This April 10th Error Banner piece tells us that the Town of Aurora Public Library has laid of 28 of its 33 staff.
In a statement the CEO offers these empty words “This is the new reality and we are doing the best we can”.
An interesting take, especially when the City of Toronto showed that the best it could do was convert its closed libraries to food banks to help those more vulnerable residents
So while the CEO of the Aurora Public Library keeps his job, which put him on the 2019 Sunshine list with a $150,000 salary, he fails to recognize any opportunity to redeploy his staff to serve the community during this pandemic:
“If we have the opportunity to have more (staff at work), I will absolutely do that.”
I call bullshit.
It appears this CEO does have such opportunity, he just didn’t bother to look very hard to see what his peers are doing.
It is not like the Aurora Public Library is a stranger to handling food. Early last month they held a hands on cooking class:
If changes need to be made to the Library to accomplish this so be it.The Aurora Public Library has $159,000 in its reserve fund which can be leveraged to changes in how the space within the facility is used by the board:
And if that wasn’t enough you have a union rep stating that the staff you laid off “want to keep serving their community at a time of crisis.”
Having the library CEO state he feels terrible and that he can’t wait to open the library back again is not an appropriate response to confronting this pandemic.
News flash, you will have to wait.
How about instead of sitting back and handing out digital library cards you live up to your Vision : “We are essential to the community. Our inclusive and collaborative approach makes Aurora a better place to live. Through innovative, engaged staff and evolving spaces, we transform lives by supporting literacy and cultivating creativity, conversation and joy.”
Evolving spaces means just that.
Evolve. Not waiting for things to return to normal.
It speaks volumes on the Aurora Public Library board and its CEO’s ability to deliver on its vision when the Aurora Optimist Club and NoFrills are not wasting any opportunities to do so:
#NotAuroraProud
#ClearlyNotTheBestYouCanDo
#NotInGoodCompany
#NotGettingThingsDone
#AbsenceOfLeadership
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