I'll watch this development with interest

....if not enthusiasm.

Nashville's Main Library

Link to November 21 LibraryJournal.com post, "Nashville Mayor Proposes Public Library Run School Libraries".

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean points to the following benefits:

• Consolidated procurement of materials and attendant cost savings
  
• Centralized collection development
  
• Combined check-out systems to increase efficiency
• Consolidated staff with ongoing staff training
  
• Private fundraising efforts for school libraries
• Improved school library space

Showing some resistance, the president of the school board suggests that the school board has the ultimate authority to move forward on this project. He calls the idea "exploratory".

Here's a very short article from the Nashville Tennessean, which includes the following quote from Mayor Dean: This is an opportunity to develop the best school library and public library system in the country, and our students and community deserve nothing less.

Hope he's true to his word.