Book banning and employment contracts
Good morning! We have been dealing with a tidal wave of book challenges. I have held off efforts (through my political connections) to place book banning advocates on the Kent District Library (KDL) Board of Trustees. Unfortunately, I am sure it is only a matter of time before we have book banning advocates on our board. I have been training everyone internally and throughout Michigan on effectively addressing book bans. I have a leg up. I am an attorney with a special emphasis on library law. One of my goals is to do everything that I can to hinder book banning efforts throughout the state. It is the most important work of my career. As a means to that end, it occurred to me that bad behavior requires stiff consequences. I am in favor of hitting the opposition in the pocket book. I theorize that many of the book banning advocates are also on the cheap side. In fact, it has been my experience in West Michigan that cheap trumps (no pun intended) bigotry. So I have modified, and more importantly the KDL Board has modified, my employment contract. My contract now says that if I should get fired for refusing to comply with an unconstitutional book banning request or anything else that is unconstitutional, I will receive treble severance. It will amount to four years of severance to be paid out in a lump sum. It will also create negative media for the book banning advocates and will draw attention to the issue. It is meant as a deterrent. I have the same employment clauses in place for the entire leadership team. Our collection development and programming departments are protected by the union. The idea is to make bad decisions and actions extremely expensive. It is an insurance policy and I can fearlessly fight for our constitutional rights. As can the leadership team. I have attached the applicable sections for your information and hopefully use. The lowest level of behavior we accept is the highest we can expect and require. This issue will continue unless we fight for every millimeter. Anything that we lose will be gone. Good luck my friends, Lance Werner Executive Director Kent District Library
This is so helpful. This is something I have started exploring as an option for my employment contract as well and didn't know where to start. Thank you for helping us all! I will not let a single person or group steal my joy at having one of the best jobs in the world and I intend to go down swinging. I can clearly see that the next effort here after book banning attempts have been shot down by my current board will be long term efforts to change the makeup of my board. Amy Churchill Library Director Lapeer District Library "Where your story begins" 201 Village West Dr South Lapeer, MI 48446 achurchill@lib.lapeer.org library.lapeer.org 810.664.9521 ext 3113 On Mon, Mar 6, 2023 at 11:33 AM Lance Werner via Michlib-l < michlib-l@mcls.org> wrote:
Good morning!
We have been dealing with a tidal wave of book challenges. I have held off efforts (through my political connections) to place book banning advocates on the Kent District Library (KDL) Board of Trustees. Unfortunately, I am sure it is only a matter of time before we have book banning advocates on our board. I have been training everyone internally and throughout Michigan on effectively addressing book bans. I have a leg up. I am an attorney with a special emphasis on library law.
One of my goals is to do everything that I can to hinder book banning efforts throughout the state. It is the most important work of my career. As a means to that end, it occurred to me that bad behavior requires stiff consequences. I am in favor of hitting the opposition in the pocket book. I theorize that many of the book banning advocates are also on the cheap side. In fact, it has been my experience in West Michigan that cheap trumps (no pun intended) bigotry. So I have modified, and more importantly the KDL Board has modified, my employment contract.
My contract now says that if I should get fired for refusing to comply with an unconstitutional book banning request or anything else that is unconstitutional, I will receive treble severance. It will amount to four years of severance to be paid out in a lump sum. It will also create negative media for the book banning advocates and will draw attention to the issue. It is meant as a deterrent. I have the same employment clauses in place for the entire leadership team. Our collection development and programming departments are protected by the union.
The idea is to make bad decisions and actions extremely expensive. It is an insurance policy and I can fearlessly fight for our constitutional rights. As can the leadership team.
I have attached the applicable sections for your information and hopefully use. The lowest level of behavior we accept is the highest we can expect and require. This issue will continue unless we fight for every millimeter. Anything that we lose will be gone.
Good luck my friends,
Lance Werner
Executive Director
Kent District Library
_______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@mcls.org https://mail3.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
Please Note: MidMichigan Health is now MyMichigan Health. Email will be sent from @https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fmymichigan.org&c=E,1,IZngfmez4Q83nWg2ef6scLBayQpdNjACyr69Qu92aON5PFUDbdDLUGcm9li1CYLCtA72Q94lpYZsbjhSKV83ZR6obfAT3z8n0SSreXs_FvOy&typo=1 Please update your inbox rules to ensure deliverability. I'd like to echo Lance's concerns and I'd like to add that librarians who live somewhere where they are not working should think about trying to get on the library board of their town. More librarians in local politics please. Kristin LaLonde, MLIS, AHIP Health Sciences Library Manager MyMichigan Health 4005 Orchard Drive Midland, Michigan 48670 Phone (Midland) (989) 839-3262 Phone (Gratiot) (989) 466-7047 kristin.lalonde@mymichigan.org<mailto:kristin.lalonde@mymichigan.org> [qtlxzfzf] From: Michlib-l [mailto:michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org] On Behalf Of Lance Werner via Michlib-l Sent: Monday, March 06, 2023 11:32 AM To: michlib-l@mcls.org Subject: [Michlib-l] Book banning and employment contracts ! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Please contact the IT Service Center if you are unsure. Good morning! We have been dealing with a tidal wave of book challenges. I have held off efforts (through my political connections) to place book banning advocates on the Kent District Library (KDL) Board of Trustees. Unfortunately, I am sure it is only a matter of time before we have book banning advocates on our board. I have been training everyone internally and throughout Michigan on effectively addressing book bans. I have a leg up. I am an attorney with a special emphasis on library law. One of my goals is to do everything that I can to hinder book banning efforts throughout the state. It is the most important work of my career. As a means to that end, it occurred to me that bad behavior requires stiff consequences. I am in favor of hitting the opposition in the pocket book. I theorize that many of the book banning advocates are also on the cheap side. In fact, it has been my experience in West Michigan that cheap trumps (no pun intended) bigotry. So I have modified, and more importantly the KDL Board has modified, my employment contract. My contract now says that if I should get fired for refusing to comply with an unconstitutional book banning request or anything else that is unconstitutional, I will receive treble severance. It will amount to four years of severance to be paid out in a lump sum. It will also create negative media for the book banning advocates and will draw attention to the issue. It is meant as a deterrent. I have the same employment clauses in place for the entire leadership team. Our collection development and programming departments are protected by the union. The idea is to make bad decisions and actions extremely expensive. It is an insurance policy and I can fearlessly fight for our constitutional rights. As can the leadership team. I have attached the applicable sections for your information and hopefully use. The lowest level of behavior we accept is the highest we can expect and require. This issue will continue unless we fight for every millimeter. Anything that we lose will be gone. Good luck my friends, Lance Werner Executive Director Kent District Library Please note that this email message and any attachments may contain privileged and confidential information that is protected against use or disclosure under federal and state law. The information is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the intended recipient. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or the employee or agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this information in error and that any review, dissemination, distribution, copying or action taken in reliance on the contents of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please advise by immediate reply.
