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Librarians press Camden County for higher pay, fuller staffing as summer programs strain branches
Summary
Camden County library staff and supporters told commissioners the system is understaffed and underpaid compared with neighboring counties, affecting story times, literacy programs and federal grant retention; commissioners said negotiations are ongoing and the board will not negotiate in public.
Library staff, union members and community supporters appealed to the Camden County Board of Commissioners on July 9 for higher pay and improved staffing in the Camden County Library System, saying pay rates are driving vacancies that reduce children’s programming and threaten literacy services.
Sarah Junich, who identified herself as a library worker and president of Ask Me Local 14 54, told the board that branches are short staffed and that several youth services positions are vacant. Junich said the system has lost federal grants and estimated that a Camden County librarian with a required master’s degree is paid $46,000, while Burlington County pays $58,000 for comparable positions and Cherry Hill recently set pay roughly $7,400 higher than Camden County for an equivalent role. Junich said vacancies have forced branches to rely on paid vendors and that South County branch has been without a children’s librarian since September.
Other union members and library staff supported Junich’s remarks. Brianna Weatherholtz and Casey Palmer described steep program attendance declines after librarian departures and urged commissioners to pay librarians a living wage to retain staff and maintain services. Kate Delaney, speaking for South Jersey Progressive Democrats, linked library staffing and compensation to the county’s broader public services and urged that public praise for programs match funding and compensation.
Commissioners responded that they value libraries and their staff but said collective‑bargaining discussions cannot be conducted in public. One commissioner noted negotiations may be in mediation and said county negotiators are working on a settlement; another commissioner praised the library’s programs and role as cooling centers this summer.
No contractual agreement was announced at the meeting. The board indicated negotiations remain ongoing; commissioners encouraged staff and union representatives to continue bargaining through the appropriate processes rather than at the dais.
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