Bad flu virus bugs Saugus Library staff

SAUGUS – A nasty flu outbreak has decimated the Saugus Library?s already dwindling staff, said Library Director Diane Wallace.?We?ve had a lot of people out with the flu and a lot of people in with the flu,” said Wallace as she fought back coughing fits. “I should have been home all week but I haven?t been able to because too many people were out.”With the head of the children?s department, Bethany Templeton Kelm, out on maternity leave, Wallace said there has been as few as two employees on hand to run the library. According to the library?s union contract, the library can close if staffing falls below four.?On Tuesday there were two of us in the building and we did not want to close so we closed the upstairs and just stayed downstairs for two hours because we knew other people were coming in,” said Wallace. “I?m hoping that people are getting healthy again. I need some staff back.”However, Wallace said she had to close at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.?It was unav-oidable,” she said. “We have too many sick people.”But while she?s had volunteers step up to help catalog and order books, Wallace said even they got sick.?The volunteers shelve all our books, pull the books off the shelves that are requested by other libraries and are very helpful with special projects,” said Wallace. “We depend on them a lot. They?re very reliable. But when they?re sick they?re sick. It?s been kind of a perfect storm. The timing is just not good.”In other library news, Wallace said she has filed an application for a waiver with the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and will be at its monthly meeting on Jan. 3 at the Framingham Public Library to make her case.?At least one of the trustees and I have to go to defend our request,” said Wallace. “They want to know what the future looks like, if things are going to get better, if there is a plan in place to increase funding.”The library had its budget reduced from $500,000 to $370,000 this year so the town could meet steep budget shortfalls. Because of the cut, the library?s certification is in jeopardy.According to Wallace, certification means the library can participate in the North of Boston Library Exchange network, which allows users to select books from other libraries in the commonwealth or have their library card honored at other libraries.Wallace said only four other libraries in the state had their budgets cut as much as Saugus and noted she?s not sure how the town?s previous loss of certification will affect the decision in January.?I?m not sure if it?s in our favor or not since we lost certification or not,” said Wallace. “I?m not sure how that makes us look. There are only four libraries that are over a 10 percent difference and have to go before the board. If it?s 10 percent or less they grant the waiver without having to go before them. We?re close to 20 percent.”Wallace said a vote on certification will take place in February.?We?re certified until we?re not,” said Wallace. “I wish I could say I had a good feeling about it but I don?t know. I think we deserve to be certified. We?ve been through a lot that other libraries haven?t been through and we?re trying really hard. The staff here is fantastic. They have a wonderful attitude. They?re making it happen.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].