Now I don’t go to the libraries much. May be college students these days frequent libraries for academic purposes, besides that I don’t think for sheer pleasure, to read, new generation is keen to spend lazy afternoons in libraries. Internet is here. Why the pain. In my school days there was no Internet, even for first few years internet was not widely accessible or was not as fast as it is today. I used to spend a lot of time in libraries, during vacations, after school hours, to evade that boring history lecture, library was my favorite place to hangout. And with the library milieu, comes the people who work there. I used to bond with them, be it finding out that very special edition of ‘Down to Earth’ or extending the due return date or pleading to avoid paying that extra late fine, library staffs were the part and parcel of the library myth.
Now we may see even library functions are outsourced. Few patrons of public libraries in Shasta County feel that along with the books laid on hundreds of shelves the staffs out there can also be well managed by an outside company in Maryland. How much these outside companies will care for the staffs, will the headcount be reduced, as of now there is no mention from the patrons.
When LSSI took over the operation, they hired some of the employees who formerly worked for the city.Librarian Gabe Burke said everyone was offered a job either at the city or at the library.
He said that in working with LSSI he doesn't live with the annual fear that he may lose his job. Also, he could transfer within the company if he wanted. "I almost feel more secure with LSSI," he said.
Burke said his salary is similar to what he was getting previously and his benefits are comparable. "I'm not losing any money," he said.
Redding branch manager Martee Boban said the salary is comparable, and the vacation and sick leave also are about the same working for a private company. "I love working for LSSI," she said.
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