Great point!!! From: Kristin.LaLonde@mymichigan.org <Kristin.LaLonde@mymichigan.org> Sent: Monday, March 6, 2023 11:43 AM To: Lance Werner <LWerner@kdl.org> Cc: michlib-l@mcls.org Subject: RE: Book banning and employment contracts Please Note: MidMichigan Health is now MyMichigan Health. Email will be sent from @https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fmymichigan.org&c=E,1,xFnqkIrJY92lB6L9Ysy94pv0iIIDoKQaaOOgPhsOv5necYvQEzzA219INNPOzT5N9BT_biQyOUwUjORxA_X0EJbMMe1-ZBHPn7CwV1WFnVN7uN0OBMOOjvHxR5Pj&typo=1<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fmymichigan.org&c=E,1,AAQczTEx10Bfeohp3kG6bceZOuWyOaGiU4F2W1H2d7M7vdfNjd5VLm9yaFySHJHeXATgpdY1WXfL_ZKpZZP-vWpHjgDDrp3rPKART_1llWnJkwOJ&typo=1&ancr_add=1> Please update your inbox rules to ensure deliverability. I'd like to echo Lance's concerns and I'd like to add that librarians who live somewhere where they are not working should think about trying to get on the library board of their town. More librarians in local politics please. Kristin LaLonde, MLIS, AHIP Health Sciences Library Manager MyMichigan Health 4005 Orchard Drive Midland, Michigan 48670 Phone (Midland) (989) 839-3262 Phone (Gratiot) (989) 466-7047 kristin.lalonde@mymichigan.org<mailto:kristin.lalonde@mymichigan.org> [qtlxzfzf] From: Michlib-l [mailto:michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org] On Behalf Of Lance Werner via Michlib-l Sent: Monday, March 06, 2023 11:32 AM To: michlib-l@mcls.org<mailto:michlib-l@mcls.org> Subject: [Michlib-l] Book banning and employment contracts ! CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Please contact the IT Service Center if you are unsure. Good morning! We have been dealing with a tidal wave of book challenges. I have held off efforts (through my political connections) to place book banning advocates on the Kent District Library (KDL) Board of Trustees. Unfortunately, I am sure it is only a matter of time before we have book banning advocates on our board. I have been training everyone internally and throughout Michigan on effectively addressing book bans. I have a leg up. I am an attorney with a special emphasis on library law. One of my goals is to do everything that I can to hinder book banning efforts throughout the state. It is the most important work of my career. As a means to that end, it occurred to me that bad behavior requires stiff consequences. I am in favor of hitting the opposition in the pocket book. I theorize that many of the book banning advocates are also on the cheap side. In fact, it has been my experience in West Michigan that cheap trumps (no pun intended) bigotry. So I have modified, and more importantly the KDL Board has modified, my employment contract. My contract now says that if I should get fired for refusing to comply with an unconstitutional book banning request or anything else that is unconstitutional, I will receive treble severance. It will amount to four years of severance to be paid out in a lump sum. It will also create negative media for the book banning advocates and will draw attention to the issue. It is meant as a deterrent. I have the same employment clauses in place for the entire leadership team. Our collection development and programming departments are protected by the union. The idea is to make bad decisions and actions extremely expensive. It is an insurance policy and I can fearlessly fight for our constitutional rights. As can the leadership team. I have attached the applicable sections for your information and hopefully use. The lowest level of behavior we accept is the highest we can expect and require. This issue will continue unless we fight for every millimeter. Anything that we lose will be gone. Good luck my friends, Lance Werner Executive Director Kent District Library Please note that this email message and any attachments may contain privileged and confidential information that is protected against use or disclosure under federal and state law. The information is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the intended recipient. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or the employee or agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this information in error and that any review, dissemination, distribution, copying or action taken in reliance on the contents of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please advise by immediate reply.
participants (3)
-
Amy Churchill -
Kristin.LaLonde＠mymichigan.org -
Lance Werner