Daily Thoughts 7/4/2010

Popeye in Patriotic Popeye. The work is in the public domain as its copyright wasn't renewed. Paramount Studios Famous Pictures 1957.

Daily Thoughts 7/4/2010

I am doing my patriotic duty to stay employed today. I am contacting my legislators, assemblypersons, congress people, senators, and others involved with my library. It should be quite interesting on Tuesday. I have not read anything today. Happy 4th of July. I can hear the fireworks.

This is a response to Are Libraries Necessary from Fox News. http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/library-taxes-closed-commissioner-reaction-letter-mary-dempsey-20100702 I took it from one of the comments. I find Fox news to often be partisanly self interested. Fox is a media empire and sells magazines, newspapers, ebooks, and books. Maybe, they believe that they will get some of the revenue if the library closes. You'll get your information from Fox. Libraries are an indirect competitor.

I put aside the book Managing and decided to read something more light weight, Dean Koontz, Frankenstein Lost Souls.

I am putting up my resume today on Linked In. Did not want to do that, but might as well. Sometimes, there needs to be a little bit of motivation. I have it as a Google Doc. Did not want to buy the Microsoft suite.

Daily Thoughts 7/3/2010

Portrait of romantic poet John Keats (1795-1821)., August 1819, Charles Brown

Daily Thoughts 7/3/2010

I am talking to a slam poet to do another set of poetry events. We have some patrons who are very determined to have a well done poetry reading series. Most likely we will do it during an evening. You learn from experience when the best time to do events are.

I am also looking at the page for why you should support New York Public Library. What are the good reasons. I think there is more clarity there now after facing deep cuts. http://www.nypl.org/support/why-support-new-york-public-library

I have not been reading that much. I have been focusing on thinking about what I will do next.

Layoffs and Demotions 7/2/2010

Asakusa Library, Meiji Era, 1881

Layoffs and Demotions 7/2/2010

There was a reduction in force today where I am working. The proper term is layoffs. These were because of budget issues. 13 people were laid off and 8 People were demoted because of lack of funds out of a staff of 33. In January all the part-time peoples hours were cut in half. The demotions started at the top and worked their way down. Librarian IIIs became Librarian IIs, and Librarian IIs became Librarian Is. I was a Librarian II. Reduction in force is a specific type of layoff associated with civil service in New York. http://www.cs.state.ny.us/pdf/rif_guidelines.pdf

Apparently, a 10% cut in funding is enough to layoff half of the staff, that is a $400,000 shortfall.

I asked if I had the right to ask to be laid off and collect unemployment. Apparently, you cannot ask to be laid off in the civil service system of New York, you must take a reduced job or resign without unemployment.

There was something cold about standing in a quiet building where half of the staff were gone, many who had worked more than 25 years in the place. The layoff notice was for several weeks away. Maybe, there is hope in a hard way. It was strange helping people while everyone else was sent home.

Needless to say, I have become much more interested in advocacy. None of this had to do with the performance of the people being let go. At least that was what I was told. It was supposed to be purely budgetary. I feel like being a cypher right now. Sometimes acting is better than feeling.

Needless to say, I will be going to job related functions and seeing many of my colleagues at them. There is the ACRL NY Libraries Skill Share on July 13, 2010 listed on New York Lbrarians Meetup. http://www.meetup.com/NYLibrarians/calendar/13874759/ Oddly enough, I feel more tired than afraid.

I have been collecting information on advocacy groups. I guess now is the definite time to contact them about this. There certainly are enough organizations. I started contacting my senators and assemblypeople in New York.

Daily Thoughts 7/2/2010

Porträt der Laura Battiferri, wife of sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati, Angelo Bronzino,
Palazzo Vecchio, Firenze, 1550-1555

Daily Thoughts 7/2/2010

A free issue of a magazine on Patron Driven Acquisitions http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g923176894

This is an article from the Librarians Shout n' Share at BEA where I was watching. It is from the Books For Dudes column of Library Journal. http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/newsletters/newsletterbucketbooksmack/885594-439/books_for_dudes_my_bea.html.csp

Daily Thoughts 7/1/2010

Leo Tolstoy and his private secretary Valentin Bulgakov, 1910

Daily Thoughts 7/1/2010

Today we spent some time with our SIRSI library catalog learning how to do the on order status. It allows us to use EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) to place orders from our different vendors. This will allow us to place orders from BWI, Midwest Tape, and Baker and Taylor through a single system. It will also help us with duplication issues and budgeting.

We also spent some time talking about the summer reading program for adults. Things are moving along very steadily.

My concentration is not as good as usual. Our library is facing budget shortfalls and it may affect me directly. There could be layoffs and other issues. I will know tomorrow. We already circulated a petition for signatures to keep the library open.

I logged into the Readers Advisory 101 course today for the first time. My focus is a little better today.