After 11 months of protests, an employee union lawsuit, and a court-voided previous contract, the Jersey City, New Jersey, library board voted unanimously to sign a $1.6 million, two-year management consultant services contract with Library Systems and Services (LSSI), effective June 1.
The board had issued a new request for proposals February 16 with provisions guaranteeing civil-service protections for staff.
An LSSI press release said its staff will function as consultants to the library board and will handle the library’s “day-to-day operations, automation, and staff development.” But the June 2 Jersey Journal reported that councilman Arnold Bettinger has questioned the legality of the contract, saying it will reduce the position of library director to one of fundraiser and will place the day-to-day operation of the library in the hands of LSSI’s Fran Ware, who will have the title of head of library operations.
Posted June 7, 1999.