QUESTION
What challenges are public libraries facing due to budget cuts and staff shortages?
0:47:30
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138 sec
Dennis Walcott explains that public libraries have stopped hiring due to budget uncertainty.
- Libraries are already behind in staffing and operations even if budgets are restored
- The hiring process to fill vacancies will stretch resources thin for some time
- Libraries must manage staffing gaps from retirements and resignations
- Staff has to be moved extensively to cover service gaps and keep the system running
Justin Brannan
0:47:30
And just another thing in terms of headcount, were there any changes since the pecs?
Linda Johnson
0:47:39
Well, we've been obviously slowed higher because of what we're anticipating.
0:47:43
I don't know
Justin Brannan
0:47:45
if I don't
Linda Johnson
0:47:47
I don't know if the exact number is sent.
Dennis Walcott
0:47:48
Okay.
0:47:49
I mean, we the bottom line is that we've basically have stopped hiring.
0:47:55
And so while it's not a hard freeze, we have a really sore freeze.
0:48:00
We formed an internal committee.
0:48:02
That looks at priority hires that we need to put in place, but we're, as I indicated earlier, down 200.
Justin Brannan
0:48:07
And that's just due to the uncertainty.
Dennis Walcott
0:48:09
It's due to oh, yeah.
0:48:10
And and then just if I may, picking up on Tony's point from earlier, that carries forward obviously into the new fiscal year.
0:48:18
So even if the money is restored, we're behind already because we don't have the positions there, the live are not going to open as a result of not happening those positions.
0:48:28
We have to post.
0:48:29
We have to go through the interviewing process.
0:48:31
So even with restoration, we're gonna be stretched even thinner for a period of time.
0:48:36
And so that's the challenges, I think.
0:48:37
And then, again, as I indicated in one other discussion point, we really have to deal with moving staff from point to point to point to point to cover that.
0:48:46
And then you have people who are retiring as well as people who just decide to leave.
0:48:50
So, I mean, those are all the vacancies that we have to manage to make sure the system is running.
Tony Marx
0:48:56
My colleagues have covered it.
0:48:58
I'll just add that because we have because of the research library being mostly supported by private dollars, funding endowment, etcetera.
0:49:10
We face the challenges in that arena as well, because the city funding is essential.
0:49:17
Yeah.
0:49:17
And we can't You know, we simply can't deliver with this level of uncertainty.
0:49:26
We're not hiring.
0:49:28
When we do get restored, If it's not baseline, are we being responsible in hiring at that point?
0:49:36
Alright?
0:49:37
How do we attract the best talent the sorts of folks sitting behind me under those kinds of uncertain circumstances.
0:49:46
It's really quite un it's quite unthinkable.
