Comments on: Library board meeting: Hours reduced at central and branches, Riley Park closes? http://www.francesbula.com/uncategorized/library-board-meeting-hours-reduced-at-central-and-branches-riley-park-closes/ Vancouver city life and politics Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:29:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: gmgw http://www.francesbula.com/uncategorized/library-board-meeting-hours-reduced-at-central-and-branches-riley-park-closes/comment-page-1/#comment-16307 gmgw Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:13:03 +0000 http://www.francesbula.com/?p=2251#comment-16307 YourPal said: "Seriously, the Library’s HR department is useless seeing as individual branches of the Library system provide their own staffing.... " Huh?? According to my informants, VPL's central HR department does all external hiring for the system (or did until the hiring freeze Ballem imposed last February), and coordinates internal hiring and transfer of personnel. Keep in mind that about 60% of VPL's workforce is part-time and auxiliary. Branches and departments call in auxiliaries on an as-needed basis (if they have sufficient funding allocations for same), but anyone who wants a job in the VPL system, be it FT. PT, or auxiliary, has to get hired through the HR department. Once you get hired, then you go where you're needed. A VPL worker is not considered part-time until she/he is given a certain number of regular hours per week in a given location. The non-full-time staff has been and is being hit much harder by the funding cuts than the FT staff. Because of the increasing shortage of available non-full-time hours, many departments at VPL are running on the bare minimum staffing levels, whether clerks or librarians, needed to keep going. For some time now anyone who leaves is simply not replaced. In many departments one clerical now does work that until relatively recently was done by up to five people. Staff burnout is at stratospheric levels, and morale has plunged below the sub-zero mark. The inevitable deterioration of service to the public is increasingly becoming apparent to library users. And it's going to get worse. gmgw YourPal said:
“Seriously, the Library’s HR department is useless seeing as individual branches of the Library system provide their own staffing…. ”

Huh?? According to my informants, VPL’s central HR department does all external hiring for the system (or did until the hiring freeze Ballem imposed last February), and coordinates internal hiring and transfer of personnel. Keep in mind that about 60% of VPL’s workforce is part-time and auxiliary. Branches and departments call in auxiliaries on an as-needed basis (if they have sufficient funding allocations for same), but anyone who wants a job in the VPL system, be it FT. PT, or auxiliary, has to get hired through the HR department. Once you get hired, then you go where you’re needed.

A VPL worker is not considered part-time until she/he is given a certain number of regular hours per week in a given location. The non-full-time staff has been and is being hit much harder by the funding cuts than the FT staff. Because of the increasing shortage of available non-full-time hours, many departments at VPL are running on the bare minimum staffing levels, whether clerks or librarians, needed to keep going. For some time now anyone who leaves is simply not replaced. In many departments one clerical now does work that until relatively recently was done by up to five people. Staff burnout is at stratospheric levels, and morale has plunged below the sub-zero mark. The inevitable deterioration of service to the public is increasingly becoming apparent to library users. And it’s going to get worse.
gmgw

]]> By: Charles Powne http://www.francesbula.com/uncategorized/library-board-meeting-hours-reduced-at-central-and-branches-riley-park-closes/comment-page-1/#comment-16301 Charles Powne Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:45:58 +0000 http://www.francesbula.com/?p=2251#comment-16301 And you wonder why VPL checks out only half the number of items as MCL (Multnomah County Library -- Portland, in other words) does each year. Similar number of branches, similar population base, but 10 million items in Vancouver vs. 20 million in Portland. If they cut enough hours they can do away with the budget for buying books because no one will be able to get in to borrow anything. And you wonder why VPL checks out only half the number of items as MCL (Multnomah County Library — Portland, in other words) does each year. Similar number of branches, similar population base, but 10 million items in Vancouver vs. 20 million in Portland. If they cut enough hours they can do away with the budget for buying books because no one will be able to get in to borrow anything.

