Unorganized. Secretive. Elitist. - Anonymous employee Linda Hall Library Employee Review

1.0
3 Apr 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Non-leadership staff are so kind and knowledgeable, decent PTO, unique collection, usually pretty quiet work spaces

Cons

This place is run by people who do not care about libraries, education, scholarly work, or the importance of this collection. They want to (and have already taken steps to) turn it into a museum/ event space where the library collection is a backdrop, rather than the focus. The President and his yes men go unchecked as they blow through budgets on remodeling projects for non-public spaces, private trips disguised as work trips, and gaudy exhibitions. Instead, they slash budgets from all other departments, but especially the collections budget. A collection that is rapidly deteriorating and running out of physical room, by the way. Anyone who dissents about how things are being managed is either forced out, demoted, or otherwise silenced by administration. Recently, as staff has continued to rapidly turn over, they have begun siloing areas of the library from one another and they have discontinued all elective committees where staff could potentially mix and form relationships. Information only seems to make it's way to the rest of the staff via the rumor mill because ELT only speaks to us with vague corporate lingo instead of truthful, transparent communication. And you might as well not even bother holding leadership to their word as they often back track, rewrite, or fully deny previously shared information. This place is incredibly reactionary - only creating guidelines and policies after something happens to staff or if staff complain long enough for a solution. They have even gone as far as flagging truthful reviews here to avoid accountability for how unhappy staff is here. I'm sure this review will also get flagged too but I'm tired of staying silent.

Explore other reviews about Linda Hall Library

5.0
31 Jan 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Linda Hall Library offers competitive salaries, nice people to work with, and an environment dedicated to science and engineering. If you want to work somewhere that will value you as an individual and for your contributions to the team, Linda Hall Library is an outstanding option.

Cons

I can't think of any downside.

1
2.0
20 May 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The benefits are good. The PTO is generous. It's a small nonprofit that is very welcoming.

Cons

This place is depressing and it isn't getting better. Half of the library workers are searching for an exit. Collection and maintenance budgets are cut. Budgets for people with library responsibilities are cut, but they are asked to do more. Meanwhile departments that deal in marketing and events and soliciting donations are cruising along fine. When I got hired, a librarian was the president. The library was proud of its library staff and specialized collection. There were a few marketing and donor workers to highlight the collection, but the library collection was the priority. They used to reward staff with almost monthly breakfast and lunches to create a sense of community within departments. Linda Hall used to pay more than other libraries in the area. Not a lot more but it was better. I used to recommend it to friends in other libraries. None of this is the case anymore. Now it's an event space with a collection as an afterthought. We collect less scientific journals. Instead they are talking about collecting science fiction books like the ones people can already get from the public library down the road. So much for being an academic research library! Managers that were against these changes were fired or demoted. Communication is worse than its ever been despite promises to make it better.

4
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