LibraryDefense sends this link to Providence Public Library Defense. “At the end of May 2004, the library workers at the Providence Public Library were told that 60 of them (including 40% of the Central library and 10-15 people in the branches) would be fired in the coming months. The entire custodial staff, all unionized with the recently independent USAW-RI, was being fired as well.The staff of the Providence Public Library as well as the patrons and people of Providence have many questions about the current situation and are demanding a public, open meeting with the administration. The administration, as of July 1, 2004, refuses to do so.”
LibraryDefense sends this link to Providence Public Library Defense. “At the end of May 2004, the library workers at the Providence Public Library were told that 60 of them (including 40% of the Central library and 10-15 people in the branches) would be fired in the coming months. The entire custodial staff, all unionized with the recently independent USAW-RI, was being fired as well.The staff of the Providence Public Library as well as the patrons and people of Providence have many questions about the current situation and are demanding a public, open meeting with the administration. The administration, as of July 1, 2004, refuses to do so.”Some library workers have used their names in several interviews to the press, some have chosen to fight for their jobs in secret (the library underground), some are fearful (for all kinds of reasons), some just don’t care about anything but themselves, some have just given up in despair or apathy. A group of these library workers who choose to fight have created a new public web site to act as their public information portal. You can sign a petition online, find contact information for who to pressure in your own diverse way, read the latest in the media about the issues, and find all sorts of good information.
providence public library – statement
During the week of May 24th, the administration of the Providence Public Library announced to the staff that because of financial trouble they would be forced to lay off over 60 people. This would include the entire unionized custodial staff whose jobs would be outsourced to non-union labor. Forty more would be cut from Central and 10-15 from the branches. As well as this enormous cut in library staff, the administration announced that the Central library would undergo both a physical renovation and a “redefinition of services� towards a “popular library.�
The Library administration claims that the City and State are to blame for these drastic changes. While it is true that the Library has been level funded for the 5th year in a row, and while it is true that times are tough for all non-profits everywhere, we do not believe that these mass layoffs (40% of the Central Staff!) and major restructuring plans are the fault of dwindling public money. We believe the fault lies with the administration of the Providence Public Library. We don’t believe that the changes will be “fabulous for the people downtown� (Providence Journal 6/12/04) as Mary Olenn, chairwoman-elect of the library board of trustees seems to believe. We believe the changes will be devastating to the quality of service and to the integrity of the collection.
The major plan of reorganizing the Central library has been in the works for at least since the fall. This is documented on the State’s Office of Library and Information Services web site (LORI). It’s possible that it has been longer. During the 2000-2001 fiscal year the library hired Synthesis Partnership as consultants (documented on PPL’s 990 IRS form). PPL remains a Case Study on their website which shows the Central re-organization plan. For the library administration to announce to the staff (and imply to the public) that these changes are the last ditch attempt after careful examination of all other options is disingenuous.
The administration’s initial claim was that this restructuring was a necessary, sudden, ‘only option left’ decision. Since this is obviously not the case, the administration fall back argument may be that this premeditated restructuring was decided upon in order to deal with level funding of public money. If this is true, then it seems wrong that Dale Thompson, Director of Providence Public Library, has taken 12% pay raises for several of these “level� years. Maureen Sheridan, and other administrators have also taken large raises [see below]. PPL keeps repeating that we must now live within our means, but how is having a Director who makes more than the Mayor or the Governor living within our means?
The issue of level funding, although certainly troubling, seems to us a red herring. The Providence Public Library is not technically a “Public� library. It is a private non-profit corporation run by a board of Trustees. This board chooses the Director and sets policy. The staff at PPL was told that although public money wasn’t there, the “good news� was that millions of dollars of private money was still rolling in. This isn’t good news for the 40% of the Central staff being laid-off. The administration claims that private money is raised for renovations and programs but not for operations? Well why not? If PPL is a private non-profit, shouldn’t it be able to raise private money to keep itself running? Shouldn’t it at least try?
