When someone visits the library, they’ll often stop by the information desk. Whatever the question is, a librarian should have an answer.
That’s where Shelby Fordham, a youth and early literacy associate at the East Independence branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library, spends much of her day. But before she even gets to the front desk, she and her coworkers spend hours reshelving and pulling hundreds of books for patrons who have holds. When Fordham has a youth program or meeting, she has to do that after the full day of work she’s already put in.
Lately, Fordham said, her job has gotten harder. She said she’s not paid a livable wage, has worked during severe weather, doesn’t get much sick time or paid time off and has continued working in the building even when the plumbing, electricity or internet is out.
That’s why Fordham and hundreds of her coworkers say they are unionizing. About 60% of the more than 700 union-eligible staff members have signed a public petition of support for unionizing with the Communications Workers of America Local 6360. They’re hoping to win better wages, more time off, safety protections at work and to bring the library system up to full staffing levels.
“We got into this work because we love our communities, and we see our libraries as a fantastic way to build those communities,” Fordham said. “We just want to be able to do that without constantly counting pennies at the end of every month, and without having to worry about whether or not we're going to have electricity and running water at work.”
KCUR has reached out to the Mid-Continent Public Library for comment.
If they win their union election, the Mid-Continent workers will be the second, and largest, library union in the state. The Daniel Boone Public Library, which primarily serves Boone and Callaway counties, was the first in Missouri to unionize in 2022.
Mid-Continent is one of the largest and busiest library systems in Missouri. It has more than 35 locations and serves more than 840,000 people in Jackson, Clay and Platte counties.
Mid-Continent’s vision statement is to “provide the best library experience in North America.” Bryce Johnsen, a customer service supervisor at the Mid-Continent branch in Gladstone, said he thinks that’s possible, but only if the library’s workers have a seat at the table through the union.
“Library workers are the library's greatest resource,” Johnsen said. “Whenever you walk into a library, you want to see a helpful, friendly library worker, and we want that, too. We always want to be there for the public, because that's our job. That's what we love to do, and we can do it best when we're well protected, when we have good benefits and when we have good pay to support ourselves.”
A recent pay equity study conducted by the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, which KCUR obtained, compared wages for many public-facing staff levels among the public library systems in Kansas City, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Johnson County; Lawrence; Omaha and Mid-Continent. Mid-Continent workers were paid the lowest out of all six systems in virtually every position.
The only Mid-Continent positions in the study that made high-ranking wages were those at the director level.
The library’s board voted in 2022 to decrease a tax levy that funds the library and reduce the system’s operating budget, which workers at the time said could lead to problems for years to come, like more staff cuts and longer wait times for patrons.
Johnsen said many library workers at Mid-Continent have left their jobs for higher-paying positions in neighboring library systems. He hopes more people will be able to stay in their jobs, and in the Mid-Continent system, because of the unionization effort.
“A lot of library workers leave because we can't afford to do it anymore, and it's heartbreaking every time,” Johnsen said. “People in the Northland, people in Independence, people in Platte County, we deserve good library workers, too, and we should pay them what we're worth.”
Fordham said the staffing shortage at Mid-Continent makes the job harder for those who remain in their positions. On any given day, in addition to her other job duties, Fordham said she helps patrons access low-income housing assistance, apply for green cards, register to vote, and pay and appeal their property taxes. She also gives them emotional support and a place to rest.
Despite that, Fordham said she believes the unionization effort has improved morale. She said she and other librarians across the system want to keep providing those services to patrons, but they need better working conditions to make that possible.
“I've met incredible librarians who see the same issues that I do,” Fordham said. “They can't be the kind of librarian that they want to be, because we don't allow them to. They don't have the time, the money or the resources to be able to provide even what they were a few years ago to their patrons. That's really hard, because I remember as a kid loving the library.”
Editor's note: Mid-Continent Public Library workers are unionizing with the Communications Workers of America Local 6360, the union that also represents KCUR content creators. We Make KCUR is in a different unit and did not assist in organizing library workers.
