Saskatoon Public Library Reviews

Cons

Very top heavy with management!

Cons

Downtown location felt unsafe, sometimes I didn't feel comfortable working in the book stacks (which was minimal, but still), also a lot of lifting

Cons

Toxic leadership. CEO abusive. Micromanaging like none I’ve ever seen before. My bathroom breaks were timed. Management created an environment where no one trusted each other. Management talked badly about other employees behind their backs. Tremendous turnover of employees. Unrealistic workload & timelines for projects. CEO bad mouthing employees for taking sick time - two of the employees had cancer! Employee safety not taken seriously. Employees are scared.

Cons

Micromanagement style, very poor indoor air quality, dusty, mold and smells and humidity from swimming pool in same building

Cons

Leaders don’t care much about employees

Cons

Sure sure, everyone loves the public library and theoretically what they stand for. Who doesn't love giving free books to excited children, or helping seniors email their grandchildren? I have worked at SPL twice, 2013-2014 and again 2020-2021. Before, it was the best job I've ever had that inspired me to move away from home, go into debt and pursue a Masters degree. After? I can't believe that this is the same organization that I used to love. The corporatization of public libraries has been an issue across the board, but it stands out so badly in a smaller public library system. Staff can't "innovate" because the internal processes for trying new ideas are too hierarchical, and an unresponsive system can't and won't reflect the needs of the community. Everything needs to be approved, and examined, and re-approved, and then brought to the managers, and then thought about, and then start again, and this is why it takes forever to get anything done. A nice cushy city job, that will inevitably burn anyone out who is coming with fresh ideas and wanting to expand partnerships. Recommend to a friend? I wouldn't recommend to an enemy.

Cons

The new library building looks like a cruise ship, or an oligarch's super yacht for all the managers and their minions. They have to have a place for all their offices. It also looks like the public library in Calgary. The resemblance is uncanny.

Cons

Not a happy environment to work in. Management doesn't seem to care.

Cons

The worst managed organization I've ever experienced. It's chaos. A "restructuring" that is going on year 6 at this point. Constant change, extreme levels of micro-managing, no consultation with employees who aren't management, poor communication in general, zero trust. It's a "say one thing (we care about you) and do another (usually nothing, or something that makes the situation worse)" type of gaslighting that's extremely damaging, especially when it comes to issues like employee safety. And yet, those same employees are expected to go along with everything and keep their mouths shut. Most do because of the very real threat of disciplinary action. I haven't worked there in months, and I'm nervous writing this review! There is no room for growth if you're a front-line employee, even if you decide to get a Master's degree. The number of employees with MLIS degrees who are stuck in part-time positions with middling pay (while management makes 6 figures -it's public information, look it up!) is not insignificant. Payroll/Finance is a nightmare. The incompetence is actually absurd at this point. Expect to consistently not be paid correctly and good luck trying to get it fixed. There's so many issues they've implemented an automated ticketing system for an organization of less than 200 people. It often takes months to get a human response, let alone a solution. There are so many employees who genuinely care about the community and have ideas to improve service, but there are so many hoops to jump through. As another reviewer pointed out, things need to be approved, reapproved, adjusted, approved again, reapproved again, and ultimately management does whatever they want anyway. It's truly sad because public libraries are important, and to watch one crumble under the weight of a corporate-minded administration is extremely disappointing. I hope the general public starts paying attention to what is going on here.

Cons

Vulgar language by managers use the Lords name in vane. Lots of backstabbing, blaming and pointing fingers to try to hold on to a job or get ahead. Many with low self esteem and butt kissers.