recommended consolidating the two library systems pursuant to a set of
guiding principles. The purpose of the consolidation is to ensure that all Hennepin County residents
have access to excellent library services responsive to both current and future
library needs.
The
governor, however, vetoed funding that would have permitted the library consolidation
to proceed in the most timely and efficient manner. In response, the Hennepin
County Board on June 26, 2007, directed the County Administrator to take the
steps necessary to assess and transfer real and personal property and address
financial obligations, but deferred to a later date additional decisions
regarding proceeding to complete the library consolidation.
The first
step in the consolidation process is to effectuate a legal merger of the
Minneapolis Public Library and Hennepin County Library. The legal merger
requires the completion
of transactions identified in the authorizing legislation, including those
necessary for Hennepin County to assume the assets
and liabilities of MPL and to transfer MPL employees to Hennepin County.
Decisions will be made
at a later date regarding the completion of the consolidation of the two
library systems. This document sets forth the framework for beginning the
process to accomplish a legal merger of Minneapolis
Public Library and Hennepin County Library.
pre-merger
activities
The
target date, pending approval, for merging the two systems is January 1, 2008. Pre-merger activities
will be co-managed by the two library directors with oversight from the county
administrator, and coordination by a county steering committee and a library
steering committee. The steering committees will meet regularly.
Steering
Committees and Pre-Merger Teams. The County Steering Committee is comprised primarily
of the Hennepin County department directors
who ultimately will be responsible for the ongoing activity. The Library Steering
Committee is comprised of the administrative council/senior team of HCL and MPL.
The
steering committees will coordinate the work of the pre-merger teams. Each member
of a Steering Committee is responsible for putting together pre-merger team(s)
with the necessary staff from the county, the city and/or the libraries.
The
charge of the pre-merger teams is to identify and execute those transactions
identified in the authorizing legislation, including those necessary for Hennepin County to assume the assets
and liabilities of MPL and to transfer MPL employees to Hennepin County effective January 1, 2008. The pre-merger teams
will also recommend policy and process changes which should be in place as of
the date of the merger.
The
County Steering Committee will be co-chaired by Amy Ryan and Kit Hadley with oversight from
Richard Johnson. The Library Steering Committee will be co-chaired by Amy Ryan and Kit Hadley. The pre-merger teams
for which Library Steering Committee members are responsible are as follows:
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Sharon
Charles, Betsy Williams
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Integrated
Library System Team
Web
Services and Applications Training Team
IT
Architecture, Work Stations, Data Network Team
Collection
management, Cataloging, Processing Team
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Lois
Thompson, Betsy Williams
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Circulation
Services, Shelving, and Other Support Activities Team
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Lois
Thompson, Ginger Bush
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Information
Services Team
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Judy
Hohmann, Jane
Eastwood
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Programming
and Outreach Team
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Lois
Thompson, Walter
Gegner
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Administration
and Management Team
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As
part of identifying what must be accomplished by January 1, 2008 and what can wait for
the interim phase, the pre-merger teams will start the “discovery” process of
taking the inventory of similarities and differences between the two library
systems, analyzing issues, and making recommendations for needed action and
timing.
In
addition, the Library Steering Committee will solicit ideas, identify
opportunities and develop a plan for HCL and MPL staff to get to know each
other, understand each other’s history and traditions, and appreciate each
other’s values and perspectives.
Staff
Assistance:
Judith Friedrich, Principal Librarian Hennepin County Library has been assigned
to assist in the pre-merger phase. She worked with the two library directors
as the Committee on the Future of Libraries in Hennepin County completed its work earlier this year. In this
pre-merger phase, she will continue to assist the two library directors and
also support the work of the steering committees and pre-merger teams.
Amy Ryan
Kit Hadley
June 29, 2007
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