Louisville state Rep. Attica Scott released from jail after arrest in Breonna Taylor protests, Courier-Journal, September 24, 2020
Officials with LFPL's union, AFSCME Local 3425, published a Facebook post early Friday morning defending Scott and "other peaceful protestors" who were accused of vandalism.
"Representative Scott has consistently been a vocal supporter of libraries and library workers and has been an ally specifically to our union through many battles," the statement from President Ashley Nichole Sims and Vice President Val Pfister said. "We have seen no proof that the flare thrown into the library has done any major damage, nor that Representative Scott had anything to do with it, and find these accusations inconsistent with her character and the constant support we have received from her."
"Representative Scott has consistently been a vocal supporter of libraries and library workers and has been an ally specifically to our union through many battles," the statement from President Ashley Nichole Sims and Vice President Val Pfister said. "We have seen no proof that the flare thrown into the library has done any major damage, nor that Representative Scott had anything to do with it, and find these accusations inconsistent with her character and the constant support we have received from her."
Mitch McConnell is blocking aid local governments in his state desperately need, American Independent, May 20, 2020
Ashley Sims is president of AFSCME Local 3425 representing hundreds of Louisville's public library workers. In a phone interview, she said that, last year, the city faced a budget shortfall and narrowly avoided massive library layoffs.
"That was 2019. I thought that was the scariest situation we could be facing," she recalled. "A year later, I'm sitting here going 'Oh my God. Our city has such a deficit.' Most of our taxes come from payroll. No one's getting paid because no one is at work. They're laid off or furloughed."
She continued, "Looking at what Louisville is facing, I don't think it's really hyperbole to say 'If we don't get this money, we might not have a library system next year, or one that looks anything like what it did last year.' Our mayor is unfortunately looking at cutting services like EMT and fire. I know when they're cutting firefighters and EMTs, there is no library system."
Sims said McConnell’s lack of concern for her community has been a gut punch.
"For him to stay we should just let the states go bankrupt — that McConnell could say something so terrible about his own state, his own city," she said, "it was quite shocking to hear what a lot of people felt was an abandonment of his own state for [Donald] Trump's agenda."
"That was 2019. I thought that was the scariest situation we could be facing," she recalled. "A year later, I'm sitting here going 'Oh my God. Our city has such a deficit.' Most of our taxes come from payroll. No one's getting paid because no one is at work. They're laid off or furloughed."
She continued, "Looking at what Louisville is facing, I don't think it's really hyperbole to say 'If we don't get this money, we might not have a library system next year, or one that looks anything like what it did last year.' Our mayor is unfortunately looking at cutting services like EMT and fire. I know when they're cutting firefighters and EMTs, there is no library system."
Sims said McConnell’s lack of concern for her community has been a gut punch.
"For him to stay we should just let the states go bankrupt — that McConnell could say something so terrible about his own state, his own city," she said, "it was quite shocking to hear what a lot of people felt was an abandonment of his own state for [Donald] Trump's agenda."
Council pushes back against early library branch closures, cutting back hours, Insider Louisville, May 30, 2019
Sims added that she and other library employees were frustrated by “fundamental misunderstandings” that some council members have about libraries, such as suggesting that libraries could be significantly staffed by volunteers and relying on circulation statistics as a measure of worth, which discounts the impact of programming and services.
“The hyperfocus the council had on the closing of Fern Creek and Middletown really missed the major point: Libraries are staffed by professionals, and those professionals cost money to employ,” wrote Sims in an email. “Mistreating those professionals in some of the ways that council members suggested, such as forcing them to work every Saturday of the year, reducing pay on Sundays, or forcing them to float from branch to branch in a wild carnival ride of filling gaps in schedules will lead to inadequate services and disenchanted staff that will find better places to work.”
“The hyperfocus the council had on the closing of Fern Creek and Middletown really missed the major point: Libraries are staffed by professionals, and those professionals cost money to employ,” wrote Sims in an email. “Mistreating those professionals in some of the ways that council members suggested, such as forcing them to work every Saturday of the year, reducing pay on Sundays, or forcing them to float from branch to branch in a wild carnival ride of filling gaps in schedules will lead to inadequate services and disenchanted staff that will find better places to work.”
Middletown and Fern Creek library branches to close for good, weeks before budget vote, Courier-Journal, May 29, 2019
"Working in a public library is not an easy job by any stretch of the imagination, even without all the added stress from this budget crisis," Sims said. "Any solution council comes up with needs to have the mental and physical health of the library's staff in mind."
"... If council wants libraries they need to fund libraries," she added.
"... If council wants libraries they need to fund libraries," she added.
Library Changes and the Homeless, LEO, October 31, 2018
Ashley Sims, vice president of the library union, said in an email she fears changes could reduce restrooms, computers and tables, which would hurt the people without a home who use the library.
“Currently the Main Library provides basic needs for the homeless population, including sitting areas, restrooms and an escape from the elements,” said Sims. “Although this is not necessarily the traditional function of a library, the reality is that many homeless folk in the area rely on the Main Library to provide those services.”
“Currently the Main Library provides basic needs for the homeless population, including sitting areas, restrooms and an escape from the elements,” said Sims. “Although this is not necessarily the traditional function of a library, the reality is that many homeless folk in the area rely on the Main Library to provide those services.”
Downtown library preparing for staff transfers and service cuts, part of budgetary savings plan, Insider Louisville, April 30, 2018
Ashley Sims — a teen services library assistant at the Shawnee branch and, the chief union steward of library workers’ AFSCME Local 3425 — told Insider on Monday that employees are concerned about the changes, noting that “libraries are safe places for patrons and their services are needed more than ever when times get hard, but unfortunately our budgets are often among the first to be cut.”
“My main reaction for this announcement is concern, both for employees and for patrons,” said Sims. “I think library administration is in a very bad place due to budget considerations, and I really appreciate that they found a solution that won’t result in any staff members losing their jobs. That said, we will be seeing a reduction of services at the Main Library and in general this feels like a preparation for very hard times.”
“My main reaction for this announcement is concern, both for employees and for patrons,” said Sims. “I think library administration is in a very bad place due to budget considerations, and I really appreciate that they found a solution that won’t result in any staff members losing their jobs. That said, we will be seeing a reduction of services at the Main Library and in general this feels like a preparation for very hard times.”
Louisville Library Workers Champion Preferred Pronoun Badges, School Library Journal, Feb 11, 2017
Sims agreed, and feels that the seven months spent getting the name badges right was time well spent. She hopes, ultimately, that they will give administration, staff, and patrons more sensitivity toward the LGBTQ people they interact with, as well as making patrons more comfortable. “Perhaps seeing queer things in the library will make them feel safer,” she said. “Because oftentimes if you don't see anything that welcomes you as a minority it's probably an unsafe place to be—[that’s] just the reality of the world right now.”
