To the Editor:

In September, I was surprised to read in your pages that the trustees and senior management of the Guilderland Public Library were moving ahead with the expansion project [“Guilderland library to reopen in the midst of construction,”] in spite of the hazards presented by the COVID pandemic.

And recently in your pages I read — a bit aghast at several elements, I'll admit — the “Trustees listen to Guilderland library staff concerns and delay public browsing” article.  And, of course, I’ve also read Maria Buhl’s response [“Guilderland library staff are shocked and demoralized by trustees’ comments,”].

In those two items, that verbiage, two key points are buried:

— 1. “In August, when Director Timothy Wiles proposed keeping the building closed to the public while construction was going on, the trustees unanimously agreed that the building should be open in the midst of construction as residents had been promised when they voted to approve the project in May 2019.” — from the article;

— 2. “GPL staff is currently juggling two of the most difficult challenges a library could possibly face: a global pandemic with terrifying and rising numbers of infections at this writing; and a building-wide construction project that has upended the library … To be clear, and it’s worth stating the obvious, staff is not to be faulted for creating either of these immense challenges” — from Ms. Buhl’s letter.

Let’s look at these: A promise to keep the library open during construction, made 10 months pre-pandemic; and a pandemic raging during that construction. That the board is holding to that promise amid the risk of sickness and death is foolhardy at the very least.

I read where some trustees feel that the solution to this situation is — staff furloughs. It’s one thing to discuss options for closings, delayed construction, and finding solutions for unexpected challenges, but furloughs?

That trumps everything else the board has talked about, and is the surest way to send staff morale through the floor. I’d like to believe that it wa’ more than lip-service when, in years past, senior management referred to the staff as the library's “most valuable asset.”

Keep the staff on. Keep them paid. They work hard, even if you can't or won't see it. Mr. [Library Director Timothy] Wiles — whose position these days I do not envy — attests to that, and one only needs look at the website’s events calendar and circulation numbers for proof.

The board would be wise to remember that these professionals they are thinking about furloughing are the very same people necessary to reopen and run the library. Trustees, I’d always thought, took the long view as stewards, and did not make decisions on the model of draconian accountants.

Some may recognize my name; until two years ago, I was the library’s public information officer. I still care about the place, which is why I speak out today. It’s a rugged time, but with fortitude and patience, Guilderland will have a lovely library in several months.

As to the board’s angst about staff commenting anonymously: Please recognize that my former colleagues who chose to speak without attribution did so to let the board know how they feel about the current situation, and to do so without painting targets on their backs.

Mark Curiale 

Westfield, New Jersey