We Were Santa Monica Laid Off Librarians
SM
Daily Press: 6.24 .2020 by Laid Off Librarians
Dear Santa Monica,
We are the LOLS (Laid Off Librarians of
Santa Monica). We were your colleagues and friends. We spent more of our time
together with you than with most of our families. We think it’s crazy that
we’re parting ways without having an opportunity to advocate for ourselves and
our jobs, so for our last act we’d like to remind you who you’ve lost.
I never imagined my time here would end this way, laid off with
a third of my colleagues in the middle of a global pandemic and recession. I’m angry that the City would treat longtime
employees so brutally. I’m disappointed
that they tossed their liberal values out the window as soon as money was on
the line. Jeff Kaplan
Delia Galan
I designed and hosted 18 adult/community
programs, some of which you may have attended. These included the Race Relay
discussion during Santa Monica Reads last year; Empowerment Self-Defense, The
Biggest Little Farm movie screening and discussion, and a soup-making class
with The Gourmandise School. I also hosted 20 Spanish story times at Fairview
Branch.
Simran Khalsa
I’ve assisted in classes SMPL offered on
newer technologies like Raspberry Pi and 3D printing. For the past several
years I’ve also specialized in assisting nonprofits with Candid’s Foundation
Center Online Professional database.
For the past year I have participated in
an experimental new model for how the library deploys and schedules its
workforce, and my experience and feedback will directly impact the changes you
are about to see in the library’s future services.
Barbara Fleeman
I’ve had the privilege of working at SMPL
since 2010 as both a Reference and Public Services Librarian.
I’ve helped shape our top-notch
collections, drafted the Library’s homeless services plan, started the SMPL
newsletter and engaged the community via social media.
Hanako Moondance
From involvement in the How-To, Arts
& Literacy, and Fierce Friday teen book festivals to a multitude of story
times – in English, in Spanish, in the Community Garden.
Ingha Chopra
Since 2014, I’ve had the honor to serve
my local neighborhood and community as the Youth Services Librarian at SMPL’s
Montana Branch.
I’d serve as an ambassador for SMPL by
doing outreach visits to Franklin and Roosevelt elementary schools to promote
SMPL’s Summer Reading Program.
Vanessa Alvarado
had the opportunity to work on other
projects and develop programs, like LEARN, our after-school program offering
reading and homework help from amazing volunteers. The many festivals and
events held in the adjacent Virginia Avenue Park – like the Fall Festival, Arts
& Literacy, Greens Festival, and the annual Dia de los Muertos celebration.
Julia Rose
I’ve worked at Santa Monica Public
Library for over five years. In that time, I’ve led countless youth programs –
so many of which I am incredibly proud.
Jeff Kaplan
I’ve proudly served the City of Santa
Monica as a Reference Librarian. I’ve taught hundreds of free computer classes.
I was part of a dream team of coworkers that grew the library’s social media
presence from nothing to over 13,000 followers on Facebook and nearly 6,000 on
Twitter.
Myleen DeJesus
My name is Myleen and I have spent nearly
one-third of my life as a Youth Services Librarian for SMPL.
Training the SMPL Tech Teens volunteers,
and coordinating large events like the annual teen book festival Fierce Friday
and the Summer Reading Program. I led Family Game Nights and LEGO programs. I
was the librarian who brought Instagram to SMPL.
Christa Muscatine
I’ve been a Youth Services Librarian at
SMPL since 2008.
Examples of these would be the yearly
Harvest Festivals, Stuffed Animal Sleepovers, Star Wars Day programs and Christmas
Gingerbread House decorating programs.
Debbie Glasser
I had many duties, and ran a variety of
programs, but one that I felt had a particularly powerful community impact is
the L.E.A.R.N (Learn, Excel, And Read Now) program, which offers free reading
and homework help. READ
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