OMG. No wonder Lynda Bell voted to defund the library system and said it was to protect the hardworking guys and girls in these difficult economic times. She must have gotten the talking points.
For all my fellow library staff, please spread this message to others who I do not have the personal email... --
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow, we find out whether we go down in the history books as casualties of a poorly decided county budget, or whether we become the staff that rallied together and saved their library, their livelihoods, and in turn, the community.
We have had an uphill battle. But it is finally coming to a head--the last round, the last chance.
If you have not spoken, if you have not been blatant about your support, now is the time that counts.
We encourage anyone who has the conviction and verve and has found the perfect words (that I know are in all of our hearts) to speak -- Commissioner Sosa has stated we will get 3 minutes each.
However, I ask that those who cannot seem to find the right words to please stand behind myself and two others as we make a 10 minute presentation on behalf of 169 library employees. This is the chance to prove to the Commissioners that we are MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS and a line item expenditure. We are not replaceable or expendable. We are people. We are library staff--and we do a damn good job.
For those who may not be on the chopping block, who may be looking at being bumped down the ladder -- please remember that if we lose this battle, the job that you will return to will be a shadow of what it once was -- a mindless assembly line of checking books in and out, with no creativity, no imagination -- no stories. Plus a severe pay-cut to boot.
Do not be afraid to fight for what is right. Do not be silenced.
If you don't have a shirt that's been circulating, wear white! We have #saveourlibrary stickers ready to plaster over any library supporter!
I will be outside with our "Olympic Numbers" to tape to our shirts, from #'s 1 - 169, and any extra shirts.
I hope that I see everyone's smiling, albeit nervous faces, tomorrow... and I hope that we can find comfort in one another as we face the biggest battle yet for the jobs that we love and cherish.
The Tea Party plan is to first starve the library system of funds - like they are trying to do in Miami-Dade County - so they can fire staff, close down branches, slash budgets for books and materials. Part two: privatize. A for profit library corporation has already taken over the library systems in two Florida Counties - Osceola and Sumter and plans to prey on more communities. Yep, the Tea Party was behind both of those take-overs. Don't think they are not behind this one here either. Read more:
"...the move toward private libraries fundamentally endangers one of America’s oldest public institutions. “It’s different in Europe and in parts of South America. They have more of a paid library where you have to pay to use the library.” Kilroy said. “So the public library is truly an American institution and community control of the library is part of that institution.”
Can't wait to see the books the Tea Party deems worthy to grace the shelves of their pay to read libraries..whoever posted those salaries, rather disingenuous to just put up what 37 people make..there are just 37 people working hard to make the county library stystem work?
I wish I could have elected officials who were motivated by doing public good and cared about the well-being of the residents and using tax dollars to benefit the common good instead of private interests and lobbyist pals. I wish they wouldn't give my tax dollars to millionaire sports moguls to build lavish sports palaces.
Firing half the library staff - as Gimenez is so gleefully proposing - is a loss to the community who will not have anyone to provide free computer training, literacy programs, Learn to read programs for children. It will mean working parents and adults will find their local library doors locked when they try to go after work. It means teens won't have anywhere to go after school to do their homework. Libraries are important civic institutions in every neighborhood. It's a shame the tea party would target libraries and yet not go after the waste and corruption that pervades so many other parts of our local government.
.4860 in 2005 .4860 in 2006 .3842 in 2007 .3822 in 2008 .3822 in 2009 .2840 in 2010 .17950 in 2011 Gimenez came into office: 300 employes laid off, hours cut. .17250 in 2012
Future? Hundreds more librarians fired, 1/2 day branches, no money for books, main library evicted from half of its building
This will blow your mind. If you take those salaries posted above and cut them in half, Miami-Dade County would still be among the highest paid public library staff in the nation. The salary for a New York City public librarian tops out at $48,649.
What blows my mind is the stupid, insular and selfish attitude of the tea party and its minions in County government. Get a life! And let others have a chance for a life by providing decent public services, like libraries that enlighten, educated and inspire.
They cannot survive on $48,649 in NY - guess how much is rent in NY? Even the link says "Leaving for better paying jobs." So, where's your logic? Offer a salary that makes the employee able to provide a life. Otherwise, you get a turnstile and what's the hiring process and trianing costs to the organization?
