Monday musings

I took a couple of days off to visit with some old friends. We worked together at a small branch in Tampa and also worked in the same system in Nashville. They're still there and it was their first visit to Charleston in seven years. We didn't spend all of our time talking shop, but it's inevitable that when librarians get together they will compare workplace notes. Their system is doing some great things, but they were impressed with us as well. They've been forced to open two or three branches without adding any more staff and the Mayor has proposed that all departments plan a budget with a 10% cut, meaning a loss of more positions. Council may well overturn that and I truly hope they do. For such a vibrant city with such a gorgeous Main Library, the current funders don't seem to realize what it takes to run a great library. Also, all of us who work at Main should thank our lucky stars. They pay $120 a month to park in the garage downtown. Yikes.
So, thing look good in comparison here and I'm thankful that we've faired better in budget talks. Let's hope that continues!