Wow Nora she is such a controlling you know what. I’m not happy that the new TA is going along with this decision.

what about the people who bought books cuz they can't afford to go to borders?? that not a nice tghing to do to the citizens of wareham....

Where are the SAVE OUR LIBRARY SIGNS? Time to get them back out on the lawns.

It really is a shame that the January sale is canceled. It is one of our biggest money makers all year. We don't have a November sale because of Thanksgiving. Then at the beginning of December we only have an abbreviated book sale during our Holiday Fair. So come January, people are looking to replenish their reading supply. And with the cold weather, a lot of people like to hunker down and keep warm with a good book to read. Sales are brisk in January, so to speak.

Who loses in this case? Not the Friends. It means that this month a few of us who do the heavy lifting won't need to be taking motrin for those back aches. And the people who work the day of the book sale will have that Saturday free to spend with families or run errands etc.

Who really loses? Well, the citizens of Wareham who use the library since all proceeds from our book sales support the library. Last fiscal year we gave M. Griswold invoices for $45,000 for books purchased for the library. Then we gave her invoices for another $20,000 from this fiscal year for books purchased.  The money we make from the book sales goes right back into the library. And yes, we have invoices and receipts to prove it!!! (Evidence folks, evidence.)

If this is supposed to be some form of "punishment" to the Friends, it missed by a mile. It's the library and the taxpayers/patrons who lose out this time. How sad and pathetic is that?? A personal feud trumps the needs of the citizens of the town.  Maybe that's more sick than sad. IMO anyway.

Looks like quite a few people missed seeing the notices in the local papers that the book sale was canceled and did not see the sign on the door. Quite a few people came to the library yesterday looking for the sale and were very upset to see that it was canceled. We have no way to contact the people who come just for the book sale every month and don't read the papers. The reason we make good money from the sales is because we have a strong following. I hope they aren't mad at us and will return if we are ever allowed to have another book sale.

I understand the acting director was there and things got uncomfortable to say the least. More on this after I have my am coffee.

Ham, 
I think it needs to be said that while we all know our leadership is seriously lacking that the cancellation of the monthly book sale is a management decision and lies squarely in the lap of the new TA.  We were all led to believe that his talent is finance so someone please help me here to understand how such a decision, when its being reported that our revenues won't cover our expenses and accordingly we'll be faced with voting on reduced service, that we're consciously further depriving the library from operating at full capacity.

Has anyone emailed the new TA to ask why he has decided to stop the book sale? Nora has anyone from the friends gone to his office to ask him why he made the decision to stop the sale? He made a big deal about having an open door policy.

Quite a day at the WFL yesterday!! Where to start?

Well, let's start with the book sale since that is the thread title: Quite a few people come to our book sales on the 4th Saturday of the month from town and neighboring communities. One person drove 45 minutes and was not happy to learn it was canceled. M. Griswold was at the library on Sat., so the staff suggested some of these angry patrons speak to her about it. The ever-professional acting director BLAMED THE STAFF for NOT EMAILING people to let them know it had been canceled!! Like, what does she think that the library has the email of every person in the world who comes to the book sale??? And it's the FRIENDS book sale anyway.  And would that have been a good use of staff time?? Nothing like having the backs of your staff!!! Throw them to the wolves instead. Great management strategy.

Only TWO staff members were assigned to work on Saturday, one of the busiest days at the library.That is WAY understaffed for the library.  So, the COA volunteer "sat" in the Children's Room so it could be open. However, since she can't answer any questions, doesn't know how the books are shelved in categories, and can't even check a book out, the person at the main circulation desk basically did that work too. Then for about an hour and a half, MG sat with the volunteer in the Children's Room and they chatted the whole time. Plenty of books needed to be shelved, the main phone went unanswered often because there was only one person at the desk who was waiting on a patron. Staff didn't get to take a bathroom break never mind the legally required 15 minutes.  My "sources" tell me there was a constant line at the main desk waiting to check out, sign up as a new patron, or ask a question. 

Oh, and MG brought in a big stack of the tacky tabloid and put it on a table in the lobby (she was irritated that the FREE, Wareham Week was available). A couple of people asked the staff member if they had to pay the 75 cents. FREE FOR ONLY 75 CENTS!!!!

And to answer Marny's question, yes, the President of the Friends has an appointment to speak with the TA. Oh, and when she was told that one of the reasons that the sale was being canceled was because of the ongoing investigation, she called the IG investigator who had given her his card when they met at the library file drawers. So she called him and asked if they knew of any reason that we couldn't have a book sale during the investigation. The investigator was surprised to hear about it and said he couldn't imagine how the investigation would be a reason for canceling the sale.

I firmly believe, and this is my opinion and mine only, that the action of the BoS to put M. Griswold in as acting library director when she clearly is not capable of doing a barely passable job, is another sign that these people should NOT be hiring town employees who are paid with OUR tax dollars. And don't forget, the acting director gets PAID to work, not sit and chat. YOUR tax dollars at.....??work??

It will be interesting to see how Mr. Andrews handles any complaints.

And let me point out, that I have every right as a taxpayer to complain about the actions and behavior of a town employee, especially when I believe that employee is NOT doing her job.  The acting director does and says these things in public, with witnesses observing her.  It is not a secret, and several people have made complaints to the TA and I understand that after what happened Saturday, more will be made.

I guess it is ok for our BoS to publicly excoriate town employees both in regular meetings and illegally in executive sessions, but others are not supposed to complain about a town employee's improper comments and gross mismanagement of a town department.  How's that for hypocrisy??

This is why it is important to focus on April.Look at the blunders this group has made. First time is a mistake, the second time is a habit. We need new leadership and April is the answer.

IHS, as I'm sure your aware, angel-joe is amongst the most "unhinged" of the tin foil hat club..constant idiocy out of that one. "Hey Joe" is it hard to type with your head up your ass?? Just wondering...

P-SPAN
TAKEBACKWAREHAM
April 6, 2010

thank you BW or common i hate Joe was way of the mark. you cant become a friend of Wareham Free lib. if you are not signed on to facebook a very up right sight. nothing wrong with the site just the people looking at it with the wrong point of view.