As a library patron, mother and volunteer, I read with concern about the departure of librarians and am pleased to hear of the resignation of library director Amanda Hirst. I remain wary of the trustees’ support for Hirst’s methods, however. Losing librarians like Macy Davis and gaining an inefficient sorting machine illustrates the problem.
The sorting machine is a daily thorn, an eyesore, and a frustrating representation of what happens when someone decides to impose “efficiency” without knowledge of how a public library works. The sorting machine frequently stops for non-standard items which must be re-sorted by librarians to ensure proper shelving order — effectively doubling the work.
My children and I badly miss the excellent help and unfailingly cheerful presence of Macy Davis, whose last three acts I remember as a librarian were: 1) providing me with additional books for French storytime; 2) recommending a new animal book to my nature-loving daughter; and 3) facilitating having me sort through Hebrew-language donations to improve the library’s multilingual collection. A sorting machine doesn’t do that during library hours.
Let’s pay our librarians fairly and focus on what makes the Brookline Public Library such a phenomenal place: the excellence of our library staff.
Read the original article, Library director resigns following staff complaints