LA County library workers gathered at an emergency meeting this week to discuss and plan actions around LA County management’s intent to release library aides and pages as a means to mitigate budget shortfalls.
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The possible release of over 150 support staff has prompted deep concern amongst library workers.
“It’s not going to be good because a lot of the libraries are already understaffed,” says Cindy Singer, a Community Library Manager for Florence and Graham libraries.
“We need so many jobs done at the same time, we need the people that we have.”
For Grace Bernard, a children’s librarian at the Agora Hills Library, libraries provide vital services to the community in our tough economic climate and the need is increasing.
“The one important resource we have to get people back on their feet are the libraries…it would be a shame to lock doors and let staff go.”
Library workers are taking action to reduce the number of staff released in order to keep libraries functioning and available to our communities. For one, we are seeking alternative funding sources. Then through the contract negotiations process we will seek a path to permanency for aides and pages. We also visit the Board of Supervisors to present petitions and stories from our communities in hopes of convincing board members to rethink the allocation of library funding.
Although, county management has not proposed a practical process to staff reductions, part of their plan is to conduct surveys to reassess staff needs for each library and utilize a lottery system to select staff that will be released.
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