Update 4/4/2025: F2RCCC is allowed to coordinate with the CC Libraries Manager for future food/beverage donations as long as we don't post pictures or politicize the gift.
From the perspective of a former employee of the CCO library who moved to a different workplace and out of the area before the pandemic, this is appalling. Like any other time when school was out, Masters week tended to be super hectic, so it was always such a deeply appreciated surprise and morale boost when volunteers and folks who wanted to support the library staff would offer or bring in food or other goodies. It seems deliberately cruel to deny staff this gift simply because it was associated with a particular group. It's concerning that staff seem to be under a lot of pressure to mask any potential stress or discomfort (due to the actions of leadership) and keep mum about potentially unethical or illegal reshelving/cataloging efforts.
As I read through these notes, I interpreted the mention of instituting staff uniforms to be a red flag for where leadership is taking the library. And those paragraphs at the end of the notes are...interesting:
"I’m not here to intimidate, scare or lead with terrorization...at the end of the day, I don’t need your agreement...Enough is enough, you either want this to work or you don’t... we do not do what we want, we do what is required."
In addition, I noticed that as of April 2025, library board meetings now commence with an invocation and the pledge of allegiance (?!). Very bizarre, very Christian nationalist-y. I wonder how much influence Mrs. Bence had over that decision. I would pretend that I don't know why such changes have been made, but the intentions behind them are patently apparent: forcing their far-right ideological standpoint on the library, its staff, and all community members who may patronize the library.
Oh no. How was that disseminated? That an individual group was singled out? It would make more sense to pause volunteers all together. Did they give a reasoning?
It wasn’t publicly disclosed. I found it on Open Records and started asking. I submitted a volunteer application and the response was basically we’ll let you know if we need you and that the library is going through a lot of changes. The individual who applied in February was never responded to.
From the perspective of a former employee of the CCO library who moved to a different workplace and out of the area before the pandemic, this is appalling. Like any other time when school was out, Masters week tended to be super hectic, so it was always such a deeply appreciated surprise and morale boost when volunteers and folks who wanted to support the library staff would offer or bring in food or other goodies. It seems deliberately cruel to deny staff this gift simply because it was associated with a particular group. It's concerning that staff seem to be under a lot of pressure to mask any potential stress or discomfort (due to the actions of leadership) and keep mum about potentially unethical or illegal reshelving/cataloging efforts.
As I read through these notes, I interpreted the mention of instituting staff uniforms to be a red flag for where leadership is taking the library. And those paragraphs at the end of the notes are...interesting:
"I’m not here to intimidate, scare or lead with terrorization...at the end of the day, I don’t need your agreement...Enough is enough, you either want this to work or you don’t... we do not do what we want, we do what is required."
In addition, I noticed that as of April 2025, library board meetings now commence with an invocation and the pledge of allegiance (?!). Very bizarre, very Christian nationalist-y. I wonder how much influence Mrs. Bence had over that decision. I would pretend that I don't know why such changes have been made, but the intentions behind them are patently apparent: forcing their far-right ideological standpoint on the library, its staff, and all community members who may patronize the library.
This is the sad truth and library staff had to hide it from the public. Thank you for shining a light on how deep the corruption has gone.
It sounds like volunteers are not paused per the meeting notes?
Correct, but anyone from our group is not allowed to volunteer. So, I guess other people can volunteer. I'll try to clarify that.
Oh no. How was that disseminated? That an individual group was singled out? It would make more sense to pause volunteers all together. Did they give a reasoning?
It wasn’t publicly disclosed. I found it on Open Records and started asking. I submitted a volunteer application and the response was basically we’ll let you know if we need you and that the library is going through a lot of changes. The individual who applied in February was never responded to.