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Public libraries fight private equity takeovers [1]

['Rob Beschizza']

Date: 2025-07-11

Political attacks on public libraries are often in the news, usually framed by the MAGA politics, homophobia or racism of those complaining. But what's not so often reported is the role of private equity companies, such as Library Systems & Services, in pushing this activism. They may be found lurking in the background, hoping to win contracts to operate libraries as efficiently as possible after the budgets are gutted and the shelves stripped. Lithub reports on Virginia's famed Samuels Public Library, the target of relentless right-wing activists whose disgust at the instution comes oddly attached to a efforts to hand control of it to LS&S.

LS&S is no stranger to provoking these community fights. Googling the company turns up a lot of articles and op-eds protesting local library takeovers, reports of lawsuits, and Reddit threads warning librarians to be wary of working for them. LS&S started in the '80s building software to manage catalogues, and won government contracts at federal agencies when Reagan pushed to privatize much of the federal government's operations.Today, they're owned by Evergreen Services Group, a private equity firm with a vast array of subsidiaries, many in government outsourcing and defense.

Here's a quote from Frank A. Pezzanite, co-founder of the company, explaining his position on libraries: "Somehow they have been put in the category of a sacred organization."

"That's why the profession is nervous about us. You can go to a library for 35 years and never have to do anything and then have your retirement. We're not running our company that way. You come to us, you're going to have to work."

Instead of being run by unionized librarians as a community service, which means bad people and bad books, libraries can instead be operated like chain restaurants, toy stores, and Sears. In the end the public loses everything, and who gets it all is none of your business.

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