I know that I am not the only AJL librarian who does my congregational library job as a volunteer. I'm sure I don't do as good a job or put in as many hours as paid librarians, but I have a library and particularly work with the religious school. I know we prefer to be paid for our professional expertise, but I have come to see this as my gift to my temple. I would not be as good at any other task, so I have decided this will be how I donate my time. Other librarians in my congregation are not willing to volunteer in the library, so I understand. I hope some of you can see the work in your libraries that have become volunteer as a gift rather than a burden.
Emily Bergman Temple Sinai Glendale, CA [email protected] 818-415-3970 On Tue, Jun 2, 2015 at 9:09 AM, Stephanie L Gross <[email protected]> wrote: > So very true! That’s one of the reasons why I’ve tried to share lessons > learned with my newer mentees. There is much to be learned from the > information commons model, and even more for strategic paring down of > collections and enhancing library programs. One thought has remained > consistent through the years: AJL must recruit seasoned professional > librarians to help mentor SSC librarians and staff. This restricting is not > the “stuff” for untrained volunteers. Skilled librarians who have > maintained their value through rigorous professional development and > continuing education are the ones to do the job. I assume that the > Accreditation Committee has begun rethinking what new ways libraries should > be restructured in order to turn the tide of events. > > > > Stephanie (Sara Leah) Gross > > MSLIS, MATESOL > > > > Past Chair, AJL Mentoring > > > > Pollack Library > > Yeshiva University > > 500 West 185th Street > > New York NY 10033-3229 > > 646.592.4044 > > > > Skype: Stephanie.l.gross > > http://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanielgross > > http://yeshiva.academia.edu/StephanieLGrossMSLIS > > > > *“As we look ahead to the next century, leaders will be those who empower > others.”* – Bill Gates. > > > > > > *From:* Ann Abrams [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Monday, June 01, 2015 2:01 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Cc:* Lisa Silverman > *Subject:* [ha-Safran] Library position eliminated > > > > Thank you, Lisa, for this very thoughtful and insightful post. The > sentence I find the most thought provoking is: > > > > > > *FROM LISA:* > > *Synagogues clearly need to save money and move forward with the things > that engage the most members and cut funding from things that don’t. > Period. Sentiment is not a reason to pour money into old models of > synagogue engagement. The problem for libraries is that the decision-makers > are not seeing beyond the old model and are not offering funding for > librarians to create new models.* > > > > > > FROM ANN: > > I’m wondering if there are synagogue librarians who have created new > models, that are doing WELL, and that have the enthusiastic support of your > institutions; and, that you’d be willing to share with the rest of us? > I’d be happy to serve as central station to collect your narratives, as > perhaps it’s not necessary to inform all of AJL/Hasafran about what > synagogue libraries are doing, but I would share them with all SSC members, > or anyone else who’s interested. > > > > But, my main point is, are there any GOOD stories out there? > > > > > > Maybe we can cause something constructive to come out of these terrible > occurrences. > > > > > > > > > > *From:* Hasafran [mailto:hasafran-bounces+aabrams= > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Lisa Silverman > *Sent:* Wednesday, May 27, 2015 7:58 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [ha-Safran] Library position eliminated > > > > > > Excuse the long post, but I would like to weigh in to this discussion > because of the similar changes going on here at Sinai Temple, which mirror > what is happening everywhere. In our case, 100 letters from people outside > our organization, especially if they had come from different cities, would > have been an interesting social experiment, but would not have changed a > thing. > > > > A year ago, our temple board decided that due to economic reasons beyond > their control, they decided to remove all funding for the library. It was > explained to me that due to the recession there had been a severe downturn > in donations, and, along with our major building upgrade and renovations, > the temple was in the fiscal red. Our professional staff of 4.5 employees > was cut to…zero. The library and its needs, budget, and staffing, was > handed over to the Pre-K-8 day school, because it was common knowledge that > the majority of patrons were day school students, staff, and parents. The > day school had only enough money to offer two positions to librarians and I > was retained as the day school librarian and another school librarian was > hired as associate. With my knowledge of adult sources, I was encouraged to > still help the synagogue patrons, when or if they continued to come in. > > > > All adult programming was cut because I am now working for the school and > do programming solely related to school needs, which are considerable. (I > made the personal choice to continue with my evening adult book group > because this group has been meeting regularly for 15 years, even though the > temple did not pay me for it. It was suggested that I charge for > attendance at this group, which I rejected as absurd.) We are now in the > process of reducing our adult collection considerably, and moving these > items to the soon-to-open Sperber Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles, > which is now part of American Jewish University. I have been serving as > consultant for them, and will begin working there next year as the > community librarian. Our adult collection here will still be accessible to > all patrons, although it will be run by the school librarian and not kept > up by a professional Judaic librarian. > > > > Since working as Sinai Akiba Academy school librarian this year, no longer > as the temple librarian, I have come away with some observations I would > like to share: > > > > 1. Synagogues clearly need to save money and move forward with the > things that engage the most members and cut funding from things that don’t. > Period. Sentiment is not a reason to pour money into old models of > synagogue engagement. The problem for libraries is that the decision-makers > are not seeing beyond the old model and are not offering funding for > librarians to create new models. > > 2. Protesting to the powers that be does not work when boards have > already made difficult decisions. If a library is a beloved part of an > institution, board members do not make these decisions lightly, but when > they do, they are rarely swayed to change their minds because by that time > they have heard all the sides they are going to hear and have thought it > all through. (We had many letters written in opposition, and members spoke > their minds at meetings—the decision to close library funding stuck.) > > 3. Our school/student/parent engagement has gone up this year and > we keep quite busy. These people are also members of our temple, which > should be noted. The authors/literary and film programming is now the > responsibility of the programming department. Those people who are missing > out on what used to be are the mostly older, retired, literary minded folk > who liked to come into the library for such things. Hopefully, they have > been absorbed by other programming of the temple, but if not, it seems > their numbers are not significant for the board to reinstate funding. > > > > This library will still be run well after I leave next year, but it will > no longer be a leader among synagogue libraries and the go-to catalog for > Elazar system users. Adult patrons will still be served, but eventually it > will turn into a fine school library, and the people of Los Angeles will > turn to the Jewish Community Library at AJU for Jewish-themed books, book > and film clubs, literary events and programs. > > > > > > *Lisa Silverman* Library Director, Sinai Temple Blumenthal Library > > 10400 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 > > *310-481-3215 <310-481-3215> (direct) 310-481-3218 <310-481-3218> > (main) **library.sinaitemple.org* <http://library.sinaitemple.org/> > > > > > > __ > Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual > author > and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries > (AJL) > ================================== > Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: > [email protected] > To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: > https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran > Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected] > Ha-Safran Archives: > Current: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html > Earlier Listserver: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html > AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org > -- > Hasafran mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran > >
__ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: [email protected] To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected] Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list [email protected] https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
