Staff called to meeting
STAFF of the Central Library were informed of the decision to close at an emergency meeting with the County Librarian, Donal Tinney on Tuesday evening, just before it shut for the day.
The meeting took place with Mr Tinney at about 4pm who outlined how staff resources had become so depleted that it wasn’t possible to keep its doors open any longer.
It is understood that one employee has recently left for a position in Maynooth having spent the last six months on contract with the Central Library. Another employee is also due to leave shortly leaving just three employees working on the floor of the library which isn’t enough to keep it operating.
The Sligo Champion has learned that at least seven employees are required at ‘ ground floor level’ at the library in order for it to function adequately which would include cover for breaks such as tea and lunch and also more, importantly for holidays.
Like the libraries in Ballymote and Tubbercurry, Sligo Central Library has also seen closures over the past couple of years during the summer months as the County Council said it had no other option but to effect temporary closures to cover staff holidays.
The library closed its doors at 5pm on Saturday with uncertainty over when it will re- open.
There are fears the library may not re- open until next Spring as it may take that long to get replacement staff. Even, if four vacancies were advertised immediately, such would be the large response that processing them would take several weeks and then interviews of suitable candidates would add to this timeline, leaving the library closed for several months as a result.
It has even been suggested that a re- opening of the library might not take place until next February or March. Over the past couple of years, staff have been doing extra duties to cover for others who have left and haven’t been replaced.
The closure couldn’t come a worst time for the library with book loans on the up and also a new online nationwide ordering system beginning to kick in. Members of the public with books outstanding will be encouraged to place them in the drop- off box at the library. The remaining staff are due to learn their fate this week. They may be redeployed to the libraries in Ballymote or Tubbercurry.
An initial statement from the County Council last Wednesday stated the library from Monday was the latest in a series of ‘ rolling closures’ affecting all of Sligo’s branch libraries. No decision has been taken in relation to the branch closing on a long term basis. It is expected this decision will be made in the coming days, at which point a further statement will be issued.