Top heavy and corporatized - Library Staff Austin Public Library (TX) Employee Review

Lots of branches, some solid management, incredible staff

Salaries are on low-ish side, especially for plain old librarian positions; bit clique-y, so good luck finding your place until you've been there a while

There are some incredible individuals working at APL. Artists, thinkers, and some of the best all around people I’ve met at a job. City benefits - health insurance, PTO, job security. There’s flexibility to transfer between branches. Each branch/workplace has a very different vibe

The HR department may as well not exist. Harassment from other staff members happens often enough, with seemingly zero consequences. The cliques I’ve been witness to are next level. Workplace bullying is real, and the Regina Georges don’t really see any consequences for their actions. It can be very isolating and toxic. I’ve had some of the best managers I’ve ever had, and some of the worst. Luck of the draw I guess. Instead of hiring for vacant management positions, they move people around. An interim manager may well be there for over a year. It really sucks and can totally change the workplace environment when there’s someone in charge for an unprecedented amount of time that didn’t go through the usual hiring/vetting process for that position. Something I’ve never experienced at other jobs. Working for the city has benefits but also cons. At the end of the day, you are working under a bureaucratic government umbrella and it can be very micromanage-y. Front facing, custodial, or facilities staff are not compensated sufficiently for their labor. Overall, pay is on the low side, but especially for those facing and dealing with the public. Need to hire more Spanish speakers and compensate them for their extra work. Over 32% of the city’s population speaks Spanish and our staff who are here to serve the public should reflect that.