Chicago Public Libraries Seek Support to Block Budget Cuts

Actually, the city council in New York has consistently reinstated funding for NYC libraries, we have 3 library systems and around 50 front line staff have been laid off, but we are all still open 5 days a week, and no libraries have closed. I hope your alderman can step up to the plate the way our City Council has.

Instead of a letter-writing campaign to ask for money that doesn't exist, why not work with City Hall to organize a library volunteer campaign? Libraries are a public good, and there are plenty of unemployed people who are doubtless looking for resume material and something worthwhile to do with their free time.

Or is giving back to the community too much to ask of the 99%?

because we do not need volunteers, we need paid professionals. do you know the library of congress classification system? i doubt it. thanks for a retarded suggestion!

Yes a society that relies on charity to staff its public needs.  Things were wonderful in the 19th century.  Moron.

Libraries aren't a public need. And I say that as a supporter of libraries -- the kind who volunteered at one when I was unemployed.

JayP123, speaking as a full time librarian, I think your idea has merit, and I don't think you're a moron.  Many of us got our starts volunteering, and many a volunteer has gotten a library through its rough times.

But the most obvious job to give to volunteers - that of cleaning up the library and shelving the books - still requires a sizable chunk of paid staff time to hire, train, and supervise the volunteer staff, which by its very nature can be undependable and is always very high turnover.  The biggest problem I have with volunteers is you spend 10 hours of time finding, hiring, and training them, and after giving, say, 40 hours of service, they're gone  - on to the next stage of their lives.  God bless 'em - and you - for helping out, but it's no way to manage 30% of your staff.

At some point, it's simply worth it to pay a dependable guy, who knows what he's doing, to stick around and keep this job.  That's what Chicago has now - part-timers who work for very little money and no benefits, but by paying them, they stay on for years, instead of merely months or just weeks.

For the other library jobs - all of which are on the line with this budget - you're looking at highly trained positions, with cash handling duties, access to private data, spending authority, a host of legal and ethical issues - in other words, full time professional jobs.

There are a whole host of reasons that the money we are asking for "doesn't exist."   But by and large, democratic majorities, when given the choice, choose to continue to pay for these services, because they create value through tremendous economies of scale.

The average Chicago taxpayer pays taxes to the tune of something like $30 towards the public library (let me admit outright, my numbers are fuzzy, I could be way off).  But even if it's $50, you can check out two books per year and still come out way ahead.  Many single working adults never even check out one book per year, and that's fine.  But other working people and working families depend on our services every day.  And everyone is relieved to have public libraries when they have their own kids, when they lose a job, or when they retire.

I admire your lateral thinking on this topic, and respect your opinion if you still want to chop library staff and hours.  But I don't think it's what most people want.  I don't think it would ever pass in a ballot measure, and I think these cuts were more or less hidden away in the fine print of a huge budget, only to be foisted on an unsuspecting public a couple of weeks before being voted upon.

So I say, shine a light on it.  Contact your alderman and say you SUPPORT the mayor's cuts (if you still do).... but pass this story on to 10 Chicago friends, and see what they think.  I am confident that public library services can bear such scrutiny.

Thank you!

i understand cuts need to be made but to have the majority of the budget cuts-  363 library staff laid off out of 517 is ridiculous. this would force the library to close branches since they are already running with major staff shortages right now. CPL comprises a small percentage of the entire city of chicago government and is being asked to take a large majority of the cuts.

In 2010 CPL laid off over 100 pages, the people who take books out of the book drops, process holds, shelve books. The hold system gets books and dvds you want from a distant branch to your neighborhood branch. At the time CPL's circulation was higher than ever because of the recession-who can afford to rent dvds or buy books? People had to wait weeks to get their books! But the library buckled down, librarians all pitched in and got things back on track. Now the city proposes they eliminate all of the pages and scores of librarians- over 1/4 of their total staff! And reduce hours. 

The problem is, that like most politicians, Rahm is entitled, and doesn't need to use the libraries (or the Chicago Public School System). Libraries are still the regular person's place to access information, as well as to use the internet so adults can find jobs and children can do homework. If he really wants to save money, how about not paying himself or our aldermen until they do their jobs and balance our budget. -Or how about not giving his aides raises. (Oh,too late for that.)
 The average people aren't the ones who created the budget deficit, but we're the ones who suffer so our "representatives" can make over $100,000/year and vote for anything on the table. Hey, I've got an idea, if you need a job and can't use the computer at the library due to cuts, why don't you go over to Rahm's house, I'm sure he'll let you use his computer. I mean, when's the last time he needed it to look for a job?