[Sca-librarians] State Library of Michigan news

[Johnna Holloway]

News at UM isn't much better.

Oh by the way- this is the last week for the Ann Arbor News too. The 
daily paper
quits publishing  within the week.

Johnnae


  Buyouts at libraries

*Dean: Computers, budget dictate cut in staff*
Sunday, June 07, 2009
BY DAVE GERSHMAN
*The Ann Arbor News*

Senior employees are being offered a buyout to retire from the 
University of Michigan Library, which is bracing for a tight budget and 
handling more work electronically.

*Ninety* staff members and librarians received letters on Friday telling 
them they're eligible. They have until July 15 to accept the offer and 
receive the equivalent of nine months of salary if they retire no later 
than Aug. 31.

About 420 people work full-time at the U-M library, which has more than 
a dozen units across campus. Managers aren't eligible for the buyout.

Robert Campe, chief operating officer for the U-M Library, said there's 
no goal for the number of buyouts being accepted by employees.

The library is preparing for another tight budget that could include a 
cut in funding or a small increase that won't cover the rising costs of 
operations and salaries.

The library also needs to adjust its staffing since employees handle 
fewer physical books and work more frequently with digital mediums.

"There's so many things that we used to do that just don't make sense 
anymore,'' Campe said.

For example, he said, employees who receive new books previously had to 
enter them by hand in the electronic catalogue; now the books arrive 
"shelf ready.'' Spaces within the library are also being used 
differently as more records and books are read electronically.

In an e-mail to all library employees, Paul Courant, dean of libraries, 
said the library needs to shrink its staff over time and employ the best 
people for the right jobs.

"As we all know, the work that the library does is changing; major 
reorganizations have already happened, and more are yet to come,'' 
Courant wrote. "Over the long term, it is my expectation that the total 
employment in the library will fall slightly, in response to both 
changing needs and the changing budget situation.''

Reporter Dave Gershman can be reached at 734-994-6818 or 
dgershman at annarbornews.com.





Judith Kirk wrote:
> Bad news for the residents of Michigan. This is an email the Dean of
> our Libraries received this week...Siobhan
>
> **************
>   
>>>> Greg Rosine <greg.rosine at wmich.edu> 7/14/2009 8:05 AM >>>
>>>>         
> Joe - The following news article talks about the Governor's effort
> to reduce the scope of the state library of Michigan.  If they are
> "shopping around" elements of the library for others to assume, is
> there anything that WMU would be interested in taking?
>  
> Greg
>