What library?

 Lol.

When was the last time any of you were in the library?

My questions are

1)what are the parents going to do now that there kids have nowhere to go to watch videos and listen to gangsta Rap after school?

2)what about that homeless guy looking at "adult entertainment" about 6 feet away from me...gotta bail him out!!!

I'm in the library now...checking my e-mail and taking out a BOOK.You know, books...remember them?

"oh look...she's taking out 5 dvd's"

That will help her reading skills.

It's starting to fill up in here (must be getting colder out).

UNREAL.

 I was just there yesterday and I see plenty of people checking out books, magazines, dvds, cds etc... they get really busy there.  Just ask the staff how much they check out in a year! 

I have no idea what the kids will do without all of the homework help, access to free materials, free computers to use to do their homework, plus fun activities/attention when no one else wants any part of them.  When mom and dad want's to kick them out of the house where will they go to keep warm and basically stay out of trouble?

The homeless guy needs to stay warm too...

 Since the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is a nonprofit organization it must file a 990 tax return every year to the IRS.  Those tax returns are public documents.  You can go into the Director's office of the library and ask to see their latest 990.  They are required to show you a copy.  You can't leave with it but you can take notes from it and some organizations will let you make a copy.

If you go to www.guidestar.org (you must register) you can search for and view CLP's 990's.  The latest 990 they have is for the year 2007.  Those documents do list the top five salaries for that year and it also lists the director's salary.  Keep in mind though that CLP has had a lot of turnover in it's senior management in the last 3 years since Dr. Mistick took over as Director in 2005 (for example, she is now on her 4th Director of Development).  This means that some of it's highest paid employees aren't in the top 5 and/or their salaries may not be complete because they weren't employed for a full year in 2007, or have been hired since then.  They're have also been significant promotions, raises, and re-organizations since 2007. 

 Please remember that, in all of the talk about the library's administration, that the city gives a paltry $40,000 per year for support of the system.  The libraries have been woefully under funded for many years.  Yes, examine how the money is spent, but don't lose sight of the real issue.  Libraries are a community asset in communities that have otherwise been abandoned. 

And yes, kids "play" on computers and take out DVDs.  Don't be so elitist as to condemn them for that.  People are allowed to be entertained. 

The CLP gets more than the direct $40,000.  They also get a stream of funds from our taxdollars.  But it's the CLP administration that is fooling around with this money and overpaying the execs. 

Even though we all need to stick together in this fight, Beechview is going to be hit the hardest of any community losing a library.  It's really the only decent place outside of St. Catherine's from that point on down Broadway, besides the Huddle.  People who can't or don't drive will be stuck, as there is no bus service to Brookline from Beechview, the closest other location.  This, combined with losing T-stops, the downward spiral of Foodland, the desolation in the business district, getting raped by an unscrupulous developer and the URA, on top of the plethora of illegal immigrants, we might as well be dust in the wind.

infomatic:

 Since the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is a nonprofit organization it must file a 990 tax return every year to the IRS.  Those tax returns are public documents.  You can go into the Director's office of the library and ask to see their latest 990.  They are required to show you a copy.  You can't leave with it but you can take notes from it and some organizations will let you make a copy.

If you go to www.guidestar.org (you must register) you can search for and view CLP's 990's.  The latest 990 they have is for the year 2007.  Those documents do list the top five salaries for that year and it also lists the director's salary.  Keep in mind though that CLP has had a lot of turnover in it's senior management in the last 3 years since Dr. Mistick took over as Director in 2005 (for example, she is now on her 4th Director of Development).  This means that some of it's highest paid employees aren't in the top 5 and/or their salaries may not be complete because they weren't employed for a full year in 2007, or have been hired since then.  They're have also been significant promotions, raises, and re-organizations since 2007. 

from:

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/east-liverpool-oh/TQ9GH4LLKQOSS60G0

