Libraries as businesses
Quick question. We know that two halves make a whole. Do two "part-time" jobs make one "full-time" job? Not in all instances. It depends on the hours worked.
Full-time for most jobs is 36+ hours weekly. Part-time is any amount of hours less than those. Many full-time workers will tell you that they work many hours more than 36+ and if they're lucky, they could get paid overtime. "Overtime" would be any hours extra passed 40 hours, and some employers even pay time and a half if the job is hourly.
The sad truth for many part-time employees that they too work more hours than what is considered part-time. By law, employers must pay part-time workers for all of their hours worked, however, these same employees are not required to pay benefits. In fact, many employers will strictly enforce that their part-time workers do not go over a certain amount of hours so that don't have to pay benefits.
How is this relevant to libraries?
Many of the wonderfully helpful people you meet working at your local library are part-time workers. Most of them are there because they absolutely want to be. Did you know that many of those part-time workers have advanced degrees? AND, more than likely, they work at more than one library. But why? The baseline is that like many part-time employees in any occupation, part-time work income is just not enough to sustain a household.
You may not think of your local library workers the same way you would view a local restaurant worker or store-clerk. And yet, all of these very hard-working employees are essential.
Ahhh, one of the new buzz words for 2020, "essential worker." This post is not to debate which work is essential and what is non-essential. The needs of individuals vary greatly, so what is essential to one family may not be for another.
I just want to raise awareness around the fact that librarianship and the supporting operations that surround it demonstrate many hard working highly educated people who are hourly part-time workers. Let's be honest, no one becomes a librarian to become wealthy. But like all workers with varied talents, education, and skills they deserve a living wage.
Did you know that libraries are not just learning institutions, they are service institutions. Libraries serve communities with complex varied needs. Communities benefit from local libraries in more ways than just offering books to read. Some offer employee training, computer training, communitiy building programs, ESL services, and many other things that particular communities need to thrive.
I just wanted to bring some awareness to the fact that the part-time workers that work at your local libraries are in my limited view essential. It would be nice if they and ALL part-time workers could make a living wage that could ease the burden of inadequate income. That is all.