October 2006 – Library Systems and Services (LSSI) has contracted with the City of Redding, California to manage and operate its main library and two branch libraries.
In September, the Redding City Council agreed to accept ownership of Shasta County's Redding Municipal Library and hired LSSI to operate the library and its two branches. LSSI will also help facilitate the changeover from county to city ownership.
Under the terms of the 3˝-year contract, LSSI will provide transition services; including assisting the city and county plan their library's move to a new $20 million building. "Opening a new state-of-the-art, 60,000-square-foot library presented the City with a number of daunting challenges," said City Manager, Kurt Starman. However, "With LSSI's track record, we are confident that the new library will be opened on time and will be run in an efficient and professional manner."
LSSI also plans to increase the open hours of the Redding main library by 20 hours, providing patrons library access 60 hours a week. Redding Assistant City Manager Randy Bachman said he was excited by the opportunity "to have the library open 50 percent more hours for the same amount of money." Additionally, the Anderson branch will be open 40 hours a week and the Burney branch, 24 hours a week.
"The new Redding library looks to be spectacular and we're thrilled to be a part of its future success," said Frank Pezzanite, President and CEO of LSSI. "We are committed to each and every community we serve and are excited to bring our experience and innovative ideas to the cities of Redding, Anderson and Burney."
Founded in 1981, LSSI is the world's premier provider of library management services and has built its reputation by providing more efficient and effective ways to manage new and existing library operations. LSSI's management services are uniquely tailored to each individual library and are available on a short-term or long-term basis depending on the library's specific needs
