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Multnomah County library staff have been told that up to 128 library jobs may be cut. Library director Vailey Oehlke has made no effort to clarify the number of positions that will be cut to library staff. This has instilled a sense of fear and uncertainty for staff. Positions slated for elimination include clerks, the only digital equity librarian, access services assistants, library assistants, and youth librarians - including one-third of the BCLA (Black Cultural Library Advocates) youth librarians.
Guest Windy Medrano is a bilingual Spanish-speaking library assistant and a represented member of the Local 88 Union. She has worked with Multnomah County Library for 9 years and in that time has worked closely with the Latinx community in East County. She is getting her degree in library and information sciences to become a librarian. She is part of the organizing effort to stop the layoffs and stand up against racism at the library. For more information please go to: http://www.savelibrarystaff.
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- KBOO