SPECIAL COMMENTARY: CITY OF ROCHESTER LIBRARY WORKER TELLS A CAUTIONARY TALE

Ove Overmyer at work at the
Rochester Public Library
photo:  Lynn Miller

Rochester, N.Y. -- For the past decade, it's been rough-going for libraries and librarians. Nationwide, it's been hard to dismiss media narratives that reinforce the need for reduced spending, budget cuts, staff reductions, library closures, as well as the questions surrounding the necessity of libraries and librarians-- and yes, books-- in the digital age.

State and local government officials exclaim that we are broke—and that’s a big fat lie.  They also refuse to raise revenues on those who are insulated from any financial harm.  The truth is, Wall Street equity firms and Fortune 500 companies all enjoyed record profits in 2010-- the problem is that these companies refuse to pay the taxes owed to the American people to maintain our vital public services. They would rather invest their profits in emerging middle-class markets in Brazil, India and China.  Income inequality is wreaking havoc on the American economy.  The tax levy on American corporations and individuals is now the second lowest rate in the past sixty years and Congress doesn't want to piss off its rich donors.  On top of this, we have misplaced our priorities—and libraries are usually the first public service that goes on the chopping block.

You might be asking yourself, "Why are libraries and intellectual freedom so important?"  Well, intellectual freedom is the basis of our democratic system. We expect our people to be self-governors. But to do so responsibly, our citizenry must be well informed. Libraries provide the ideas and information, in a variety of formats, to allow people to inform themselves.  Libraries will always have the best return on investment for taxpayers compared to any other public service, bar none.

What’s a library advocate to do?

I've had my ear to the ground and my finger on speed dial for the past several years as a union officer, assistant reference librarian and library advocate for an urban public library system. The job is mostly thankless—with fewer and fewer success stories to report.

I've experienced firsthand what it's like to come under fire on so many fronts-- personal attacks from lawmakers, patrons, and a uninformed public. My challenge has been to define this debate on our terms and remain stoic and professional-- and to explain how reduced funding to libraries not only affect our entire community, but a librarian's work, life and overall state of mind.

Have you ever put yourself in a library workers shoes?  Ask yourself what is it like to be a librarian today, when going to work means constantly trying to prove that your profession and skills are still relevant and that your place of employment is worthy of being kept open. Frankly speaking, it’s wearing a little thin.

Dealing with budget cuts is nothing new for librarians. We’ve been doing "more with less" for over a decade. The workforce at the Rochester Public Library is half of what it was in 2000—and conversely, patron services and demand for what we do have skyrocketed. 

According to the ALA's 2011 "State of America's Libraries Report," more than half the states report a decrease in funding over the past four years, "with cumulative cuts averaging greater than 10 percent." And the cuts don't stop at the state level, as local communities report decreases in local funding as well.

For many communities, library funding seems easy to cut precisely because of the widely accepted misperception that everything is now available online or doesn’t compare to other vital public services like fire and police. Well, I beg to differ.

Until our community understands that libraries are essential to public education and mandated as such, we will struggle with all the adverse societal affects that enhanced library services prevent.  Namely unemployment, poverty, high crime, homelessness and an uneducated and uncivil populace.  Carnegie said it best:  "I choose free libraries as the best agencies for improving the masses of the people, because they give nothing for nothing. They only help those who help themselves. They never pauperize. They reach the aspiring and open to these chief treasures of the world -- those stored up in books. A taste for reading drives out lower tastes."

Yes, its true-- on a recent lobbying trip to Albany, one lawmaker gave me the impression he truly believes that libraries are a quaint, outdated concept-- a dusty repository for books-- no longer necessary in the age of personal computers and Google. His inability to listen and learn from his constituents who were advocating for strong library services was appalling.

At the Rochester Public Library (RPL), where we serve a community of tens of thousands of Monroe County residents every day, our recent budget cuts, reduced hours in the form of reduced labor costs and collection development have been particularly painful. As of today, close to 14 full-time employees will be losing their jobs at RPL, and part-timers are not immune from layoffs either.  Like many libraries across the nation, we were forced to reduce staff and hours while we celebrate our centennial year of service— and we are still waiting for all the dust to settle. 

When it’s all said and done, as well as our workers, the real loser here in this equation are the Monroe County taxpayers-- the ones who just happen to be the most vulnerable in our society and the ones who need help the most-- they can’t apply for a job; can't connect with their loved ones; can't fix their car; can't read the newspaper; won't be able to write a cover letter or resume; find lifesaving information about a disease; find teenage pregnancy books; and so on.

