And Then They Shelved the Shelvers

A wise person once told me that the people who are the closest to the actual work of education have the least power/say/input of anyone in a school system. That would be teachers, and from my experience that’s true.

Mindbogglingly stupid, but true.

Today I’m writing because it seems that it may also be true in libraries, and it concerns me. I’ve been sitting on this for a while because I’m a huge fan of our library system and I didn’t want to see my words twisted by bad actors for their own purposes. 

The recent firing and then rehiring of library shelvers was the last straw for me. 

So, let’s look back a bit. These are the questions I was asking in November of 2025.

This is very basic. Am I correct in assuming that workers would not go to the effort to organize/establish a union if their relationship with management was satisfactory? In other words, that unions come about because of an unresolved problem or problems?

I reached out to a friend whose area of expertise is precisely this. They explained:

Yes. Basically any imbalance of power over time is going to create a dynamic where workers will want a say in their workplace. Generally, the fear of going after a union and up against management has to be greater than the fear that if you do nothing, things continue to be intolerable. In other words, things have to be pretty bad, because most people's default position is 'don't rock the boat'.

In other words, workers don’t unionize just for fun. It’s not a frivolous decision. 

And if the people who are the closest to the patrons walking in the door and receiving assistance at the library have organized and established a union, then it means there are significant issues that have not been resolved by the workplace procedures available to them.

This troubles me. 

I believe in the mission of public libraries and I strongly support our Howard County Libraries. I’ve been happy to lend my support to the plan for the new Downtown Library. But I’m also a lifelong supporter of unions and I’m really distressed at the impasse between the library management and the newly formed union of library workers. 

Everything I know about libraries tells me that they should be at the forefront of acknowledging workers’ rights and negotiating fairly with unions. In fact, until now I would have expected that the Howard County Library System would have stepped up to be the most collaborative and, truthfully, a model of management-labor relations.

Especially now, when disregard of workers’ rights is the hallmark of the current administration in Washington, I feel that libraries should be the opposite of that. 

I’m disheartened. Honestly I struggled with how to advocate for a new library while library workers’ rights are not prioritized. Not because any of this is proof that “we can’t afford one” but because, if our library system doesn’t live out high standards in how they negotiate with their workers, well…what is the point of any of this?

What are their underlying values if human capital is not honored right along with education, community connection, and intellectual freedom?

I shared my quandary with my knowledgeable friend. The answer was simple. 

The need for the infrastructure and the way management treats its workers are separate—you can advocate for both.

So I continue to advocate for the new Downtown Library. And today I’m putting it out there that how they treat their workers is every bit as important to me as everything else they do.

I want so much to support the county libraries. I’m grateful for everything they are and I could link to multiple blog posts elaborating my faith in their value. But it is not unreasonable to want their labor practices meet the high standards they strive to meet in other areas - - the ones that win them national awards and make them an essential part of community life. 

When the people who are the closest to the actual work of our libraries have the least power/say/input of anyone in the system then it will always be weaker than it needs to be. Without empowering those people you cannot have this: 

At Howard County Library System, we believe a strong library is vital for a strong community. We invite you to work with us as co-creators to imagine and create a stronger community for everyone.

Values like these - - values I support - - must be built upon the firmest of foundations. Fair labor practices that honor and empower workers are an essential element of that foundation. 

Village Green/Town² Comments