I haven't had time to blog about this, but it's been on my mind a lot lately. I have written about my librarian friend who is going through difficult times and have mentioned that I'd spent a couple of days working on a proposed budget for her library for 2007.

The board meeting took place a couple of weeks ago and they passed the budget. Sad to say, but it does not include a raise for her. Her assistant will get a raise because they have to give her one since minimum wage in PA is going up. So she will be making almost as much as my friend who has all the responsibility on her shoulders.

My friend will continue to make less than $15,000 a year while trying to support herself and 2 teenage girls.

One of the board members did take her and her full-time volunteer and buy them new eyeglasses. I thought that was very kind of her.

I sure do wish that library boards saw themselves as an employer and not just volunteers. I have seen it over and over again in these small, rural libraries. They pay peanuts, yet expect the librarian to do everything, usually including the fundraising, which is the board's responsibility.