]]> By: Your Pal http://www.francesbula.com/uncategorized/library-board-meeting-hours-reduced-at-central-and-branches-riley-park-closes/comment-page-1/#comment-16289 Your Pal Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:10:55 +0000 http://www.francesbula.com/?p=2251#comment-16289 The Library could save a lot of money if it didn't have its own marketing, accounting and HR departments. All city services should have these functions handled one department in the city. We could get rid of a lot of redundancy and focus on service delivery if this happened. But no, of course the government in its infinite wisdom has decided to forgo logic in its decision making processes. Seriously, the Library's HR department is useless seeing as individual branches of the Library system provide their own staffing and all other city services make their hires through a city wide HR department. I should know, I used to work for the City and always questioned this practice. Of course each department would need people who have Parks Board, Library, Police, Fire etc focuses but individual departments having these services? Ludicrous. The Library could save a lot of money if it didn’t have its own marketing, accounting and HR departments. All city services should have these functions handled one department in the city. We could get rid of a lot of redundancy and focus on service delivery if this happened. But no, of course the government in its infinite wisdom has decided to forgo logic in its decision making processes.

Seriously, the Library’s HR department is useless seeing as individual branches of the Library system provide their own staffing and all other city services make their hires through a city wide HR department. I should know, I used to work for the City and always questioned this practice. Of course each department would need people who have Parks Board, Library, Police, Fire etc focuses but individual departments having these services? Ludicrous.

]]> By: spartikus http://www.francesbula.com/uncategorized/library-board-meeting-hours-reduced-at-central-and-branches-riley-park-closes/comment-page-1/#comment-16255 spartikus Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:50:30 +0000 http://www.francesbula.com/?p=2251#comment-16255 But...but...we're going to have a really wicked light show over English Bay that can be seen...from SPACE! But…but…we’re going to have a really wicked light show over English Bay that can be seen…from SPACE!

]]> By: Glissando Remmy http://www.francesbula.com/uncategorized/library-board-meeting-hours-reduced-at-central-and-branches-riley-park-closes/comment-page-1/#comment-16251 Glissando Remmy Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:25:39 +0000 http://www.francesbula.com/?p=2251#comment-16251 The Thought of the Day "I just finished watching the History Channel’s SF documentary “Life after people”. Chilling. Afterwards I stared at the wall for half an hour. Next I’ll watch a comedy. It’s called “Life after politicians”. I heard it’s uplifting." It's late, I have no words other than "I'm with Jimmy on this one!" We are playing S&M games in Vancouver and this keeps us busy. The Thought of the Day
“I just finished watching the History Channel’s SF documentary “Life after people”. Chilling. Afterwards I stared at the wall for half an hour. Next I’ll watch a comedy. It’s called “Life after politicians”. I heard it’s uplifting.”

It’s late, I have no words other than “I’m with Jimmy on this one!”

We are playing S&M games in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.

]]> By: gmgw http://www.francesbula.com/uncategorized/library-board-meeting-hours-reduced-at-central-and-branches-riley-park-closes/comment-page-1/#comment-16250 gmgw Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:20:48 +0000 http://www.francesbula.com/?p=2251#comment-16250 Strangely enough, VPL management seems reluctant to target any of the 14 new exempt positions created in the wake of the 2007 strike-- which action saw each newly-elevated manager given a wage increase averaging around 25% (taking the pay rate of some of those freshly exempt branch and department heads close to $100,000 per annum). I'm sure it's just a silly oversight. gmgw Strangely enough, VPL management seems reluctant to target any of the 14 new exempt positions created in the wake of the 2007 strike– which action saw each newly-elevated manager given a wage increase averaging around 25% (taking the pay rate of some of those freshly exempt branch and department heads close to $100,000 per annum).

I’m sure it’s just a silly oversight.
gmgw

]]> By: Robyn http://www.francesbula.com/uncategorized/library-board-meeting-hours-reduced-at-central-and-branches-riley-park-closes/comment-page-1/#comment-16246 Robyn Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:20:04 +0000 http://www.francesbula.com/?p=2251#comment-16246 This is really sad news.. This is really sad news..

]]> By: jimmy olson http://www.francesbula.com/uncategorized/library-board-meeting-hours-reduced-at-central-and-branches-riley-park-closes/comment-page-1/#comment-16242 jimmy olson Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:43:10 +0000 http://www.francesbula.com/?p=2251#comment-16242 Ah the legacy of the Olympics continues. Ah the legacy of the Olympics continues.

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