The Seattle Times, Editorials and Opinion
Saturday, October 9, 2004
Guest columnist - Lend more support. By Akiva Kenny Segan
[This was published in the hardcopy edition as an op-ed]
Special to The Times
As a long-time Seattle Public Library para-professional employee, including eight years downtown and neighborhood branches since 1990, I read "Library use soars at new building" (Times, Local News, Sept. 19) with keen interest.
Unaddressed by City Librarian Deborah Jacobs (who is extremely well-liked by staff) is the huge physical and emotional toll the tremendous increase in circulation of library materials systemwide has had on staff in branches and downtown alike.
Librarians and support staff are overwhelmed, demoralized, physically and mentally exhausted, enduring burnout, and are fearful for their jobs. If Mayor Greg Nickels' pledge to curtail further SPL furloughs (which force staff out of work without pay) is realized, as is his stated commitment not to reduce open library hours from current systemwide scheduling, then something's got to give, and soon.
Since the city is unable (or unwilling) to fund an increase in staff to ensure even minimum levels to guarantee employee health and safety, then SPL executives and board must seriously address alternative plans. The most logical would be a dramatic reduction in the number of library items patrons can reserve and check out.
Currently, patrons can check out up to 100 items and can have 100 items on active hold. Ten items max in both categories makes great sense and would go a long way to easing burnout, stress and physical and mental exhaustion.
SPL librarians, support-staff clerks, computer workers, maintenance and other workers are as devoted a work force as can be found in any
municipal or corporate work site in America. So the question arises: What's the point of having fabulously expensive, spanking-new, photogenic library buildings if the human non-robot workers who run the show suffer work-caused illnesses or worse, and may face possible if not probable layoffs and unemployment lines?
The library board, city librarian and top-level library execs, the mayor and City Council must begin to address employee health and safety with the same devotion that staff provides the public on the front lines at public-service desks as well as behind the scenes.
Akiva Kenny Segan is an artist living in Seattle.