Mandy Magill, a 29-year-old mother of two, started as a library assistant at
Lincoln Library in August 2004. She was one of 15 employees recently laid off
as part of Mayor Tim Davlin’s plan to reduce city spending by $3.2 million.
Magill has witnessed a gradual breakdown of the library system, she says, with
this latest round of cuts adding to already vacant staff positions and the
general impression that libraries have become obsolete. Librarians might not
save lives like police and fire personnel, she says, but they still provide a
vital service to the community.
“It may not be life-saving,” Magill says, “but it can be life-changing.”
In past years, Davlin has largely supported Lincoln Library. He developed a
special task force in 2007 to explore the library system’s future needs and in early 2008 advocated for keeping the southeast and west
library branches open in spite of financial concerns. Earlier this year, he
helped pass an initiative to increase the city telecommunications tax from 1 to
4 percent to generate additional funds for the library.
But on July 10, the mayor announced that his cuts to city services would include
$602,000 from Lincoln Library. On July 15 nine union workers, one non-union
employee and five temporary pages were told their last day would be Aug. 6. The
city’s plan also includes closing the main library on Sundays and only opening the
southeast and west branches two days a week.
Davlin and his executive assistant Jim Donelan could not be reached for comment.
Magill says the library cuts will be “catastrophic” for both patrons and remaining employees. Pages previously returned books to
their proper shelves. But now without pages, and as every department loses at
least one employee, she explains, the remaining 44 full-time employees will
help shelve books in addition to other job duties.
“It’s exhausting if you’ve never done it,” Magill says.
Three employees will now manage the southeast and west library branches. Magill,
who primarily worked as a branch employee, says seven staff members rotated
between the branches and the main library when she first started.
“I’ve been hearing from aldermen the flawed logic that if branches are closed, we’ll need less manpower,” Magill says. “But a lot of people who worked at the branches also worked at the main library.”
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31
initially encouraged all of its members to take furlough days to help raise
funds to save the library employees. AFSCME Council 31 staff representative
Roger Griffith told aldermen last week that public works employees from Local
3417 took three days off, while library employees from Local 3738 took enough
days to return at least $100,000 to city coffers. But so far, he says, the city
has committed to library layoffs.
“Some of the folks are going ahead and taking them anyway,” Griffith says, “hoping the city changes their mind.”
The city administration suggested last week that employees could also write
personal checks to the corporate fund in lieu of taking furlough days.
“It’s tough enough for them to take an unpaid day off,” Griffith says, “but to work an eight-hour shift and then turn around and write a check to the
city, that’s a tough hill to climb. I wouldn’t do it, I’ll put it to that way.”
Griffith instead requested that aldermen consider a six-page list of long-term
budget solutions submitted to the mayor’s office by Local 3738 in early July, as well as an alternative calling for the
transfer of funds from City Water, Light & Power to the corporate fund before the Aug. 5 city council meeting.
This article appears in Jul 30 – Aug 5, 2009.
