TESTIMONY
John Hyslop, President of the Queens Library Guild Local 1321, on Staffing Shortages Impacting Library Services and Facilities at Queens Library
3:52:22
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133 sec
Hyslop presents testimonies from Queens Library staff highlighting the effects of inadequate staffing on library operations and services.
- Due to limited staff, libraries struggle to cover reference desks, programs like story time for children often get canceled, and scheduling becomes a constant juggling act
- Meeting spaces cannot be fully utilized by community groups and agencies when there is not enough staff to monitor the spaces
- Custodial staff being spread thin across branches leads to delayed maintenance, compromised cleanliness, and less than optimal sanitary conditions
- Some libraries have no dedicated custodians at all, just receiving bare minimum coverage
John Hyslop
3:52:22
Chair Brennan, Chair Rivera and fellow council members.
3:52:26
These are the following testimonies of Queen's library staff on their every everyday issues confronting them and their colleagues.
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Quote, the lack of adequate staffing affects services at my small but busy library.
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Currently, we only have 2 librarians, an assistant manager, and a chills veteran.
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In my position as assistant manager, I am responsible for all the administrative work such as schedules, time cards, coverage requests, and monthly reports while also providing customer service at the reference desk.
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This divided tension means constant interrupt with management part of my job leading to mistakes and having to redo the work.
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The need for days off, vacations, sick days, etcetera, leads to the programs being canceled.
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For example, story time in one particular week was canceled because the children's librarian was off to work on Saturday.
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The children and their caregiver were caregivers were extremely disappointed.
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1 of the caregivers had asked if I could do this story time, but I was the only librarian in the building, so that was not a possibility.
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The constant juggling of the schedules also means I'm always needing to ask for coverage, which disrupts the schedules of my location and the location sending coverage.
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Often the coverage is to make sure we have an adequate staff to cover programs and lunches.
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If we had adequate staff, we wouldn't need to be keep asking for coverage.
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End quote.
3:53:36
Quote.
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In every location, our meeting spaces are the price commodity of the community.
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Nonprofits and city agencies compete for bookings.
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However, a librarian is required to monitor the space while the live while the meeting is in session.
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Due to its skeletal staffing, Lebron's can barely cover the reference to Without sufficient staffing, agencies cannot book the space.
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End quote.
3:53:56
As a custodian, I will be called upon to cover another branch later in my shift.
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That means performing the same strenuous work of the 1st 4 hours of my day in a home branch, at another branch.
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And this task will be repeated on other days of the week.
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Other branch custodians feel the same feel the same strain too, as they also cannot fully provide the work that libraries truly need.
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Launton hedges may wait for a week or longer before they're trimmed.
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If a branch is in session and the patrons are around, mopping floors and cleaning carpets will have to wait for another day.
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Leading to less than optimal sanitary conditions.
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Some libraries have no custodians at all, just that just received the base of coverage.
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End quote.
3:54:34
Thank you.
