While more Arlington County libraries are re-opening for express service next month, there’s still no set date for a full reopening.
This is due to staff shortages and the lingering effects of the hiring freeze enacted last March, library spokesperson Henrik Sundqvist tells ARLnow. The library system is having trouble hiring amid a “very competitive job market,” which just today set a new record for job openings in the U.S.
“About 20 percent of permanent public service jobs are vacant and in the process of being filled,” Sundqvist said this morning. “The recruiting, hiring and training process takes time.”
“Only 38 percent of temporary employees employed by the library last year have returned or plan to return for the [re-opening],” he added.
The Aurora Hills branch and the newly-renovated Columbia Pike library branch are both re-opening for the first time since…
