(Image: Seattle Public Library)
Continuing staffing issues has the Seattle Public Library system pulling back on service and hours at branches across the city over the coming weeks:
Several factors have impacted the Library’s staffing capacity, including changes to the Library’s minimum staffing levels and increased leave usage. Our impacted staffing capacity has led to unplanned closures, as the Library must redirect staff from one location to another if a branch doesn’t have the right number, or right mix, of staff to open and operate a building safely and with full library services. The Library is working to bring on additional staffing support.
The SPL system is implementing “scheduled closures” at several branches including the Capitol Hill library through June 4th. The Capitol Hill branch is implementing noon openings on Thursdays and will now be closed on Sundays through June 4th.
SPL says the staffing situation will be reevaluated in May when details of “the Library’s schedule beyond June 4” will be announced.
Not every branch will experience cutbacks — the Central Library downtown will escape unscathed — but most are losing some amount of service.
The city’s library system, like many public services including area transit systems, has struggled with with staffing and changing workforce patterns as it has emerged from the pandemic. The system also implemented service cutbacks in 2022 during a summer workforce crunch.
The full roster of schedule changes is below.
Library schedule closures through Tuesday, June 4
- Central Library
- No planned closures
- Ballard Branch
- No planned closures
- Beacon Hill Branch
- Closed Sunday, April 14, April 28, May 12 and May 26
- Broadview Branch
- Closed on Sundays through June 4
- Capitol Hill Branch
- Opening at noon on Thursdays and closed on Sundays through June 4
- Columbia Branch
- Closed Saturdays through June 4
- Delridge Branch
- No planned closures
- Douglass-Truth Branch
- Closed Saturdays from April 20 through June 4
- Fremont Branch
- Closed Fridays through June 4
- Green Lake Branch
- Currently closed for seismic retrofit construction
- Greenwood Branch
- No planned closures
- High Point Branch
- Closed Sundays through June 4
- International District/Chinatown Branch
- Closed Fridays through June 4
- Lake City Branch
- Closed Sundays through June 4
- Madrona Sally-Goldmark Branch
- Closed Wednesdays and Fridays through June 4
- Magnolia Branch
- Closed Sundays through June 4
- Montlake Branch
- Closed Tuesdays and Fridays through June 4
- NewHolly Branch
- Closed Mondays through June 4
- Northeast Branch
- Closed Fridays through June 4
- Northgate Branch
- Closed Saturdays through June 4
- Queen Anne Branch
- Closed Saturdays from April 20 through June 4
- Rainier Beach Branch
- Closed Sunday, April 21, May 5, May 19 and June 2
- South Park Branch
- Closed Mondays through June 4
- Southwest Branch
- Closed Saturdays from April 20 through June 4
- University Branch
- No planned closures
- Wallingford Branch
- Closed Fridays and Saturdays through June 4
- West Seattle Branch
- Closed Fridays through June 4
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This is going to put a dent into my indoor porn and drug time. :(
I SURE AM GLAD THAT JOY AND BRUCE ARE PAYING FOR SURVEILLANCE SHIT THAT DOESN’T WORK AND GIVING RAISES TO OUT OF CONTROL COPS WHILE CUTTING LIBRARY SERVICES IN THE SUMMER WHEN KIDS ARE OUT OF SCHOOL.
Jesus fuck, the city council’s priorities are screwed up.
I presume you did not read the article, which attributed the closures to staffing issues. The lack of adequate staff to keep branches open at normal levels is the reason for reduced hours, not lack of funding. At least the article never mentioned any lack of funding, and attributed this too inadequate staffing.
You don’t hear the council fretting about the lack of staffing. There’s never any recruiting efforts to raise the pay of librarians or give them bonuses or free rent. There is no new contract where entry level librarians are making $110k base.
Cops and surveillance are where they’re placing their $$$.
Funding and staffing are related. You usually use money to hire people, and use more of it when people are hard to hire.
It’s gonna push a lot of unhoused people who use the library as welcoming space
out on the streets a little earlier. But for the average library goer, they will survive.
They’re probably also the cause for the staffing issues. Pretty sure most folks don’t go into librarian as a career to deal with people experiencing addition and other crises in a librar.
Shouldn’t the library have some surplus funds from the pandemic closure that it could use to plug this budget hole? Keeping all the buildings closed for well over a year must have yielded operational savings, even if the staff continued to draw salaries.
I doubt it… the buildings would still have to be climate controlled if only for the books and the library workers still needed heat and light… They were still there, and probably very busy as they were pulling and packaging everything people wanted to check out for pickup.