River view of the Rundel Memorial Library Building
Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County
photo:  Ove Overmyer

Budgets shrink and demand goes up and up

Here are some ironic facts—the budget cuts I speak of did not come because demand for library service has decreased. In fact, demand is stronger than ever. The economic downturn that has our local governments slashing library funding is the same circumstance driving more and more customers to the library.

I would like to think the new legions of people who have never used or perhaps underutilized their local library have seen our services in a new light during this recession, including patrons seeking help with a job search or school work, those taking advantage of free entertainment, or, in some cases, people who are just looking for a comfortable place to escape from a cold, cruel world and be treated with respect and dignity.

The combination of cuts in service and staff, and a spike in demand, has left librarians and administrators scrambling to somehow fill in the gaps. This means working out of title and doing the job of three people. And this inevitably causes stress, not only on the job but outside the workplace too, as accommodating time off, illness or changes to any schedule can require some serious juggling and compromise from fellow library colleagues.

Our patrons, meanwhile, continue to expect the high level of library services they have been accustomed to receiving for over a century. They expect prompt reference desk service, someone to pick up the phone when they call, the latest bestselling books and popular DVDs and CDs in the collection, which requires both staff time to stay on top of journal reviews and new product release schedules, as well as difficult decisions to be made with limited funds.

Patrons also expect the library to be a technology hub, with ample computers, fast Internet service and free wireless access. And increasingly, techno-savvy readers expect e-books and downloadable audiobooks, as e-readers and mobile devices continue to rise in popularity.


photo:  Bess Watts

Putting a face on a public employee

It may be a much less discussed aspect of this latest recession, but doing more with less is taking a toll on the professional and personal lives of public employees, especially librarians at the point of service. In addition to being IT specialists, we are now expected to be career counselors, mindreaders, therapists, social workers, reference experts on all subject matter, babysitters, teachers and life transformers.

And, I often worry about the impact on the future of library workers as laid-off, underemployed, or fed-up clerks and librarians rethink their careers-- and the best and brightest students reconsider the cost of attaining a master's degree against their future prospects.  At the Rochester Public Library, we have twice as many part time staffers than full time employees-- that's nearly 165 library families who "go without" or have to rely on the Department of Social Services to get their other needs met because their employer will not pay a living wage or benefits.

Still, optimism in the library community still persists. Library Journal's annual budget survey revealed that 62 percent of librarians had a positive outlook for funding in the future, and only 18 percent saw negatives ahead. That's because librarians—even the overworked and burned-out ones—remain a fiercely devoted bunch.

We vent about the tough new realities we see on the job, because we are living them. But we do the job because we truly care about our communities. Let's face it, one does not choose a library career for a high salary. We choose the profession out of a dedication to the public library's most basic principle—to provide free and unfettered access to information for all people, regardless of their economic circumstances or walk of life.

Yet I wonder how much longer we can expect librarians to remain committed to a profession that, despite its obvious value, has become so marginialized. How much longer, when basic living expenses and student loan debts loom so large? How will we continue to entice new students of any age to enter the profession? And how can libraries maintain the high level of service expected of them when budget cuts force them to use underpaid, partially trained, never-ready nonprofessional staff in place of seasoned librarians?

Library work is noble and just

As a public employee, working for an ideal no matter how noble and just may not be enough to sustain the library profession or our industry.  Government institutions should work for the people-- not for profit.  Today’s misperception of the “state of libraries” is a curse that must be cured by all our community partners.

Sadly, I don't think I can ever really be totally happy doing a job that is constantly devalued, repeatedly attacked and defined as insignificant by the media, corporate elites and the government officials who continue to take our public funds and give them to the richest Americans in the form of tax breaks and subsidies.

A final note:  keep libraries public

I have often said that I found my true character when I lost myself in the service of others. Libraries are and will always be the cornerstones of every community and it’s a huge privilege to serve the people of Rochester and Monroe County. All we are asking for are the tools and resources necessary to improve the quality of life of our patrons, neighbors and friends.  Knowledge is free at the public library, we just ask you to bring your own container. Let's keep it that way.

Despite the ongoing, brutal attacks on unionized employees from a disillusioned public, the unscrupulous media types or the inept uncaring politicians who want to privatize public services— I get my revenge when I walk into my library every morning knowing full well that I have the opportunity to help someone in need.  It may sound corny to you, but that is my reward.  And when my library career finally comes to end, my only hope is that the Rochester Public Library will still be "public" and "free" in another one-hundred years.

-Ove Overmyer
Overmyer is CSEA president of the City of Rochester Library Workers Unit 7420 and CSEA V.P. Monroe County Local 828

This views expressed above do not reflect the opinion of CSEA as an organization.