Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, facing an expected $67 million budget deficit next year, yesterday proposed an 8.5 percent cut in the budget for the Seattle Public Library (SPL), to $50.2 million. He would preserve all service hours by consolidating management of branches and downgrading eight branches to "circulating" libraries.
The 26 branch libraries are currently overseen by three regional managers and 13 sets of branch manager and assistant manager pairs, each supervising two branches. Next year, that branch manager classification will be eliminated. Instead, with the addition of three regional managers, six regional managers would each oversee four or five branches. Six additional assistant managers would be added.
No layoffs were mentioned, though presumably staff will see their jobs reassigned and positions may be lost through attrition or (if implemented) buyouts.
Also, SPL would convert eight small, low-utilization branches into "circulating" branches, offering collections, holds-pickup, and computer access. However, access to specialized reference or collection services would be provided online or by telephone access to staff at the Central Library. Programming would be provided by librarians from other branches and would be primarily focused on youth.
Furlough continues, collections cut The one-week furlough and closure, held the week before Labor Day, will continue for the third straight year.
Also, McGinn would cut SPL's collection budget by $700,000, leaving $5 million, but said private donations could make up the difference.
Also, SPL, which last year increased fees and fines, would hike the daily fine rate by an unspecified amount on a variety of materials, and would increase printing fees.
The library also would authorize its collection agency to send fine notices to parents of juveniles under the age of 13 who owe fines. All told, the city projects that these measures would generate $650,000 in revenue.
Reader Comments (9)
Maybe Susan Hildreth should call up LSSI for some assistance
in cutting the budget.
Posted by Vanessa on September 28, 2010 03:20:44PM
Thanks for that valuable input Vanessa.
Here is the link to the press release for proposed fines and fees increases: http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=about_news_detail&cid=1280167768968
There will be layoffs. At least 6 librarian positions and possibly a couple of assistants, plus lots of "bumping".
Posted by srsly on September 28, 2010 03:19:59PM
We do expect layoffs, as a number of librarian positions have also been eliminated to allow for the new 'circulation branches,' many of which reside in more diverse communities where the focus has tended to be less on materials circ and more on services to the specials needs underserved patrons.
It should also be mentioned that the branch managers in questions are all librarians as well, and all front line public service staff; these are not middle management reductions - so the lion's share of cuts are to public service staff with library degrees, in favor of non-degreed positions making about 80% (not that much less) of the librarian salary.
I refer you to Rory Litwin's thoughtful article on the deprofessionalization of libraries:
http://www.libraryjuicepress.com/docs/deprofessionalization.pdf
Posted by David W on September 28, 2010 05:26:36PM
Vanessa, hopefully you were jokingly referencing this other article? Looks like Susan already has some history there: http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/887000-264/lssi_controversy_still_brewing_in.html.csp
Posted by srsly on September 28, 2010 03:39:52PM
Indeed I was David.
But in all seriousness I hope that the Seattle librarians
and library staff are treated with far greater dignity and
consideration than LSSI treats the staff of the libraries
they manage:
Quote from the head of LSSI (endorsed by Ms. Hildreth in the
aforementioned article):
“A lot of libraries are atrocious,” Mr. Pezzanite said.
“Their policies are all about job security. 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.”
New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/business/27libraries.html?
pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=eta1
Posted by Vanessa on September 28, 2010 07:59:59PM
All negative comments aside, one of the problems is that it is so true about all the classifications at the Seattle Public Library. So many people do not do the jobs they are paid for. As a library insider at SPL, I know people who do not do the work. And that is not at the librarian level. That is at the support staff level.
Posted by noone on September 29, 2010 12:41:43AM
Hello, Vanessa - I wasn't the one who questioned you - that was the comment below mine. You'll get no argument from me about LSSI and the privatization of the public sector. As for the emphasis on severely cutting public service staff in our branches, and absorbing these cuts in as quiet, painless and permanent a manner as possible, I feel it bodes ill for the long-term relevance of what libraries have to offer the citizens of Seattle.
Posted by David W on September 29, 2010 02:31:34AM
Sorry I misread your post David.
But I'd like to respond to noone: there are people in all industries who do not do the jobs they are paid for, I don't
think lazy, entitled employees are exclusive to only
libraries. In all cases it's best to weed those people out
of the organization. Period.
What troubles me is how people (particularly pompous
government officials) single out libraries as an easy target
for their negative comments about waste and entitlement-
which paves the way for companies like LSSI to take over and
devalue libraries even more.
In my opinion it's because we let these people get away with
devaluing our organizations because it's "women's work" and
not that important after all. In fact many of us within the
library perpetuate the same garbage about how staff is
unimportant and ineffective and all sitting around and
knitting or ordering head scarves on the interwebs instead
of helping patrons.
We all seem to shy away from fighting the good fight and
proclaiming our importance because librarians are nice
people and God forbid we sound negative or ruffle some
feathers.
We're in for the fight of our lives and it's time we
actually start fighting and stop giving legitimacy to the
forces who want to tear us apart.
Soapbox over.
Posted by Vanessa on September 29, 2010 11:26:34AM
"As a library insider at SPL, I know people who do not do the work. And that is not at the librarian level. That is at the support staff level."
What an awful, unprofessional generalization. And this, from a member of the professional, educated, degreed staff. Unfortunately, librarians can't see the writing on the wall. Their profession and indeed, the role of libraries, are changing dramatically in our rapidly evolving society, and they just can't let go of their formerly elite status.
As another SPL insider, I can tell you that what is happening is complex; it is a paradigm shift for many of us who’ve been in the library world whether we’ve been here a few years or many decades. The way the public access information and resources has changed and libraries (and librarians) need to adjust and adapt or fail. Blaming, whining and crying martyrdom won’t help anyone and, in fact, turns away many staunch library supporters.
Don’t blame the end of the world on the library administrators or the “lowly” support staff and instead try to think of ways to adapt in this changing environment to help libraries succeed instead of just trying to save your paycheck.
Posted by Jennifer on September 29, 2010 03:11:02PM
