As citizens of the Lakes District, we are concerned about the status of the Burns Lake Public Library. It is our understanding that relations between library staff and the board of trustees have deteriorated to the point where two of the library’s three remaining senior staff members – the Interlibrary Loan Clerk and the Assistant Director – have resigned.
The Burns Lake Public Library has been a successful organization for more than 50 years. It has enjoyed a stable workforce, and its board of directors and staff members have worked well together. Only a year ago, the Burns Lake Public Library won an award for its community service, and one of the resigning employees was recognized for her excellent public service. The library was a happy place to work (and play), and staff members did not indicate any desire to seek alternative employment.
Clearly, something has changed at the Burns Lake Public Library. As library users, we are concerned that without the services of experienced staff members, the institution will be unable to meet its mandate or provide the level of service members of the public have come to expect from their library – at least in the short-term.
We call upon the association’s board of trustees to immediately convene a special meeting of the members to address these concerns, outline its plans for dealing with the current staffing deficit, and share details of its proposed “organizational plan.”
Updates
August 9, 2018
I have spent my week reading your personal stories about what this library means to our community. The loss of our experienced staff is felt by everyone who walks through those doors and I am meeting with officials now to demand the transparency we deserve.
August 9, 2018
Seeing this kind of momentum confirms that I am not the only one who misses the warmth and stability of the library we used to know. People are starting to pay attention to the hollowed out state of our shelves and staff rooms. This energy proves that our community refuses to let such a vital place simply wither away.
25 Comments
This was one of my first jobs and it was an amazing experience. I even helped teach older kids to read that unfortunately the school system was failing. Such an important place for all ages!
The library has operated successfully for a long time, with great staff and excellent service. It’s obvious that the success can be attributed to great staff. When dedicated, long-term staff resigns it speaks to a lack of leadership, or toxic leadership that created a divide between board and staff. The board needs to look at who is leading the staff that created this toxic environment that is forcing longstanding, committed staff to resign. The board should be embarrassed to have allowed this situation to fester and grow to this point and immediately remedy the situation before we lose this resource. Listen to your staff – you were lucky to have them.
I worked at the burns lake library for about a year with Caroline and tenille under direction if sashka. The library was an amazing place to work, everyone got along and the customers were amazing. I would hate to see this lovely place go down hill because of losing its wonderful staff.
The Burns Lake library is a major player in our families life as Homeschoolers we use it 3-5 days a week and my oldest daughter has been a volunteer there since we moved here in 2015. The issues, whatever they maybe, need to be resolved for the benefit of this community.
The relationship needs to be healed. Our public library is an integral part of our community. From leisure, educational research, personal or professional development through the courses offered, to a fabulous setting to go in and spend time. It is the staff that are the backbone, we need to keep them!
It would be such a shame to lose the library due to the resignation of dedicated & valued staff. Hope this issue can be resolved
Love the library . What is going on???
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As citizens of the Lakes District, we are concerned about the status of the Burns Lake Public Library. It is our understanding that relations between library staff and the board of trustees have deteriorated to the point where two of the library’s three remaining senior staff members – the Interlibrary Loan Clerk and the Assistant Director – have resigned.
The Burns Lake Public Library has been a successful organization for more than 50 years. It has enjoyed a stable workforce, and its board of directors and staff members have worked well together. Only a year ago, the Burns Lake Public Library won an award for its community service, and one of the resigning employees was recognized for her excellent public service. The library was a happy place to work (and play), and staff members did not indicate any desire to seek alternative employment.
Clearly, something has changed at the Burns Lake Public Library. As library users, we are concerned that without the services of experienced staff members, the institution will be unable to meet its mandate or provide the level of service members of the public have come to expect from their library – at least in the short-term.
We call upon the association’s board of trustees to immediately convene a special meeting of the members to address these concerns, outline its plans for dealing with the current staffing deficit, and share details of its proposed “organizational plan.”
Updates
August 9, 2018
I have spent my week reading your personal stories about what this library means to our community. The loss of our experienced staff is felt by everyone who walks through those doors and I am meeting with officials now to demand the transparency we deserve.
August 9, 2018
Seeing this kind of momentum confirms that I am not the only one who misses the warmth and stability of the library we used to know. People are starting to pay attention to the hollowed out state of our shelves and staff rooms. This energy proves that our community refuses to let such a vital place simply wither away.
25 Comments
For these 2 amazing library employees to resign, things have to be extremely bad! Both of these awesome ladies LOVE their jobs!
This was one of my first jobs and it was an amazing experience. I even helped teach older kids to read that unfortunately the school system was failing. Such an important place for all ages!
The library has operated successfully for a long time, with great staff and excellent service. It’s obvious that the success can be attributed to great staff. When dedicated, long-term staff resigns it speaks to a lack of leadership, or toxic leadership that created a divide between board and staff. The board needs to look at who is leading the staff that created this toxic environment that is forcing longstanding, committed staff to resign. The board should be embarrassed to have allowed this situation to fester and grow to this point and immediately remedy the situation before we lose this resource. Listen to your staff – you were lucky to have them.
I worked at the burns lake library for about a year with Caroline and tenille under direction if sashka. The library was an amazing place to work, everyone got along and the customers were amazing. I would hate to see this lovely place go down hill because of losing its wonderful staff.
The Burns Lake library is a major player in our families life as Homeschoolers we use it 3-5 days a week and my oldest daughter has been a volunteer there since we moved here in 2015. The issues, whatever they maybe, need to be resolved for the benefit of this community.
The relationship needs to be healed. Our public library is an integral part of our community. From leisure, educational research, personal or professional development through the courses offered, to a fabulous setting to go in and spend time. It is the staff that are the backbone, we need to keep them!
It would be such a shame to lose the library due to the resignation of dedicated & valued staff. Hope this issue can be resolved
Love the library . What is going on???
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For these 2 amazing library employees to resign, things have to be extremely bad! Both of these awesome ladies LOVE their jobs!