You can check the figures at guidestar.org they allow you to look at the organizations Form 990, I apologize if I got something wrong. The salaries and raises are ridiculous. The libraries threaten to cut service and hours so the public will get on the elected officials. Once the money comes through it is not distributed to the libraries but to the pockets of those overseeing the money. Some of these salaries are more than some libraries budgets. The raises combined are more than some library budgets.
RAD and ACLA raises questions.
The ACLA Director compensation in 2005 increased $11,000 from $76,000 to $87,000, 2006 increased $3,000 and 2007 increased $6,000 for a total of $96,000. That’s a $20,000 raise in three years. Are you going to support those kind of raises for all library employees?
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Oakland (CLP) the current director received compensation in 2005 of $86,072, 2006 $168,665, 2007 $165,643.
Other CLP compensation Deputy Director in 2006 $109,272, 2007 $115,914.
Dir Info Technology (acting) 2005 (female)$70,750,
2006 (male)$106,409, 2007 (same male)$122,178.
Dir Development 2005 69,470, Development Director 2006 $101,631, 2007 $104,518.
Sr Mgr Info tech 2006 $74,643, 2007 $84,137.
Finance Admin Dir 2006 (male)$92,760. Director Finance Admin 2007 (female)$52,979.
Can you support these kinds of salaries for all library employees?
This is why libraries are hurting for money, fiscal irresponsibility.
Why when a woman is hired to replace a high paid male her salary is lower, and a male hired to replace a female the salary is higher….
Just thought I’d point out the numbers.
Some of the pay raises were close to 14%, this is crazy, but explains why there is no transparency of the spending. I think there is a lack of fiscal responsibility and no one is holding the libraries responsible. We need to put the community needs in perspective and stop asking for more money and giving out huge raises to self and friends for the ”Enron Golden Parachute Retirement”. I know you could hire people to do the job for less and they would do a great job. It’s time our politicians start holding people accountable with tax payers dollars. If you really want to Save Our Libraries how about cutting salaries rather than service and do an actual forensic audit of all libraries to see where the money is actually going. Once completed hold those accountable for any wrong doing.
Thank you
ALF Watching

 I agree that Beechview will be hit hard but the community and its people are strong. I really think Hazelwood will be hit the hardest because they don't have any schools or even a grocery store, the crime rate is high, there are a lot of drugs in that area too and without a library the only thing the kids will get into is trouble. 

If they take the library away is basically a death sentence for Hazelwood!

warsaw:

infomatic:

 

 

from:

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/east-liverpool-oh/TQ9GH4LLKQOSS60G0

You can check the figures at guidestar.org they allow you to look at the organizations Form 990, I apologize if I got something wrong. The salaries and raises are ridiculous. The libraries threaten to cut service and hours so the public will get on the elected officials. Once the money comes through it is not distributed to the libraries but to the pockets of those overseeing the money. Some of these salaries are more than some libraries budgets. The raises combined are more than some library budgets.
RAD and ACLA raises questions.
The ACLA Director compensation in 2005 increased $11,000 from $76,000 to $87,000, 2006 increased $3,000 and 2007 increased $6,000 for a total of $96,000. That’s a $20,000 raise in three years. Are you going to support those kind of raises for all library employees?
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Oakland (CLP) the current director received compensation in 2005 of $86,072, 2006 $168,665, 2007 $165,643.
Other CLP compensation Deputy Director in 2006 $109,272, 2007 $115,914.
Dir Info Technology (acting) 2005 (female)$70,750,
2006 (male)$106,409, 2007 (same male)$122,178.
Dir Development 2005 69,470, Development Director 2006 $101,631, 2007 $104,518.
Sr Mgr Info tech 2006 $74,643, 2007 $84,137.
Finance Admin Dir 2006 (male)$92,760. Director Finance Admin 2007 (female)$52,979.
Can you support these kinds of salaries for all library employees?
This is why libraries are hurting for money, fiscal irresponsibility.
Why when a woman is hired to replace a high paid male her salary is lower, and a male hired to replace a female the salary is higher….
Just thought I’d point out the numbers.
Some of the pay raises were close to 14%, this is crazy, but explains why there is no transparency of the spending. I think there is a lack of fiscal responsibility and no one is holding the libraries responsible. We need to put the community needs in perspective and stop asking for more money and giving out huge raises to self and friends for the ”Enron Golden Parachute Retirement”. I know you could hire people to do the job for less and they would do a great job. It’s time our politicians start holding people accountable with tax payers dollars. If you really want to Save Our Libraries how about cutting salaries rather than service and do an actual forensic audit of all libraries to see where the money is actually going. Once completed hold those accountable for any wrong doing.
Thank you
ALF Watching

Compare with ational salary survey by American Library Association:

PUBLIC Library Mean Salaries 2007

Director 77,200
Deputy/Associate/Assistant Directors 74,942
Department Heads / Coordinators/ Senior Managers 60,327
Managers/Supervisors of Support Staff 50,722
Librarians who do not supervise 47,772
Beginning Librarians 41,334

http://ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/salarysurvey/SalarySummary2007.pdf

So CLP's director makes more than 2x as much as average director?

