Blog Archives

Services for Camille Francis

5/28/2024

Below is information about the memorial services for union member Camille N. Francis. Our hearts are broken at her loss. Please send blessings and strength to her coworkers at Paerdegat Branch, to her friends across the library, and to her family.

Services
Guarino Funeral Home,
9222 Flatlands Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11236
Date: Friday, May 31, 2024, 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Repast
Grace Reform Church
1800 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225
Following the service

Burial
Rosehill Cemetery
Linden, NJ
Date: Saturday, June 1, 2024,

Donations and expressions of sympathy mailed to:
Renee Francis
83 Kenilworth Place
Brooklyn, NY 11210

Expressions of sympathy may be mailed to:
Coleen Grant
1352 E 105 St
Brooklyn NY 11236

Library Workers From Underrepresented Groups Are Invited to Participate in a Research Study on Work Routines

5/19/2024

Local 1482 Vice President for Librarians Rakisha Kearns-White is on the advisory team for a research project being conducted by the University of South Carolina’s School of Information and Communications. The Public Library Routines Project (PLRP), aims to uncover problematic routines in public libraries and learn how they impact staff; find out how staff cope with these routines; and discover successful workarounds that would become the basis of professional development workshops for public library administrations.

Members of the PLRP advisory team are inviting public library staff from across the country to participate in our research of routine work. If you work in a public library in any capacity (librarians, custodians, clerical, safety officers, maintainers, TRS, IT, etc.) and you are from a group that is underrepresented in the profession (e.g., staff of color, LGBTQIA+ staff, staff with disabilities, staff with chronic conditions, and staff with mental health challenges), we especially want to hear from you. READ MORE

Here's the 411:

What’s a Routine? Routine work is. . . well . . . routine! These are the things you do regularly, and you do it mostly the same way each time. This might include shelving, processing holds, programming, working the reference desk, assisting patrons with technology or HR paperwork.

What’s wrong with Routines? While there is nothing inherently wrong with routines, this work might introduce barriers that are particularly problematic for staff with certain identities, e.g., staff of color, LGBTQIA+ staff, staff with disabilities or chronic conditions, staff with mental health challenges. As the routine is repeated and becomes more familiar, it can easily hide and “normalize” these barriers.

What is PLRP? PLRP is a 3-year IMLS-funded research project that looks at these problematic routines, what library staff do to work around them, and what libraries can do to better support staff efforts.

What will you do? You will be asked to keep an audio diary of your experiences in routine work and sit for a 45-minute interview. Everything will be done virtually.

Will anyone know that I participated? Your participation in this research study is entirely confidential. This means that no one outside of the project team will know that you participated. In published project documents, we will remove your name and any information that could potentially link you to your participation in the study.

What do I get out of it? There are no direct benefits to you, but you will receive a $30 gift card at the conclusion of the study.

What if I change my mind? You are free to leave the study at any point and receive a prorated gift card.

I’m interested. What now? Complete THIS FORM to indicate your interest in participating in the study and complete a brief demographics survey. This survey will be used to screen participants and ensure a diverse sample. If you are selected to participate, the next step is a 25-minute virtual meeting with the project team that will further explain your involvement and answer any questions you may have. A project team member will contact you if you are selected to participate. Check out the project WEBSITE HERE. For questions, contact the PI, Darin Freeburg ([email protected]).

Budget Advocacy Read-In & Storytime on May 19th

5/15/2024

Click on either image to get a printable PDF of the event flyers in English and Spanish

If the people can't go to the library on a Sunday, the library must go to the people!

Join community members for a family-friendly storytime outside of the Brooklyn Public Central Library. Before budget cuts in 2023 forced Sunday closures, libraries in every borough hosted Sunday storytime every weekend. Like community groups across the city, we'll be making up for the social services cut by Mayor Adams, hosting storytime and craft activities, and writing letters to Adams to call on him to fully restore the library budget.

REGISTER HERE

Updates: Unions and Workers advocate for Library Funding & DC37 Moves Temporarily

5/12/2024

We are taking this opportunity to share two pieces of news with our members.

City Library Unions Speak Out Against Budget Cuts
The Chief, a New York based newspaper that focuses on municipal workers, recently published an article that addresses the impact the Mayor's proposed budget cuts will have on staffing and maintaining services. Titled Cuts Could Trim Libraries' Saturday Service, the article notes that if enacted, the cut will eliminate Saturday service at at number of locations and will force the libraries to continue not hiring to fill vacancies.

The presidents of the three library local unions were interviewed in the article, including President George Sarah Olken of Local 1482. President Olken spoke about the consequences being closed on Sundays has already had on library workers and library users. Also interviewed was Lauren Comito, a member of Local 1482 and the executive director of Urban Librarians Unite.

DC37 to Temporarily Move Headquarters
DC 37 has announced that effective May 20th, its headquarters will move from 55 Water Street to a temporary service center located at 420 W 45th Street in Manhattan. In the Fall, DC37 will re-open at 125 Barclay St in a new state-of-the-art facility.

Also on May 20th, the Audiology Center will resume operations at the DC37 Health Center located at 115 Chambers Street.

Please look here for hours for the temporary service center, as well as phone contact information.

Services for Camille Francis

Library Workers From Underrepresented Groups Are Invited to Participate in a Research Study on Work Routines

Budget Advocacy Read-In & Storytime on May 19th

Updates: Unions and Workers advocate for Library Funding & DC37 Moves Temporarily

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