Save Our Library Fights Back! (You heard it here first (and second)!)**

Below, readers will find in its entirety a press release from Save Our Library, a newly minted nonprofit started to oppose the seizure of County libraries by the City and the hiring of LSSI to run the libraries.  Let it be noted by all that SCVTalk worked over the weekend and lunch to bring this news first to our readers!  (Sorry about the spacing; this a a cut and paste job after all.)

SANTA CLARITA SUED OVER LIBRARY PRIVATIZATION

Privacy Rights Threatened Suit Alleges

(L.A.S.C. Case No. PC 049312- Chatsworth))

Save Our Library, and three Santa Clarita residents, filed suit

today (10/4) in the Los Angeles County Superior Court to block

the City of Santa Clarita (CA), its General Manager, and its

Deputy General Manager from turning over operation of the Santa

Clarita libraries in Canyon Country, Newhall and Valencia to

Library Systems and Services, LLC (“LSSI US”), a Maryland

corporation with foreign connections.

The suit alleges that putting the libraries in the hands of LSSI

US would violate library patrons’ right of privacy guaranteed by

the California Constitution and would be a clear violation of

California’s Public Records Act (“CPRA”). The CPRA explicitly

declares that patrons’ library records – personal information,

borrowing history, computer searches, etc. – are private and

confidential. The suit claims that turning this information over

to LSSI (or allowing it to collect the information) is illegal

and opens the door to other illegal disclosures of the

information that could facilitate identity theft and unwanted

commercial solicitations targeted by a patron’s borrowing/usage.

Don Ricketts, the Santa Clarita lawyer who filed the suit, stated

that he will seek to depose City Council Member Laurie Enders and

Darren Hernandez, the City’s Deputy City Manager and Director of

Administrative Services, later this month. “They were the

architects of this plan,” Ricketts said. “We need to get the

full story behind this–under oath. It was suddenly sprung on the

public in a very undemocratic way with very little transparency.

Maybe everything was legal and above-board, but the secrecy and

speed sure raise suspicions–especially in light of the fact that

no one other than the City and LSSI are in favor of this. There

were over 50 residents who spoke at the Council meeting–and many,

many more who did not speak–all of whom were opposed to the

takeover. The City’s rash action has already closed down the

Canyon Country library for an indefinite period and will further

delay completion of the new Newhall library.”

Hernandez, along with the City and its General Manager, Kenneth

R. Pulskamp, is a named defendant in the lawsuit. All

defendants have been served with the summons and complaint.

*As of three pm Signal releases their “preview” email with a story about Middle School students pretending to be stockbrokers.  SCVTalk still holds exclusive sway over this important story!