It was a “glum” day on Tuesday when St. Albert Public Library chief executive officer Peter Bailey had to temporarily layoff 43 staff members, who he describes as one big family.
“Our staff are great, we talk about it often that we are like a family and people really pull for each other,” he said.
The library is laying off 60 per cent of its staff, to play a part in mitigating the financial toll of COVID-19 on the city.
The layoffs will be effective April 25, and staff will still be provided benefits while they are out of work. Library board chair Janice Marschner stated in a media release St. Albert Public Library is also working with staff to help them access available financial assistance programs.
Bailey said he is an optimist so he had been hoping the library would be open sooner rather than later, but as the weeks dragged on and the COVID-19 pandemic continued, he said one has to “recognize reality.”
St. Albert’s libraries are almost entirely funded from government sources, and last week St. Albert’s financial department projected the city could end up nearly $4 million in the hole as a result of the pandemic. That was a best-case scenario.
During a town hall last week, Mayor Cathy Heron provided a “99 per cent” guarantee that the shortfall would not come out of taxpayers’ pockets.
During their April 6 meeting, city council called for St. Albert Public Library and the Arts and Heritage Foundation to revise their 2020 budgets and present it to council by the end of the month.
“Obviously the writing is on the wall that everybody involved in municipally funded organizations and services has to play their part,” Bailey said. “We take seriously our duty of having to manage public funds wisely.”
Bailey said the library is losing about $1,500 per week from over-the-counter fees and fines.
No summer students
While Bailey was unable to provide what savings the temporary layoffs will represent as of publication deadline, he said layoffs and a decision against hiring summer students will make up the majority of their cost-saving measures.
Every summer, the library hires six summer students funded through the Canada Summer Jobs program to lead the library’s massively popular Summer Reading Games.
Last year, Bailey said the program drew 3,000 children, and noted the library is “so proud of it.” The games will still go on – but may look slightly different and will be led by library staff.
Hesitant to jinx any set date, Bailey optimistically predicts all staff temporarily laid off will be back as part of the team in early June.
