So what is the real reason that Bernard Margolis is being forced out of his job as president of the Boston Public Library? To read the Boston Globe’s coverage, you’d think Margolis had all but ignored the neighborhood branches over the past 10 years. A Globe editorial endorses that view.
But a Boston Phoenix editorial this week places the blame squarely on Mayor Tom Menino, who reportedly has never liked Margolis, and who has decided to indulge his penchant for stacking his administration with loyalists rather than put up with an independent-thinking visionary.
According to the Phoenix, three BPL trustees held Menino off from acting on his worst instincts over the years — former Globe publisher William Taylor, former Massachusetts Senate and UMass president Bill Bulger and state Rep. Angelo Scaccia. But Taylor is no longer a trustee, Bulger and Scaccia have lost clout, and Menino is now free to do what he pleases.
Here’s the heart of the editorial:
Now that Margolis’s firing is about to be made official, the city is being treated to a campaign of disinformation suggesting that, while Margolis was good for the historic central library in Copley Square, his track record in the branches was lacking. This is rubbish, so out of line with reality that it approaches a big-lie strategy: tell a whopper with enough conviction and frequency and you can get the public to believe it. It will probably work. Also wrested out of context are recycled versions of Margolis’s unwillingness to install Internet filters — except for children — on library computers. Free speech may be uncomfortable at times, but it should never be so in a library.
I covered the filter controversy for the Phoenix back in 1997, shortly after Margolis had arrived, and I was impressed with his sophisticated, sensitive approach. He easily could have sided with Menino and engaged in out-and-out censorship, or taken an absolutist free-speech view and refused to install any filters. Instead, he found intelligent middle ground.
Ten years is a long time to run a major cultural institution such as the BPL. If the trustees replace Margolis with someone of equal stature, but perhaps with a different set of priorities, then no harm will have been done except the damage that’s already been unfairly visited upon Margolis’ reputation.
But the Phoenix editorial makes a convincing case that Margolis is being let go for all the wrong reasons. Those of us who love libraries ought to be concerned.
Photo (cc) by seahills1. Some rights reserved.
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If even Scaccia has lost clout, Da Mayah may have evolved into the “rolling around ball bearings in his palm” phase. Sad.
We’re fortunate to have Bernard A. Margolis at our library. What might turn around things?…The controversy itself is a relief from the old usual promotions of the institution. People love controversies about stars. Controversies about the stars of our libraries, the curators, the leadership grabs interest. Our library should grab more the same interest devoted to the Symphony and the Sox.
. Statement of Board Chairman Jeffrey B. Rudman regarding Library President Bernard A. Margolis ten years with the Boston Public Library . Required formal notice regarding employment contract of Bernard A. Margolis VOTED: that in accordance with the terms of the employment contract by and between The Board of Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston and Bernard A. Margolis, the contract is not extended beyond the existing Employment Period ending on June 30, 2008.http://bpl.org/general/trustees/search.htmhttp://bpl.org/general/trustees/trusteeagenda111307.htm Boston Public Logo Meetings Board of Trustees November 13 , 2007 * Agenda Order of Business for a Meeting as a Corporation and as an Administrative Agency Adams Street Branch Library 690 Adams Street Dorchester, MA 02122 Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. AGENDA 1. Chairmans Report . Statement of Board Chairman Jeffrey B. Rudman regarding Library President Bernard A. Margolis ten years with the Boston Public Library . Required formal notice regarding employment contract of Bernard A. Margolis VOTED: that in accordance with the terms of the employment contract by and between The Board of Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston and Bernard A. Margolis, the contract is not extended beyond the existing Employment Period ending on June 30, 2008. Trustees Committee Reports Mr. Jeffrey B. Rudman 2. Presidents Report General Review . Update on the Charlestown Service Building and Boston Heritage Center . Review and approval of the Technology Plan for the Boston Public Library/Metro Boston Library Network, July 1, 2008 June 30, 2011 with Maura Marx, Digital Services Manager, and Henry Bernasconi, Acting Chief Technology Officer VOTED: to approve the Technology Plan for the Boston Public Library/Metro Boston Library Network, July 1, 2008 June 30, 