Ruled by Bias - Library Assistant Birmingham Public Library Employee Review

Very biased work environment; ruled by both implicit and explicit bias. There are Black staff members that continually exceed expectations but are never promoted or are demoted ("unnecessarily moved to meet library need"). White staff members are giving swifter consideration for higher positions, while Black staff members already have the credentials and experience but if they want to advance they have to leave the entire library system. This bias has been seen regularly when some staff are interacting with the public, particularly low-income and unhoused community members. Several white staff members operate through a lens of disdain when engaging these communities. There also are assumptions made that the community members don't read when there has been no thoughtful assessment to identify what titles and programs interest the community. Overall, it is a very oppressive, uber-traditional, and stagnated place to work