Rather than see their libraries crippled, or closed, several communities have turned their public library operations over to private companies.

On Tuesday, Nevada County supervisors are scheduled to hear two proposals to keep the county's libraries at least partially afloat. One plan proposes more than $400,000 in cuts over the next two years. The other proposal looks at the opportunity to contract with a private company that specializes in library operations.

One of the leaders in library privitazation is Library Systems and Services LLC, which has contracted to operate 13 library systems that include 63 libraries in Tennessee, Texas, Kansas, California (Riverside and Redding) and Oregon.

Centered in Germantown, Md., the company was founded in 1981. The relationship allows the cities and counties to maintain all of the assets (buildings, etc.), but turns the actual operations over to Library Systems and Services.

In most of those transitions, library employees were retained by the company, but at less expensive salaries and benefit packages.

Officials in Riverside and Redding said the move to privitazation has been a good one. In Redding, the city opted out of a contract with Shasta County to operate its library, according to Peggy O'Lea, executive director of the Shasta Library Foundation and chairwoman of the City Council's library advisory board. Unable to get county funding for more services and expansion, the city landed a state grant to build a new $20 million library and then contracted with Library Systems and Services to run it.

“The bottom line is we kept the library open 60 hours per week instead of the 40 envisioned,” O'Lea said. Library Systems and Services brings public relations, computer knowledge and book purchasing power to the system and its two branches that it wouldn't otherwise have, she said.

“We kept all of our old employees,” O'Lea said. Library Systems and Services actually had to hire more people to staff the larger facility, but were not encumbered by the government union bargaining agreements.

“It's worked for us and for the public it was seamless,” O'Lea said. “Some people said we would lose control, but our contract calls for specific services,” that kept levels where the community wanted them.

In Southern California's Riverside County, Chief Deputy County Executive Officer Gary Christmas was the transitional county librarian when Library Systems took over in 1997.

“We made it explicit in the contract that (Library Systems) interview all the existing employees,” Christmas said. “They hired the majority back who wanted a job and some retired.”

The employees lost their PERS retirement when the firm took over, but it was supplanted by Social Security and a 401(k) savings plan, he said.

“Health benefits were reasonably close and the pay is comparable,” Christmas added. “It's competitive for library people, so they pay comparable wages, or they wouldn't have any employees. It's been 12 years and a positive experience,” Christmas said.

Should supervisors not opt for privitazation, Nevada County Librarian Mary Ann Trygg proposes slashing the county library budget by $403,000 over the next two years; cuts that would close the Doris Foley Library in Nevada City and both the Penn Valley and Bear River satellite libraries.

Supervisors are slated to meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the board chambers of the Eric Rood government building in Nevada City.

To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.