Just need to respond to say that the male/female salary numbers given here aren't always comparing apples to apples.  For example the Finance Director 2007 (female) salary is so much lower than the 2006 male salary because the female finance director started in 2007 and that $52,979 is less than a full year's compensation.  These amounts listed are what those staff earned that year not necessarily what their full salary would have been paid if they had worked an entire year.

warsaw:

Also, if the system could raise $55million for the renovation of new buildings, why can't they raise the piddly 6 million over the next few years they keep citing as shortfall?

 Because individuals, foundations, corporations prefer to give money to special projects rather than to the overall operations of an organziation.  It's easier to raise significant money for a "special, one-time-only" project, than for ongoing operating expenses. 

Also, to respond to another often mentioned comment:  the money that was raised for renovations is restricted for that specific project and they are beholden to the donors to use it for that purpose and that purpose only.

mmppgh:

warsaw:

Also, if the system could raise $55million for the renovation of new buildings, why can't they raise the piddly 6 million over the next few years they keep citing as shortfall?

 

 Because individuals, foundations, corporations prefer to give money to special projects rather than to the overall operations of an organziation.  It's easier to raise significant money for a "special, one-time-only" project, than for ongoing operating expenses. 

Also, to respond to another often mentioned comment:  the money that was raised for renovations is restricted for that specific project and they are beholden to the donors to use it for that purpose and that purpose only.

Is it so much harder that $6 million instead of $55 million couldn't be raised over the last few years? Was there an attempt?  I use the library all the time and I never saw any spot to donate money.

Have they had fundraisers for operating expenses? I don't remember hearing about any.

 Instead of closing selected branches, why not close all the libraries one additional day per week?  Scaling back service across the board is more equitable than closing branches, especially because those branches slated for closing are in more isolated locations.

But Sunday shouldn't be the day libraries are closed.  Monday or Tuesday make more sense.

As a former 25+ year employee of the dysfunctional institution known as "The Carnegie" (Before the split up of the Museum and Library) I can tell you that if the Library is the Titanic then the Museum is the hole in the bow and Ellsworth Brown (former director) is the captain saying "full speed ahead" while pointing to the iceberg. It would literally take a 5 volume set to provide the whole story on how the Museum's arrogance and neglect led to many of the library's woes today but the point is now that they are faced with the only prudent thing to do, close branches that are costing a ridiculous per person amount to operate. This should have been done years ago. I personally overheard  Robert Cronenberger, then director of CLP say this more than 12 years ago. I really do feel for those people in the affected communities, but as Mr. Spock would have said, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few". Pittsburgh is a changed city since the time the Library branches were laid out. Years ago the only way to get from one community to another was to take a "streetcar" to downtown and back to the destination. Perhaps a stop by the bookmobile or a similar satellite program can serve the needs of those without transportation to another branch. Times really are changing and hard choices sometimes need to be made. Let’s face it, if I am the only person in the neighborhood owning a horse, should I expect the blacksmith to remain open? Lets rally around the library not point fingers at them. Their strongest asset is their people and the dedication to the city they serve.

eartotheground:

As a former 25+ year employee of the dysfunctional institution known as "The Carnegie" (Before the split up of the Museum and Library) I can tell you that if the Library is the Titanic then the Museum is the hole in the bow and Ellsworth Brown (former director) is the captain saying "full speed ahead" while pointing to the iceberg. It would literally take a 5 volume set to provide the whole story on how the Museum's arrogance and neglect led to many of the library's woes today but the point is now that they are faced with the only prudent thing to do, close branches that are costing a ridiculous per person amount to operate. This should have been done years ago. I personally overheard  Robert Cronenberger, then director of CLP say this more than 12 years ago. I really do feel for those people in the affected communities, but as Mr. Spock would have said, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few". Pittsburgh is a changed city since the time the Library branches were laid out. Years ago the only way to get from one community to another was to take a "streetcar" to downtown and back to the destination. Perhaps a stop by the bookmobile or a similar satellite program can serve the needs of those without transportation to another branch. Times really are changing and hard choices sometimes need to be made. Let’s face it, if I am the only person in the neighborhood owning a horse, should I expect the blacksmith to remain open? Lets rally around the library not point fingers at them. Their strongest asset is their people and the dedication to the city they serve.

But there's NO NEED to close branches or lay off staff. The shortfall this year won't be that large, and there are still lots of things to do to change the funding situation.