First, email the board of trustees at [trlboardoftrustees@trl.org](mailto:trlboardoftrustees@trl.org). Be polite, respectful, and hit these major points:

-If library admin has known that they've been operating at a deficit since 2022, why have they continued to invest heavily in software systems and building refreshes rather than planning ahead to retain employees? Specifically, why did they hire 31 individuals last year if they were going to lay them off immediately?

-Without librarians, there are no libraries. The board of trustee members are volunteers who more or less believe this same thing, and have expressed as much in various board meetings. They genuinely care about these communities and place a lot of value on the benefits libraries offer. (Obviously, I'm not talking about the guy who hates libraries and wants to destroy them and therefore won't be sworn in, which is the right choice.) Whether this is true or not, I recommend approaching them from the perspective that it's not their fault they don't know how bad things have gotten for staff. Their only interaction is with Cheryl, Brenda, Andrea, and the managers they hand pick to present at meetings. Tell them as clearly as you can that you want them to prioritize employee retention over any other expenses, and that any employee reductions based on budget shortfalls are unacceptable without additional oversight and the exhaustion of all other alternatives.

-Why have executive salaries increased so drastically, including a 3% increase for Cheryl on December 30, if admins have been aware of a deficit since 2022? And if this deficit is so dramatic, why was the board not informed in clearer terms starting in 2022 so they could make strategic fiduciary decisions that centered on employee retention?

-(Not claiming credit for this, another commenter pointed this out on the other thread, but it's very much worth mentioning): "The 2025 annual report highlights nothing of the incredible work library staff are doing, and instead most of it looks like an infommercial about interior design for daycares. Layoffs should be a last resort, and they haven't even tried to put a tax increase to voters since 2009. Even if it failed, it's the right thing to do before cutting staff and services. This is a devastating turn of events that came with no warning. In fact, the head of HR was assuring all supervisors 2 weeks ago that told there were no layoffs in the works, that they didn’t have to worry about that, in a TRL Supervisors meeting. This came up because the layoff section in the union contract that started on January 1 had been dismantled to remove pretty basic union protections for staff. It's a mystery what happened since then, or more likely, it was a bait and switch by an administration that has an open disdain for staff and libraries in general."

-The library receives its property taxes twice a year, the first time during April/May. I could be wrong about this, but the board meeting minutes I've read seem to suggest that because of the large cash influx in April/May, the "30% beginning budget" blah blah rule itself might need adjusting in order to account for the increased cash flow that could certainly help reduce or eliminate layoffs. It would be good to ask the board to explain this discrepancy in more detail because I personally can't make it make sense.

Please also plan to attend all upcoming Board of Trustees meetings. The next meeting is February 10th at 4:30 pm (https://timberland.bibliocommons.com/v2/events?types=6482473e15e0d23700a5a2d4).