Check out the Escondido Library Watchdog

Escondido Neighbors United received this message about the library.  If you care about public libraries, please take a look and help provide the oversight needed to ensure our library serves the public, even if operated by a for-profit corporate interest.

Dear Supporters of the Escondido Library,

We are happy to report that we have launched a new effort to oversee our library-- The Escondido Library Watchdog.  The website was launched today at the regular meeting of the Board of Library Trustees.  Please see the statement of Brenda Townsend below.

Statement Announcing the launch of the Escondido Library Watchdog, October 10, 2019

Good Afternoon.

As some of you know, as long as I have lived in Escondido many years. I have been passionate user and supporter of our library.

Then, from the time I marched to and hand-delivered over 4,000 signatures to the City Clerk’s office in 2017 in opposition to LS&S, I became a dedicated defender of our library and committed to quality library services for our city, in spite of its operation by a for-profit corporation.

I’m happy to be here today to announce the launch of a new website the Escondido Library Watchdog.

Why a Watchdog?

Some of you will remember on January 14 of this year, a meeting was held.  Several of you were in attendance along with the Mayor and John Masson.  Without going into the details of that difficult meeting, we were told that we should engage with the public and the Trustees in the oversight of LS&S and the contract.  We took this directive to heart and the result is the new Escondido Library Watchdog website launched today. 

This kind of independent oversight is needed now. Since LS&S has taken over our library, many people have complained to us about its operation, the low staff morale, loss of books, high staff turnover rates, and many other problems.  When told them to file a complaint with LS&S, they replied they did not think it would do any good, that no one ‘will hear us’.

Since the Trustees have the obligation and desire to oversee the performance of LS&S in its contract, we are sure you will all agree with us that public input and involvement is highly desirable and necessary to have a library worth the residents of this city—and worth the tax-dollars we spend on it.

The Watchdog will be a clearinghouse for concerns, information, important links, and other information easily accessible to the public.  Importantly, it will have a form that can be submitted raising questions or concerns related to library services in Escondido.

The Library Watchdog will vet those concerns to the best of our ability and share those most relevant with you, the public appointed trustees of our library, for response and action. We would like to offer our first Community Concern today.  Several of our members are very concerned that while the library has a 3-D printer, no one gets to use it.

We request that the Trustees respond to the Notices of Concern in the public venue of these meetings so that your oversight is visible and known to the public.

We are very excited about this new public tool and we wanted to come to you first to announce it.  We hope you will check it out at www.EscondidoLibraryWatchdog.org

We can be contacted with questions should you have any at EscondidoLibraryWatchdog@gmail.com.

Thank you