Saturday, June 12, 2010

Los Angeles Board of Library Commissioners Does Mayor's Bidding


Link to June 11 Los Angeles Times article, "L. A. libraries are cut to 5 days a week".

Excerpt:   Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's appointees at the Los Angeles Public Library voted Thursday to cut the number of library hours by eight per week as part of the city's larger plan to trim expenses by reducing public services.

In a 3-0 vote, the Board of Library Commissioners unanimously cut
one day of service from each of the city's 73 libraries, keeping them open five days a week starting July 6.

Villaraigosa's budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 calls for the reduction of 761 employee positions. Of that total, at least 101 are in the Library Department. The city is scheduled to send layoff notices to those 101 workers next week, City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana said
.

Let's do a little math here.  The 101 library works is 13% of a total reduction of 761 employee positions.  In the 2009-10 fiscal year, the City of Los Angeles had 35,864 positions.  Retiring Guy doesn't think the Los Angeles Public Library has 4,639 employees.  (It's 1,132.)  Sock it to me indeed.

Related articles:
Another elective body thinks libraries are dispensable.  (5/5/2010)
Cutting library hours:  Charlotte Mecklenburg this week, LA next week, who's next?  (4/6/2010)
More news under the same headline.  (3/24/2010)

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