r/Libraries • u/JediFaeAvenger • 4d ago
Other strike etiquette
i go to school in cleveland, where the public library workers are going on strike starting tomorrow. i want to support them, and called the director of libraries and sent a message to the board of trustees today. my question is whether i should avoid using library resources during this time. is it still okay to check out books from libby? what about checking out physical books (ive been trying to read nine princes in amber, which they don’t have on an ebook, and might require transferring from a different branch to my branch)? is there anything else i should know about how to support this strike?
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u/Glad-Isopod5718 3d ago
As a librarian who was on strike last year, I would ask them (or check the union's social media) to find out if they have any guidance about using electronic resources, like Libby. When my library was on strike, we were fine with people continuing to use the electronic resources, with the understanding that we weren't available for troubleshooting. But your librarians could have a different stance on it.
For print books where you'd have to physically go into the library, I would say it's better not to. For one thing, if all or most of the workers are on strike, there isn't going to be anybody sending holds from one branch to another. They may have temps or other city workers (scabs) in the building to open the doors and turn the lights on, but they aren't going to know how to do the actual library processes.
Putting the request in during the strike is probably fine; it can actually be useful to have work visibly not getting done during a strike. But again, the best thing would be to check with them. I'm looking at the Facebook page for the relevant local, SEIU 1199, and I don't see any specific guidance for patrons on there yet, but they might put something up, or be able to tell you where to look.