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Norwalk library trustees back director to pursue part-time staff pay increases; details to be phased
Summary
Trustees voted to support proposed raises for part-time library staff after hearing benchmarking data and market comparisons. The board asked the director to prioritize librarians this year and to work with finance on a phased approach; exact raise amounts were discussed but not finalized in the meeting record.
The Norwalk Public Library Board of Trustees voted to support a proposal to increase pay for part-time staff after the library director presented benchmarking data showing local pay lagging peer market rates.
Library Director Cheryl (last name not specified in the transcript) told trustees part-time staff have not received raises in more than a decade and that the library’s part-time budget was cut last year by $50,000. The director presented market-rate comparisons from the Connecticut Library Association (Region 4) and proposed starting raises beginning with the librarians.
Salary figures discussed in the meeting (as presented by the director) included: shelvers at $16.35 per hour after the statewide minimum wage increase; custodians at $17 per hour with a proposed $20 target; library assistants currently at $19 with a proposed $23 target; and librarians currently at $26.29 with a recommended market rate of about $34.02. The director said she would attempt to raise librarians’ pay toward $31 this fiscal year if the part-time budget cut of $50,000 can be restored; she said finance agreed to discuss fiscal-year 2026–27 adjustments.
Trustees discussed options including phasing raises across two fiscal years and splitting some available funds to partially raise custodians and clerks as well as librarians. Several trustees urged the director to use her judgment to allocate limited funds to recruit and retain staff. The board voted to support the director’s plan to implement raises; the motion text in the meeting record was not precise (participants disputed whether the motion was to grant “half of the recommended salary column” or to target the $30–$31 range for librarians), but trustees approved the director moving forward with the pay adjustments.
No individual vote tallies by name were recorded in the transcript for this motion; the meeting record shows a voice vote in favor with no recorded “no” votes or abstentions. The director said she will work with finance to restore the $50,000 part-time budget and to phase additional increases in subsequent fiscal years.
