It’s back from the brink for the Brooklyn Public Library.
The Brooklyn Eagle reports that a scheduled 20% reduction in the library’s overall budget of $100 million has been reversed. If implemented, it would have translated into lay-offs of approximately 175 staff members as well as a drastic reduction in hours.
Federal stimulus funds and a city sales tax increase helped free up money in the $59.4 billion budget to fund the libraries.
Brooklyn Public Library Layoffs
This is most curious. On June 16 budgets were restored and layoffs averted. BUT on July 7 BPL laid off a series of people. The number of layoffs has not been made public yet (it is assumed that the number is between 10 and 20 in addition to early retirements), the people though are gone. Some of them with over 20 years of service at the library. It appears that from the three systems New York Public, Queens Public and Brooklyn, only Brooklyn saw it necessary to take such drastic steps. Why they thought such steps necessary is more then unclear. Ironically they have a thank-you-note on their web site, thanking people for their great recent support. They were asking for support to help avert budget cuts to avoid cuts in public hours AND layoffs. Thank you BPL for being so straight with.
Not…
Check those facts out with NYPL again…
BPL layoffs
You are right, it turns out NYPL used this economy too to purch their staff, but BPL for once was faster and oh so much juicier. Check out the 5 O Clock Club article in The Washington Post on Aug 8
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/08/AR2009080802659_pf.html
Even if the previous comment
Even if the previous comment about New York Public Library and Queens Public Library not laying off staff is incorrect, Brooklyn Public Library did indeed lay off staff – most of whom had ten years or more of service – and is trying to keep it a secret. Shame on them. They received a restoration of a portion of City funds which meant a REDUCTION in the number of projected layoffs but it did not PREVENT all job losses. It’s questionable whether all of those job reductions were really due to budget cuts and the economic climate. They no longer have a receptionist on their third floor outside their personnel office. How could that be a non-essential position?