Bad News From The Wausau Daily Herald – Wausau,WI, where a move that the Marathon County Public Library director considers a step toward the future has librarians concerned about the quality of library services, as well as their own pay and work environment. The Marathon County Public Library Board of Trustees voted Monday to eliminate the library’s four “librarian 1” positions, one of them vacant, in favor of creating three customer service librarian positions and one lead customer service librarian spot. The three librarians whose jobs the board cut will be offered the customer service librarian positions, which pay about $10,000 less annually.
The reorganization also aims to meet the ever-changing needs of customers, she said. Librarians today do less complex work, she said — calling for pay adjustments and more technological assistance.
“We’re really becoming a community center,” she said. “Our public has different requirements of us.”
libraries change as director smokes crack
“We’re really becoming a community center,” she said. “Our public has different requirements of us.”
will soon turn into:
“We’re really becoming a playground,” she said. “Our public has different requirements of us.”
then:
“We’re really becoming a gladitorial arena,” she said. “Our public has different requirements of us.”
then:
“Holy crap! This whole place is on fire! Who could have foreseen this?”
If your library is becoming a community center, then that’s your creation: don’t blame the public like you have no control. If you see your library as a food kitchen or free needle dispensory, then that’s your vision, “director.” Tell me how soon you take a pay cut for being a community center manager.
This is the truth. I
This is the truth. I should’ve taken more training in arts and crafts and early childhood development.
Most adults who come into this library are looking for internet access or just want to read the latest fiction bestseller. And I thought I could offer intellectual enrichment for those devoted to “lifelong learning”!
John Berry was foretelling this in his essay
I was puzzled when Berry’s Library Journal essay seemed to be universally disparaged. I find the early stages of the disintegration of the profession visible, and this is the creeping (creepy?) beginning of it.
La lutta continua
More neoliberal wage-busting, deprofessionalization.
“The reorganization also aims to meet the ever-changing needs of customers, she said.”
Bullshit and handwaving, a total non sequitur.
” Librarians today do less complex work, she said — calling for pay adjustments and more technological assistance”
Translation: Everything’s on Google anyway, so whadda we payin’ these bums for anyhow? Let’s slash their wages and benefits and get more computers…they ougtta be grateful we don’t sack the lot of them. Nobody friggin’ reads books anyhow–these loafers should get wise and get a “real” job.