NYC is expected to be have the highest paid employees because of the cost of living. When NYC librarians top out at $48,649 and Miami-Dade librarians AVERAGE $70,300, you know that our compensation system is completely out of whack.
Science Librarian in New York, NY $75,000 Adult Services Librarian in New York, NY $65,000 Librarian Media Specialist in New York, NY $59,000 Library Assistant Youth Services in New York, NY $39,000
18 comments:
OMG. No wonder Lynda Bell voted to defund the library system and said it was to protect the hardworking guys and girls in these difficult economic times. She must have gotten the talking points.
Same goes for Zapata and Gimenez.
Is this gutting of Miami's public library system just a vast, right-wing conspiracy? Have they no shame?
For all my fellow library staff, please spread this message to others who I do not have the personal email... --
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow, we find out whether we go down in the history books as casualties of a poorly decided county budget, or whether we become the staff that rallied together and saved their library, their livelihoods, and in turn, the community.
We have had an uphill battle. But it is finally coming to a head--the last round, the last chance.
If you have not spoken, if you have not been blatant about your support, now is the time that counts.
We encourage anyone who has the conviction and verve and has found the perfect words (that I know are in all of our hearts) to speak -- Commissioner Sosa has stated we will get 3 minutes each.
However, I ask that those who cannot seem to find the right words to please stand behind myself and two others as we make a 10 minute presentation on behalf of 169 library employees.
This is the chance to prove to the Commissioners that we are MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS and a line item expenditure. We are not replaceable or expendable. We are people. We are library staff--and we do a damn good job.
For those who may not be on the chopping block, who may be looking at being bumped down the ladder -- please remember that if we lose this battle, the job that you will return to will be a shadow of what it once was -- a mindless assembly line of checking books in and out, with no creativity, no imagination -- no stories. Plus a severe pay-cut to boot.
Do not be afraid to fight for what is right. Do not be silenced.
If you don't have a shirt that's been circulating, wear white! We have #saveourlibrary stickers ready to plaster over any library supporter!
I will be outside with our "Olympic Numbers" to tape to our shirts, from #'s 1 - 169, and any extra shirts.
I hope that I see everyone's smiling, albeit nervous faces, tomorrow... and I hope that we can find comfort in one another as we face the biggest battle yet for the jobs that we love and cherish.
The Tea Party plan is to first starve the library system of funds - like they are trying to do in Miami-Dade County - so they can fire staff, close down branches, slash budgets for books and materials. Part two: privatize. A for profit library corporation has already taken over the library systems in two Florida Counties - Osceola and Sumter and plans to prey on more communities. Yep, the Tea Party was behind both of those take-overs. Don't think they are not behind this one here either.
Read more:
http://www.wmfe.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=12556&news_iv_ctrl=1041
"...the move toward private libraries fundamentally endangers one of America’s oldest public institutions.
“It’s different in Europe and in parts of South America. They have more of a paid library where you have to pay to use the library.”
Kilroy said. “So the public library is truly an American institution and community control of the library is part of that institution.”
