IT IS A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS WHEN THE BUFFALO & ERIE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, AFTER THE PUBLIC CAME TOGETHER TO HELP SAVE THEM, REDUCES THE NUMBER OF MATERIALS THAT CAN BE CHECKED OUT AT ONE TIME.
FOR THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THEM OF THE JOBS LOST AT THE DMV AND THE AUTO INDUSTRIES EMPLOYEES WHO STRIKED THEMSELVES OUT OF WORK. EVENTUALLY THE POLITICIANS WILL HAVE RAISE VOTED THEMSELVES OUT OF A JOB.
HOW CAN YOU REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MATERIALS THAT CAN BE CHECKED OUT? THERE ARE SO MANY BOOKS THAT SIT ON THE SELVES OF EVERY LIBRARY AT ANY GIVEN DAY. THE LIBRARY SHOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THEIR PATRONS WHO HAVE BEEN MAGNANIMOUS IN ASSISTING IN THEIR FIGHT TO KEEP THE LIBRARIES OPEN. IT JUST SEEMS A BIG SLAP IN THE FACE TO THOSE WHO HAVE STOOD BY THE LIBRARIES FIGHT.
“THE POWERS THAT BE” AT THE BUFFALO & ERIE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES SEEM TO BE IN BED WITH THE VERY PEOPLE WHO ARE DETERMINED TO REDUCE OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM TO DUST. LET’S GIVE NAMES TO THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE WHO ULTIMATELY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PATRONS. BRIDGET QUINN-CAREY IS THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR, MARY JEAN JAKUBOWSKI IS DEPUTY DIRECTOR – CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, KENNETH H STONE HOLDS THE POSITION OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR – CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, CAROL ANN BATT IS THE ASSISTANT DEPUTY DIRECTOR – DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, ANN KLING IS THE ASSISTANT DEPUTY DIRECTOR DIVISION OF PUBLIC SERVICES – BUFFALO BRANCHES & COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS, PEGGY A SKOTNICKI IS THE ASSISTANT DEPUTY DIRECTOR – DIVISION OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, DOREEN M WOODS IS THE ASSISTANT DEPUTY DIRECTOR – HUMAN RESOURCES, TONI NAUMOVSKI IS THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATOR, JOY TESTA CINQUINO IS THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGER AND MARIA J BOROWIAK IS THE SECRETARY TO DIRECTOR. LET’S MAKE THESE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR SUPPLYING ALL PATRONS OF THE ERIE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM WITH THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION WITH REASONABLE RESTRICTIONS.
I WAS SHOCKED WHEN ONE DAY AS I CHECK OUT I WAS INFORMED THAT A REDUCTION IN LIMITED MATERIAL CHECK-OUT WAS ABOUT TO BE PUT IN PLACE. FOR MYSELF I REVIEW BOOKS, MUSIC DVD’S AND CD’S THAT I OFTEN GET FROM THE LIBRARY. MY CARD IS OFTEN MAX’D OUT AS WELL BECAUSE WE DO LOCAL BOOK READS OR CD PARTYIES IN WHICH I NEED QUITE A BIT OF MATERIAL AT ONE TIME. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IM INTO A RESEARCH PROJECT FOR MY WEB SITE AND NEED AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF MATERIAL.
THEN SUDDENLY A BLOW HIT ME LIKE A BRICK WHEN JUST A COUPLE DAYS LATER I WAS TOLD I COULD ONLY CHECKOUT HALF THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL. NOTHING WAS POSTED GIVING THE PATRONS A HEADS-UP TO THE CHANGE. WAS THE LIBRARY SYSTEM TEAM TRYING TO PULL A FAST ONE AFTER EVERYONE WENT TO BAT FOR THEM AND THEIR FINANCIAL SURVIVAL? THE LIBRARIAN WAS KIND ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO CHECK OUT ALL THE MATERIAL I HAD WAITING ON HOLD. DUE TO MY DAILY VISITS, THE TEAM AT MY LOCAL LIBRARY IS FAMILIAR WITH MY NEEDS AND GAVE ME A ONE DAY PASS.
THE POLITICIANS IN ERIE COUNTY HAVE PUT US IN THESE FINANCIAL CONUNDRUMS AND WHETHER THEY HAVE LONG SINCE BEEN VOTED OUT OF OFFICE OR HAVE BEEN NEWLY ELECTED LETS GET THIS MESS FIXED. WE DO NOT WANT TO HEAR THE EXCUSE “ONLY IN OFFICE A FEW DAYS THE NEW ADMINISTRATION IS COMING TO GRIPS WITH THE MESS LEFT BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION.” THIS IS NOT A VIABLE EXCUSE ANY LONGER, YOU CAMPAIGNED WITH MUCH KNOWLEDGE OF THE THINGS YOUR OPPONENT WAS NOT DOING IN OFFICE. YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE GETTING INTO AND DEBATED HOW YOU WERE GOING TO MAKE CHANGES.
GIVE THE LIBRARIES WHAT THEY NEED SO THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR AND HER STAFF CAN GIVE THE PATRONS WHAT THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE “INFORMATION.” AN ABUNDANCE OF UNLIMITED KNOWLEDGE FOR LEARNING AND GROWTH IS WHAT THEY DESERVE. FIX IT NO EXCUSES, POLITICIANS GOT US INTO THIS MESS NOW POLITICIANS NEED TO GET US OUT OF IT. IF YOU CAN NOT DO THIS DO NOT CAMPAIGN FOR ANOTHER TERM WE DON’T WANT YOU.
LIBRARY ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM YOU NEED TO CORRECT THIS UNFAIR TREATMENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO TRUST YOU TO KEEP THE INFORMATION FLOWING DAILY WITHOUT LARGE RESTRICTIONS.
RUSTYSCAGE.COM
