Escondido Library :: Private Equity Firm Acquires Rita’s Italian Ice, Now Eying California Public Library

Private Equity Firm Acquires Rita’s Italian Ice, Now Eying California Public Library

Huffington Post: 9.14.2017 by Donald Cohen

January. The outskirts of Philadelphia. 23 degrees. It’s hard to imagine anyone buying Rita’s Italian ice.

But Argosy did just that earlier this year.

Specializing in acquiring companies, cutting costs, and selling them for a profit, the Pennsylvania-based private equity firm added the frozen dessert chain Rita’s to its portfolio of investments, which includes a prison phone company and a handful of Pizza Hut franchises, among others.

And now they’re eyeing the library in Escondido, California. That’s right, a public library.

Well, not exactly. Argosy owns Library Systems & Services (LS&S), the country’s largest library management company, which is trying to sell its services to the small city north of San Diego. LS&S is using the same rap—that privatization saves taxpayer money by bringing “optimization” and “efficiency”—that it’s used to gobble up 83 libraries across the country.

While the Escondido City Council seems to have bought in—they voted last month to outsource to LS&S but have yet to sign the contract—taxpayers aren’t having it. The library’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously against privatization and thousands of residents have signed a petition to keep the library public.

Even the American Library Association has weighed in, writing that after privatization the “community will not know how its taxpayer dollars are being spent.”  READ MORE >>

Library Outsourcing Vote Is An Outrage :: Escondido Public Library

Upland Library - Contract with LSSI Begins August 1

Upland City Council Approves Contract with LSSI

New Public-Private Partnership Will Deliver Improved Library Services While Saving Taxpayer Funds

PRNewswire: 7.10.2014

On Monday evening, June 23, the Upland City Council voted to approve a contract with Library Systems & Services, LLC (LSSI) to operate the Upland Public Library commencing August 1.  Previously, the Upland City Council had approved a proposal offered by LSSI and directed the city manager to negotiate a formal contract.

"We're very excited about the new partnership our city shares with LSSI," said Stephen Dunn, City Manager.  "After a lengthy dialogue with our community and input from a citizens' task force, the City Council was confident moving forward with a solution which provides more opportunities for library patrons, staff and volunteers while conserving taxpayer dollars."

The approved LSSI contract will increase the hours of operation by 24%, enabling the library to serve the public 7 days per week; more than double the current book and materials budget; re-establish vital literacy programming; reduce overall costs of operations, thus saving taxpayers more than $1 million over the 5-year contract; and provide more professional growth opportunities for the existing staff.

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LSSI is no stranger to operating public libraries in the Southern California region.  For the past 17 years, it has successfully managed the Riverside County Public Library System comprised of 35 branch libraries and two bookmobiles serving a population of more than 2 million residents.  LSSI also operates libraries for the Cities of Moreno Valley, Palmdale, Camarillo, Moorpark, Simi Valley and Santa Clarita.  READ MORE !