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Q&A
Critical vacant positions and hiring challenges in library systems
0:49:20
·
3 min
Council Member Justin Brannan inquires about the most critical vacant positions in the library systems and the obstacles to filling these vacancies. The library representatives discuss various staffing challenges and strategies.
- Children's librarians are identified as a critical need across the systems.
- Challenges include competition for the same pool of candidates among library systems and with neighboring counties.
- Budget uncertainty makes it difficult to plan for hiring and retention.
- Libraries are implementing strategies such as supporting employees in obtaining advanced degrees to fill librarian positions.
- The importance of budget stability for effective staffing and planning is emphasized by all representatives.
Justin Brannan
0:49:20
What are some of the most critical vacant positions for these three systems?
Dennis Walcott
0:49:30
Children's librarians.
0:49:33
Well, question.
0:49:34
And
Justin Brannan
0:49:35
Are there obstacles to filling vacancies like that and what are they?
Dennis Walcott
0:49:39
No.
0:49:39
It's just that we're starting in the hole.
0:49:42
And so basically and then in fairness to my colleagues, we're all competing for the same pool of people as well.
0:49:50
And then also competing with folks for me especially at Nassau and Suffolk.
0:49:54
So it's a constant making sure we're able to get people in.
0:49:59
But that's part of the challenge.
0:50:01
In addition to that, we have at Queen's in particular, a number of our people who have been there thirty and plus years and so we're seeing a number of retirements as well.
0:50:11
So you're balancing out with new hires coming in, some of the specific specialty areas, and those who are retiring.
0:50:18
And for this past year so far, we have had a net number of people coming in versus number of people leaving.
Linda Johnson
0:50:27
You know, in Brooklyn, we are always looking for librarians.
0:50:33
Right now, we also have a need for public safety officers, but the issue really is one of planning, and it gets to this problem of not being able to count on the budget year after year.
0:50:45
So you can't be expected to stop hiring because of a budget cut, for example, and then when the budget cut is restored, just flip a switch and be able to fill the vacancies.
0:50:58
It takes time to fill that pipeline.
0:51:00
One of the things we're doing in Brooklyn is actually supporting employees who have undergraduate degrees who are interested in getting a master's in library science so that they can in fact have upward mobility within the system and also fill vacancies that we have in the library and slots.
0:51:17
And now even going beyond that and looking at people who are close to getting an undergraduate degree, so enabling them to complete their undergraduate work so that they then can apply for the master's programs.
Anthony "Tony" Marx
0:51:30
My colleagues have answered eloquently.
0:51:32
I'll just add, you know, last year, for instance, when we saw the proposed budget cuts, it means we couldn't hire because we couldn't plan.
0:51:41
And just as one example, tragically, in, you know, the amazing neighborhoods of The Bronx, we were seeing that we didn't have the librarians, and then it we had a lag time in order to hire these great colleagues to, you know, to join our other great colleagues in in The Bronx and and elsewhere in our system.
0:52:00
You know, that that's it's just another example.
0:52:03
It's not
Lance Polivy
0:52:03
just
Anthony "Tony" Marx
0:52:03
funding.
0:52:04
It's the assurance going forward so that we can plan and continue to recruit.
0:52:10
We're competing with Westchester, with with with Long Island, with New Jersey.
0:52:16
We're happy to compete for the best folks, and we do have the best folks, but we need to know that we need the resources and we need to know that we have those resources so that we can keep hiring and not keep people waiting.
Dennis Walcott
0:52:29
And just to add one word, stability.
0:52:32
Stability allows us to plan.
0:52:33
Linda's talked about it.
0:52:34
Tony's talked about Stability is such a critical thing in planning your budget and not have to look over your shoulder to worry about a peg and then react to that which then demoralizes our folks as well.
0:52:47
And we have to be very conscious of that.
0:52:49
And in addition to the children's library, at least I'll speak for Queen's, we have a custodial need as well.
0:52:55
And hiring custodians is something that we're very conscious of to make sure folks are available to keep our libraries both clean and always being responsive in who they are.
0:53:06
They're fantastic folks but there's always a need for more.
Justin Brannan
0:53:10
Okay.
0:53:10
Last question for me.
0:53:11
I want to turn
UNKNOWN
0:53:12
it over to Chair Rivera.
0:53:13
I just want to