This morning I had decided to return to my blog of a couple of years ago, that dealt with the tragedies of the workplace. I am dealing with the tragedy of my workplace, a library. I realized today that I can no longer say, "I hate work, but I love my job", or other such nonsense. I would love my job if I was empowered to do the best I can do. I once felt that, in spite of the ridiculous obstacles inflicted by bureaucracy, and regardless of draconian budget cutting problems, I could make a difference. Today I went to work feeling overwhelmed and defeated. I decided that I needed to accept the fact that my little library would continue to decline, and I was beginning to do myself harm by continuing to try to prevent the damage.
Today books are being taken off the shelves and deleted from our inventory by virtue of a directorial dictate. It is a dictate, I believe, I hope, that is being addressed with some flexibility in branches with managers who actually care about their collections and the needs of their communities.
I have guarded our collection for as long as I have worked there, and for the most part, I have been left alone to do so. I have brought to the task, not a Library Science degree, but more knowledge and understanding of libraries and books than an MLS could ever provide.
No one asks for my input, in fact, I usually learn about changes, new policies and such by accident. And now I am helpless when books that should stay on our shelves are removed. And it is so painful.
And when I came home and was faced with continuing my old blog, and getting serious about issues dealing with jobs, I couldn't do it. I'm not ready yet. But I will.
Showing posts with label Libraries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Libraries. Show all posts
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Library Confidential
A short break from the election campaign to another kind of campaign: the fight to save our libraries.
Everyone knows that libraries "weed" books. A growing library needs to make room for newer books, and weeds out those that don't circulate. We are fortunate at our library that as of a couple of years ago, instead of throwing the weeds out in the trash, we began to recycle them by sending them on to the Friends of the Library to be sold at book sales. Book goes to a good home, people get to buy affordable books, there's room on the shelves at the library for more growth, everybody's happy.
Except now, suppose there is a new director, from another part of the world, who has come in with the attitude that he is going to get us into shape. So many issues, so little time. So I will focus on the most recent, and, something we can do something about.
I don't know if the term "dusty bookshelf" is a common library expression, and for once, neither Google nor wikipedia would help. But at our library, every couple of years a list was generated, of books that had not circulated for five years or more. At the branch manager's discretion, they would be "weeded" out of the collection. Not a terrible plan.
But now we are given a "dusty bookshelf" list of books that have not circulated in TWO years (talked up from one!), and told to weed.
The books that people like me have left on the shelf without circulating for more than two years, first of all, are few and far between -- we need the space -- but when left, are left because they have some kind of value: a classic that does circulate, but rarely, an author that has some value.
So what can you do about this? Check it out!!! If you see a book that you think has value but may be getting old, or you are afraid that it just may not be getting out and about as often as it should be, check it out! You can return it next time you come in, you can even drop it in the book drop on your way out. The important thing is to keep the important books circulating.
We may not be able do to anything about this year's purge, but we can take preventable measures for the future.
These crazy times call for crazy solutions, yes?
Everyone knows that libraries "weed" books. A growing library needs to make room for newer books, and weeds out those that don't circulate. We are fortunate at our library that as of a couple of years ago, instead of throwing the weeds out in the trash, we began to recycle them by sending them on to the Friends of the Library to be sold at book sales. Book goes to a good home, people get to buy affordable books, there's room on the shelves at the library for more growth, everybody's happy.
Except now, suppose there is a new director, from another part of the world, who has come in with the attitude that he is going to get us into shape. So many issues, so little time. So I will focus on the most recent, and, something we can do something about.
I don't know if the term "dusty bookshelf" is a common library expression, and for once, neither Google nor wikipedia would help. But at our library, every couple of years a list was generated, of books that had not circulated for five years or more. At the branch manager's discretion, they would be "weeded" out of the collection. Not a terrible plan.
But now we are given a "dusty bookshelf" list of books that have not circulated in TWO years (talked up from one!), and told to weed.
The books that people like me have left on the shelf without circulating for more than two years, first of all, are few and far between -- we need the space -- but when left, are left because they have some kind of value: a classic that does circulate, but rarely, an author that has some value.