The announced firing of the entire unionized custodial staff is also quite troubling. They are organized with the United Service and Allied Workers of Rhode Island. Unlike the rest of the staff whom they’ve left unsure of their employment fate (they haven’t announced who will be laid-off, and may not for a month or two), PPL came right out and told the custodians they were being outsourced. This is an obvious case of Union Busting!
So what exactly is the Providence Public Library up to? We are not sure, but something stinks. Top-heavy administrators taking huge pay raises while complaining of tight payroll budgets (asking staff to take voluntary furloughs) and level funding. “Out of the blue� restructuring plans that leave a gutted central library in this Renaissance City. The obvious breaking up of the only unionized staff at the library. New self-checkout machines at the Rochambeau branch. Massive million dollar renovations planned for Knight Memorial and Central (isn’t money stilled owed on Rochambeau’s renovations?). And in all of this, who answers the questions to the press, who is put out there to defend the library’s decisions? Is it Dale Thompson, our chief librarian and leader? No, it’s the Director of Institutional Advancement, the one in charge of raising all the private money. Where is Dale? What is going on? And the Trustees? Where are they? They are ultimately responsible for the director and direction of the library. In the end, it is not only the workers of the Providence Public Library who are being wronged; it is the city of Providence and every patron young and old who loves their Library!
This statement was prepared by a group of library workers who really love their jobs, their co-workers’ jobs, and the Providence Public Library. We are however extremely upset with the current administration. We are remaining anonymous because we fear for our jobs. Already some of our co-workers may in jeopardy for speaking openly about how they feel. PPL has given us a question and answer sheet for when the public asks about the situation. Any deviation from what they call “the only authorized communication� is not permitted. PPL, like all libraries, is considered a defender of Free Speech. Apparently not if you work here.
For further information, elaborations, statistics, leads, or questions, please contact: [email protected]
Providence Public Library’s past IRS 990 forms:
http://www.guidestar.org
to log on use email: [email protected]
password: harrypotter
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Top Administrators Salaries at Providence Public Library
According to Federal Tax Form 990
Information obtained at guidestar.org
Note: We are not certain what current salaries are because they are not public information yet. For all we know they are 10-12% more.
2002:
Dale Thompson, Director: 136,957
Dan Austin, Asst. Dir.: 91,037
Peter Bennett, Asst Dir: 88,068
Kathyellen Bullard, Dir. Develop: 74,566
Maureen Sheridan, Asst. Dir. 101,824
2001:
Dale Thompson, Director: 121,230
Dan Austin, Asst. Dir.: 84,709
Peter Bennett, Asst Dir: 81,950
Kathyellen Bullard, Dir. Develop: 72,538
Maureen Sheridan, Asst. Dir. 92, 286
2000:
Dale Thompson, Director: 108,508
Dan Austin, Asst. Dir.: 74,377
Peter Bennett, Asst Dir: 72,377
Kathyellen Bullard, Dir. Develop: 66,051
Shirley Long, Asst. Dir: 65,327
1999:
Dale Thompson, Director: 113,509
Dan Austin, Asst. Dir.: 74,093
Peter Bennett, Asst Dir: 74,093
Shirley Long, Asst. Dir: 66,989
Patricia Birkes, Dir. Develop: 72,051
1998:
Dale Thompson, Director: 99,962
Dan Austin, Asst. Dir.: 67,455
Peter Bennett, Asst Dir: 67,460
Shirley Long, Asst. Dir: 62,959
Patricia Birkes, Dir. Develop: 60,897
Counterintuitive library workers._ requirement.html
Library worrkers should be using state and local public records FOI freedom of information laws and open meeting sunshine laws to get access to public information about their respective institutions
http://blog.librarylaw.com/librarylaw/2004/05/mls
Re:providence public library – statement
I have no trouble with Union busting when its necessary, would have been interesting to see the custodians salaries as well as the Directors. I always got a kick out of the fact that in my previous job I made less then the town dog catcher.
That said, if a budget’s been level funded for 5 years running then a Director’s salary shouldn’t be increasing by close to $40,000 during the same time period. This guy’s going to go through PR Hell and he’ll deserve it.