District Library Board approves 6% raises for all staff members

The Belleville Area District Library Board at its regular meeting Dec. 14 approved a 6% raise in pay for Library Director Mary Jo Suchy – as well as for all of her staff.
This action followed the annual board evaluation of Director Suchy by unsigned forms where she received “above-average” or “outstanding” scores in all categories.
“She went above and beyond what is expected,” said Linda Priest, chairperson of the Personnel subcommittee in reporting on the tabulation of the scores.
Priest said the subcommittee recognized the cost of living is 5.9% and so it recommended a 6% across-the-board raise for Suchy and the whole staff.
As part of their work, the subcommittee used the Detroit Suburban Librarians Roundtable 2020 statistics compilation report on salaries.
Suchy’s annual wage went from $86,000 to $91,160 with the raise.
“We have to remind Mary Jo that she can’t give her raise to the staff since they already are getting a raise,” said board member John Juriga, jokingly referring to the year Suchy shared her raise with the staff.
The board applauded Suchy and board chairman said that the board had applauded her before, but this time board members are backing it up with cash.
Suchy said her staff makes her job a pleasure and, “They are with me all the way.”
Juriga pointed out it will make it easier to hire people with the new wages.
Priest reported Suchy’s goals for the coming year include working on the millage renewal and revising the website.
In other business at the hour-long meeting, the board:
• Approved updates to the circulation policy including a $120 charge for a non-resident who wishes to check out materials whose hometown library does not have a reciprocity agreement with the Belleville library. Most local libraries have such an agreement, with the exception of Ann Arbor;
• Heard a report on the Marketing subcommittee meeting where they mostly talked about the donor party which is coming up on March 11, before the grand opening in April. Chairperson Alma Hughes-Grubbs could not be present for the board meeting and so vice chairperson Mary Jo Dawson reported briefly on some of the plans being made, noting she will be looking into the price and what is involved in serving alcohol. “We had hoped we’d take off our masks and smile,” said chairperson Sharon Peters, referring to the two events planned for spring. She said they had a couple more months to see if the COVID restraints will continue;
• Heard Joy Cichewicz report on the Building subcommittee meeting where they paid bills and noted only four contractors are left. She said the air quality equipment installation is complete and it is doing bipolar ionization. Besides other details, Cichewicz reported it has been found that the top-of-the-line dishwasher is not a lemon but is sensitive to what’s coming in through its water lines. She said there is a blue-green, gritty paste in the hot water line. It is not coming from the cold water and more is to be done to discover the source. She said Bosch is the best you can buy. Director Suchy suggested it was like the “Princess and the Pea” story;
• Heard John Juriga report that on the Saturday that was so windy, he said he wouldn’t use the library elevator in case the power went out and he could get stranded inside. He said it was explained that when the power goes out, this elevator automatically goes down to the first floor and opens its doors;
• Heard Priest ask about the item in the accounts payable list that was “Fish Window Cleaning” for $3,104. She asked if that was about cleaning the Belleville Bass sculpture that has been placed in front of the library. Suchy told her that was for all the window cleaning that was done and has nothing to do with the Fish. Suchy reported window washing has been completed, including the interior glass partitions in the offices, study rooms, etc. They will be washed twice a year;
• Heard Suchy report that Santa has been at the library quite a bit lately, including at Winter Fest and with the free pictures with Santa offered by the Central Business Community. When asked if she told Santa what she wanted, Suchy said, “I already got what I wanted,” referring to the new library. Suchy said friends and staff helped the library unit march in the Winter Fest parade “with our not-so-precise precision book truck brigade” and passed out candy and bookmarks;
• Heard Suchy report new staff members are Lori Najduk as part-time circulation clerk, Daniel Amakeme as shelving page, and Rachel Davies as part-time adult services librarian. Circulation clerk Keisha Murphy has moved on to a full-time job. Noelle Douglas was promoted to library assistant and extra hours have been given to clerk Amy O’Brien who is acting as the library’s liaison with the teens during after-school hours. Teens have discovered the library and the second floor is filled every afternoon;
• Heard Cichewicz discuss Suchy’s proposal to have a seed saving and swapping program at the library. The program is called One Seed, One State and is organized by the Michigan Seed Library Network. Cichewicz said the library in Ypsilanti that she directs has such a program and it has lots of possibilities. Patrons check out seeds in the spring and then after the plants mature and are harvested the mature seeds are returned to the library to restart the program. Cichewicz suggested a gardener on staff should be in charge because some seeds aren’t appropriate to use. The growth of seed libraries is due to increasing recognition of seed saving as a way to combat the loss of crop diversity from commercialization, according to an article on the program that was included in the board packet;
• Heard Cichewicz thank the Personnel committee for the recommendation to raise the pay for the staff. She said you have to have a master’s degree to be a librarian and the pay is low;
• Heard Mary Jane Dawson said members of the BYC were to deliver Christmas packages to 16 families the next day, covering 51 children. She said she decorated 51 stockings as the delivery was being prepared;
• Heard treasurer Tanya Stoudemire say that she admires Suchy and, “She’s amazing. She really is”;
• Heard Peters said that she was on the board that hired Suchy as director and they made a great decision. Peters said she is shocked that this is the board’s last meeting of the year and it is wonderful for them to be in the library. She said it is also wonderful what the new library has meant to the community. She said they planned the teen loft and had a vision and it’s become a premiere after-school program – on steroids. She said the library needs the help of the community and parents since that vitality is bubbling over. Peters said it has been a heck of a year and she’s looking forward to next year, but she doesn’t know how they can top this year.