So what can you do about this? Check it out!!! If you see a book that you think has value but may be getting old, or you are afraid that it just may not be getting out and about as often as it should be, check it out! You can return it next time you come in, you can even drop it in the book drop on your way out. The important thing is to keep the important books circulating.
We may not be able do to anything about this year's purge, but we can take preventable measures for the future.
These crazy times call for crazy solutions, yes?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The 21st Century Library
Let's go local today, really local. Suppose you had a county library, where the branch libraries had been expanding, so that it has both the benefits of a county library system, and each branch also truly serves the community. Hard to believe around here, but it actually had happened.
Staff was paid well below the norm, especially in the non-reference positions, where in several of the branches the clerical staff was expected to take on reference duties with no increase of salary. Pages were paid less than they would have gotten at a fast food job. But most of the people who worked there LOVED libraries and that made it worth the financial sacrifice.
But that lovely library system suffered the financial catastrophe caused when the middle and lower class experience a serious economic downturn and the wealthy refuse to step up and contribute to the cost of government. State and local governments, in the pocket of the wealthy, continue to cut funding of government services, and staff is drastically cut through an interminable hiring freeze. The book budget is cut, some programs suffer, and library hours are trimmed.
Now we are Under New Management, and of course he has terrific credentials, and lots of wonderful ideas. For example, instead of having a book budget of 60% adult and 30% children, we reverse it! And we phase out material being "owned" by individual branches, so that items stay at whatever branch they get returned to, until they are requested at another branch, or returned to another branch, so that we have one big happy library system, and less so individual branches.
I know I don't like change much, so I ponder before I jump to conclusions. Here are the questions I have:
If you drastically change the distribution of adult/children's material, does that mean you increase the amount of children's materials, or decrease the amount of adult materials?
If most of the items go to the busiest branches, and stay there, how does that impact the communities?
I am concerned about making these incredible plans, while there is inadequate funding to continue to do well what's been done in the past.
The other concern I have can be broadened to the state and national levels, as each community suffers unemployment, and community services suffer due to drastic cuts in staff, and more people are unemployed and pay less taxes to the community, state and federal government....
Step one is providing the services you used to have, with the staff you need and at a living wage.
Focus on the smaller communities instead of trying to do more by getting bigger.
If your New Improved Director is having community meetings, you may want to go and ask him some of these questions, and more.
Save your library by speaking up. Libraries are NOT free. And in November, Vote for your Library.
Staff was paid well below the norm, especially in the non-reference positions, where in several of the branches the clerical staff was expected to take on reference duties with no increase of salary. Pages were paid less than they would have gotten at a fast food job. But most of the people who worked there LOVED libraries and that made it worth the financial sacrifice.
But that lovely library system suffered the financial catastrophe caused when the middle and lower class experience a serious economic downturn and the wealthy refuse to step up and contribute to the cost of government. State and local governments, in the pocket of the wealthy, continue to cut funding of government services, and staff is drastically cut through an interminable hiring freeze. The book budget is cut, some programs suffer, and library hours are trimmed.
Now we are Under New Management, and of course he has terrific credentials, and lots of wonderful ideas. For example, instead of having a book budget of 60% adult and 30% children, we reverse it! And we phase out material being "owned" by individual branches, so that items stay at whatever branch they get returned to, until they are requested at another branch, or returned to another branch, so that we have one big happy library system, and less so individual branches.
I know I don't like change much, so I ponder before I jump to conclusions. Here are the questions I have:
If you drastically change the distribution of adult/children's material, does that mean you increase the amount of children's materials, or decrease the amount of adult materials?
If most of the items go to the busiest branches, and stay there, how does that impact the communities?
I am concerned about making these incredible plans, while there is inadequate funding to continue to do well what's been done in the past.
The other concern I have can be broadened to the state and national levels, as each community suffers unemployment, and community services suffer due to drastic cuts in staff, and more people are unemployed and pay less taxes to the community, state and federal government....
Step one is providing the services you used to have, with the staff you need and at a living wage.
Focus on the smaller communities instead of trying to do more by getting bigger.
If your New Improved Director is having community meetings, you may want to go and ask him some of these questions, and more.
Save your library by speaking up. Libraries are NOT free. And in November, Vote for your Library.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)