One Less Employee at B.-C. Library

The council had announced the abolition of a position at the library by the end of 2009. He seemed to have questioned this decision because there were still three employees on duty in January 2010. This is no longer the case. Since February, they are only two to hold the fort.

When the Coalition "We deserve better" had met the council, the mayor and some councilors said that the library was important but it is simply not a top priority. There are emergencies. The fact that the library has been waiting for fifteen years does not change anything. Let's keep on waiting! It will be relocated in two years, maybe three. We were told the project has to be well prpared. However, the hesitation waltz on the abolition of a post does not look like an action well weighed, nor the various relocation scenarios that have been put forth (use of school premises in Bouchard school or sub - floor of the new Youth Center, or provide for a joint construction with the future hockey school).

Question: Until then, is it the intention to stifle the library? Under finance mangement pretenses, we subtract a few thousand dollars in a city budget of over eight million dollars. Mr. Mayor said to the community television wanting to cut promotion conducted by one of the library employees and thus keep her at the counter to serve customers. Asked about what the promotion is, he has failed to answer. Ignorance of the role of library staff does nothing to reassure. Does anyone believe that the library is operated as is a grocery store and needs only to have books placed on shelves, as products? What will happen when one of the two employees will be sick or on vacation? The library will obviously have to close the door and not respect the opening hours as displayed.

According to the Québec minimum standard, the library of a city the size of Brownsburg-Chatham must have three full-time employees, plus a professional librarian. The issue is no longer here just to question the merits of the proposed relocation of the library put forward by the previous administration. The current Board demonstrates how little importance it attaches to the cultural services he has yet to provide its population.