2011. Mr. Bernard A. Margolis 3. New Business Mr. Jeffrey B. Rudman 4. Adjournment Mr. Jeffrey B. Rudman The Boston Public Library 617 536-5400 info at bpl.org Central Library 700 Boylston St Boston MA 02116http://bpl.org/general/trustees/trusteeagenda111307.htmhttp://bpl.org/general/trustees/search.htmhttp://bpl.org/general/directions.htm#AdamsDORCHESTER Adams Street Branch690 Adams Street Dorchester MA 02122617 436-6900 tel Directions: Map Take Red Line to Fields Corner Station. Take Bus #202 and get off at Oakton Avenue.See alsohttp://mbta.comhttp://www.cityofboston.gov/calendar/calendar.asp?mode=single&id=13289&type=single One day event on Tuesday, 13 of November, 2007 Title: Meeting Boston Public Library Trustees Meeting Agenda: * Chairman’s Report * Trustees Committee Report * Presidential Report * New Business * Adjournment Location: Adams Street Branch Library 690 Adams Street Dorchester, MA. 02122 Time: 3:00 PM [handicapped.gif]http://www.cityofboston.gov/calendar/calendar.asp?mode=single&id=13289&type=singlehttp://www.cityofboston.gov/calendar/calendar.asp?mode=single&id=13022&type=single One day event on Tuesday, 13 of November, 2007 Title: Meeting Boston Public Library Agenda: Trustees Meeting Location: Public Library 690 Adams Street Dorchester, MA. Time: 3:00 PM [handicapped.gif]http://www.cityofboston.gov/calendar/calendar.asp?mode=single&id=13022&type=singlehttp://maps.google.com/maps?q=690+Adams+St,+Boston,+MA+02122,+USA
“Independent-thinking visionary”? The guy makes an argument that he hears from the American Library Association [ALA]. How is that “independent-thinking”? The ALA’s argument that the guy used about claims of censorship and First Amendment violations is then found false in the US Supreme Court case of US v. ALA. How is a losing argument “visionary”? And exactly what does access to material that violates the library’s enabling statute have anything to do with people who love libraries? Why should they be concerned that material that falls outside the library’s enabling statute is actually treated in a manner consistent with that law? You are not advocating for the law to be violated by suggesting people should cast aside the library’s enabling statute to allow in material the law excludes, are you? I suggest that the ouster allows Boston to finally act to protect its own standards rather than those of the ALA — the Mayor should once again push for filters. Listen, even an ACLU expert has said they are extremely effective (ACLU v. Gonzales, E.D. Pa., March 2007). The ACLU also lost in US v. ALA then moved on, it’s time for the ALA to move on as well.
It’s worth mentioning that “the zak” is net kook and BPL obsessive Don Saklad.This note from Kibo may help explain his posts here. Or not.Mr. Saklad’s writing style and posting style are unique. He often writes in a “telegraphic” manner characterized by short sentence fragments set off by periods. He rarely responds directly to questions or comments left by other individuals in response to his posts. Although he will post frequently on a forum and will elicit remarks from other posters regarding the content and peculiarities of his posts, he does not engage in conversation with other posters and does not write on topics other than the Boston Public Library and Boston City Hall/City Council. His style is also very impersonal, in that he will compose a post stating that Boston City Hall is not willing to provide a particular extraneous amount of information requested (such as the entire stenographic output of several council meetings), but will not specify that he in particular requested this information.Mr. Saklad is also known to publish seemingly random lists of information without any additional context. During the spring of 2005, he posted lists of Boston City Council members and their contact information on a number of internet forums. Particularly when he posts lists, he will become obsessive about his posting, for instance, starting separate threads or blog entries each time he comes across the phone number for an additional city council member, rather than adding to his previous threads. A Google search on a line from nearly any posting Mr. Saklad has made will reveal that he has posted the same information on dozens of other sites.
Not that this post is about Mr. Saklad… but I must say that I’ve been *fascinated* that he’s posted glowing, positive comments on every news story regarding Bernie’s imminent departure. (This enigmatic “the zak” comment being the one exception.) Given his obsessive criticism of the BPL over the years, why is Bernie now his hero?
This is a sad event for one of Boston’s great cultural institutions. Sadly we do not have someone at the city’s helm who has the vision to understand that ten years of good work on many fronts are being destroyed. Perhaps the Library trustees will be motivated to start to put in their own time and dollars to make up for that lost by the Margolis departure.