Update on Library Volunteer Program

Mayor Sean R. Reardon is updating the community on the Volunteer program at the Newburyport Public Library with the following statement:

It has been almost a year since the Newburyport Public Library’s volunteer program was paused in response to a grievance from AFSCME Union Local 939. The grievance concerned the overlap of volunteer responsibilities with those of Union staff, and this pause was seen as the best way to fully respond to the Union’s concerns. During this time, we have hired a new Head Librarian, engaged in further discussions with Library staff and Union representatives, and worked with the Board on their concerns for a new policy. I also met with volunteers last year to hear about the work they contributed to the library and to better understand their roles.

The Head Librarian and Assistant Head Librarian have been working hard on creating new guidelines for a volunteer program. I have long said that any new program would need to be workable for Library staff and have the support of the Union in order to resolve the grievance. The policy must ultimately be accepted by the Board of Directors. My goal is to have a policy that responds to any need for volunteers that is identified by the Head Librarian and also gives an opportunity to better connect the Library to the community. At the same time, we recognize that our Library staff are well trained and qualified for the jobs they do, and volunteers will need to fulfill appropriate functions that meet AFSCME Union contract guidelines.

I was encouraged to hear last week that our Newburyport Public Library staff voted unanimously in approval of a new volunteer policy that will be before the Library Board of Directors at their next meeting. This is a welcome development, as staff had earlier expressed concerns about continuing the program as shown by the grievance about overlap of responsibilities. This policy is still in draft form, and will move next to the Board of Directors for approval. The draft volunteer policy can be found here.I look forward to our consideration of this policy. We may still wish to make recommendations on improving the policy, and we will be sure to work with the Library staff and Union on the best way to do so. 

I appreciate the collaboration that has been shown by all involved, and look forward to finalizing this new policy soon.