Library Workers Will Not Be Shushed
April 10, 2012
http://www.afscme.org/blog/library-workers-will-not-be-shushed

We will not be shushed!
Carl L. Sorrell is president of
AFSCME Local 1215 in Chicago, Ill. 
AFSCME is fighting toprotect our nation's public 
libraries, and stop privatization efforts that will 
cut jobs and public resources. Sign the petition to 
protect 25,000 library workers and the thousands of 
libraries that will be destroyed by corporate greed at
http://www.afscme.org/shush.

It's National Library Workers Day, a time to recognize
the importance of libraries in our communities and all
that librarians and staff do to keep them running. But
this year, with systems facing budget cuts across the
country, it's also a time to recognize that employees
play a crucial role in protecting libraries, preserving
services, and getting the public involved to defend
them.

Here in Chicago, there was a big outcry last fall when
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced plans to cut $10 million
from our library budget and lay off 363 employees. Even
with all the negative talk about public employees and
government spending, some people still were surprised
about the drastic cuts. But my co-workers and I knew how
much people depend on our branches and staff for so many
things. We see people lining up to get in in the
morning, waiting to use the computers to apply for jobs.
Parents tell us how much their kids look forward to
storytime. The libraries are a safe haven for everyone
from senior citizens to high school students.

When our local union heard about the proposed cuts, we
knew we needed to make sure the mayor heard those same
voices that library employees hear each day. We started
organizing, and on Halloween, we held storytime in front
of the mayor's office. Hundreds of people showed up,
including kids in costumes, people with handmade signs,
and of course library staff leading the story hour and
delivering petitions signed through our website by more
than 5,000 Chicago residents.

The mayor responded and much of the funding was
restored.

But in January he began closing libraries completely on
Monday. Once again our local union got the word out,
both to our members and to library users. We held
"People's Library Hours" in front of the closed library
branches. And we started a letter-writing campaign to
the mayor.

Here's what one sixth-grader wrote:

    I love the library. I always have since I was a
toddler. Although I mainly use it for reading just for
fun, the libraries are extremely important for doing
schoolwork. With the recent cuts to the library, I am
having trouble getting to my branch library...Without
the [library] pages, books I order take far more than a
week to be delivered.

Another library lover wrote:

    The library is an avenue of hope in tough economic
times, and is there, like a friend, in good and bad
times. To take it away in any respect is to destroy a
priceless treasure.

After that, the mayor backed down further. But our 76
neighborhood branch libraries are still closed most
Monday mornings, and all the library pages -- about 100
people total -- have been laid off. So our campaign
continues with call-in days, more letters and actions at
the mayor's office. We're going to keep at it until we
get the hours and staffing fully restored.

We will not be shushed.

____________________________________________

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