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Library advocates urge larger, permanent staffing investment as branches run thin

AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Library Advisory Board Chair Janet Sayers told the City Council the Albuquerque library system is under‑staffed and relies heavily on temporary employees; the board seeks roughly $2.5 million to convert temporary positions to permanent roles and stabilize service hours.

Janet Sayers, chair of the Library Advisory Board, told the City Council on May 6 that Albuquerque’s 19 branch libraries face long‑term staffing shortfalls that limit hours, services and fundraising capacity. Sayers said the system operates “on a shoestring,” comparing it to “one chef and one waiter” and saying a large share of the workforce—about one in four employees—are temporary hires who can be employed only two years.

Sayers said branch staffing varies widely across the city and…

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