2012 Miami-Dade Library Salaries
------------------------------------
Santiago, Raymond , Dir Of Libraries, $196,560.34
Urbizu, William , Asst Dir Library, $149,971.77
Mora-Ona, Sylvia , Asst Dir Library, $148,044.17
Ali, Amir , Library Budg&Procur Coord, $128,937.00
Gomez, Leopoldo A, Library Support Serv Admin, $127,164.71
Alvarez-Cleary, Suzet , Asst Dir Library, $126,915.19
Castro, Julio E, Library Capital Dev Coord, $117,754.95
Brooks, Elaine G, Senior Asst To Dept Dir, $109,022.61
Arbogast, Gia , Asst Dir Library, $109,017.73
Campa, Julio , Library Systems Manager, $107,959.24
Finlay, Edna F, Librarian 3, $96,926.43
Fernandez, Alvaro , Network Manager 2, $96,876.07
Martinez, Gustavo A, Ref/Ac Mechanic Supervisor, $95,956.19
King Kee, Reaette , Librarian 3, $94,941.33
Rodriguez, Anna , Spec Projects Administrator 2, $94,763.35
Carrion, Ailyn , Library Branch Supervisor, $93,734.18
Ryles, Zelda B, Library Branch Supervisor, $92,737.65
Rosenior, Ian D, Library Branch Supervisor, $92,485.56
Heim, John W, Librarian 4, $88,388.37
Moyer, Barbara L, Librarian 4, $88,388.37
Piloto, Maribel , Library Coll Dev Manager, $87,871.13
Cvejanovich, Susan H, Library Operations Administrat, $87,087.61
Morrell, Maria T, Librarian 2, $86,705.17
Pearson, Elizabeth A, Librarian 4, $85,627.29
Rando, Alexander , Graphics Manager, $84,637.15
De Hernandez, Diana J, Librarian 4, $84,422.17
Berger, Ellen , Librarian 4, $83,873.25
Sims Smith, Barbara , Library Branch Supervisor, $82,677.95
Louinis, Lucrece L, Asst Dir Library, $82,677.35
Herman, Louis , Librarian 2, $82,576.21
Hepburn Ballou, R M, Librarian 3, $81,539.64
Martin, Sherrill H, Librarian 3, $81,188.83
Buggs, Daniel T, Librarian 3, $80,562.33
Klein, Robert , Librarian 3, $80,110.00
Gonzalez, Jorge E, Librarian 3, $80,031.57
Galan, Victoria I, Library Public Affairs Officer, $80,025.32
Hogue, Pamela A, Librarian 4, $80,008.67
Can't wait to see the books the Tea Party deems worthy to grace the shelves of their pay to read libraries..whoever posted those salaries, rather disingenuous to just put up what 37 people make..there are just 37 people working hard to make the county library stystem work?
I wish I could have elected officials who were motivated by doing public good and cared about the well-being of the residents and using tax dollars to benefit the common good instead of private interests and lobbyist pals. I wish they wouldn't give my tax dollars to millionaire sports moguls to build lavish sports palaces.
Firing half the library staff - as Gimenez is so gleefully proposing - is a loss to the community who will not have anyone to provide free computer training, literacy programs, Learn to read programs for children. It will mean working parents and adults will find their local library doors locked when they try to go after work. It means teens won't have anywhere to go after school to do their homework. Libraries are important civic institutions in every neighborhood. It's a shame the tea party would target libraries and yet not go after the waste and corruption that pervades so many other parts of our local government.
The gutting of a system by the numbers.
Library millage rates:
.4860 in 2005
.4860 in 2006
.3842 in 2007
.3822 in 2008
.3822 in 2009
.2840 in 2010
.17950 in 2011 Gimenez came into office: 300 employes laid off, hours cut.
.17250 in 2012
Future? Hundreds more librarians fired, 1/2 day branches, no money for books, main library evicted from half of its building
This will blow your mind. If you take those salaries posted above and cut them in half, Miami-Dade County would still be among the highest paid public library staff in the nation. The salary for a New York City public librarian tops out at $48,649.
What blows my mind is the stupid, insular and selfish attitude of the tea party and its minions in County government. Get a life! And let others have a chance for a life by providing decent public services, like libraries that enlighten, educated and inspire.
Anonymous who posted NYC salaries: prove it.
"[T]he salary for a New York City public librarian tops out at $48,649."
Source: http://integrity.nhmccd.cc/2012/04/10/librarians-leaving-for-better-paying-jobs/
They cannot survive on $48,649 in NY - guess how much is rent in NY? Even the link says "Leaving for better paying jobs." So, where's your logic? Offer a salary that makes the employee able to provide a life. Otherwise, you get a turnstile and what's the hiring process and trianing costs to the organization?
NYC is expected to be have the highest paid employees because of the cost of living. When NYC librarians top out at $48,649 and Miami-Dade librarians AVERAGE $70,300, you know that our compensation system is completely out of whack.
Don't make up stuff RW:
http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Reference-Librarian-l-New-York,-NY.html
$62,000 average
Science Librarian in New York, NY
$75,000
Adult Services Librarian in New York, NY
$65,000
Librarian Media Specialist in New York, NY
$59,000
Library Assistant Youth Services in New York, NY
$39,000
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