Community Support Letter
Dear Howard County Library System (HCLS) Board of Trustees and Leadership,
As members of the community, we stand by the workers who are forming their union, HoCo Library Workers United, AFSCME. We strongly agree with HCLS leadership that our library system is one of the best in the country because of its “extraordinary team of innovative educators and support staff,” and we feel the best way to continue this standard of excellence is by taking care of the workers who provide vital services that keep our community running.
Howard County Library System is a community asset whose staff provides high quality resources including a DIY Education Center to cultivate new skills, passport centers to simplify world traveling, Project Literacy to support adult and English language learner education, and much more. All of this would not be possible if it weren’t for library workers. As the library moves forward with a new strategic plan, we strongly encourage executive leadership to recognize the importance of its staff and our community.
We believe in employees’ legal right to organize their union, without fear of retaliation or interference from administration. Fostering a safe and respectful environment in which workers can speak freely is essential to advancing the mission and strategic focus of HCLS. Support of union solidarity is a natural extension of the work of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging that is the foundation of HCLS.
We call on HCLS to fulfill its commitment to being a trusted resource and partner known for excellence, creativity, and open, equitable access by recognizing HoCo Library Workers United. We ask the library administration to be neutral as the workers organize their union, and to recognize them upon their demonstration of majority support.
In solidarity,
Abigail Flynn, Patron
Adam Guzowski, Union Ally
Adil Ahmed, Patron
Alan Simpson, Former HCLS Employee
Alex Na, Patron
Alex Tasker, Patron
Alex Langley, Union Ally
Allison Maricle, Former HCLS Employee, AACPL
Amanda Pereira, Patron
Amy Brooks, Community Member
Amy Wickner, Community Member
An Huang, Patron
Andrew Hernandez, Patron
Anita Bass, Union Ally, IAMAW Local Lodge 4538
Ann Morgan, Patron
Anne-Marie Gilliland, Community Member
Arlo Sparks, Former HCLS Employee
Aron Guzowski, Patron, JHUAPL
Asha Iyer, Community Member
Audrey Dingler, Union Ally, AACPL Employee
Barb Langridge, Former HCLS Employee
Becki Dobyns, Patron
Bev Ludwig, Community Member
Beverly Selby, Community Member, M/A
Bill Christens-Barry, Community Member
Bradley Paul, Union Ally, WGA
Bryn Shellenberger, Community Member
Caitlin Brunn, Patron
Caitlin Clemens, Patron
Caitlyn Patterson, Patron
Camille Staufer, Patron
Carole Baile, Union Ally
Caroline Eckardt, Former HCLS Employee
Cecile Sorra, Community Member
Cecile Wong, Former HCLS Employee
Charity Durham, Patron
Charlotte Chu, Former HCLS Employee
Christiana Mercer Rigby, Chair – Howard County Council
Christina Miller, Union Ally, IAMAW Local Lodge 4538
Christine Curreri, Union Ally, IAMAW Local Lodge 4538
Claire Reinken, Community Member
Claudia Jones, Former HCLS Employee
Claudia Balog, Union Ally
Colin Horsey, Patron
Colleen Ellis, Library supporter
Connie Molter, Patron
Courtney Jenkins, Union Ally
Danielle DuPuis, Former HCLS Employee, HCPSS
Danielle Blake, Union Ally
David Cooke, Patron
David White, Former HCLS Employee
David Thomas, Patron
Dawn Popp, Patron
Debbie Kempl, Former HCLS Employee
Debbie Weaver, Former HCLS Employee
Deborah Costley, Patron
Deborah Crabtree, Former HCLS Employee
Deeba Jafri, Community Member
Dennis Wood, Former HCLS Employee
Dillon McManus, Howard County Health Dept
Douglas Ford, Community Member
Doyun Lee, Union Ally, Pratt Workers United
Edward Wilfong, Patron
Elaine Yamamoto, Community Member
Elias Kelehan, Patron
Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, Patron
Elizabeth England, Union Ally, AFGE Local 2578
Elizabeth Maeshiro, Patron
Elizabeth Royden, Patron
Elizabeth Seipel, Former HCLS Employee
Emily Murphy, Patron
Emily Schweich, Patron
Eric Baker, Union Ally
Eric Miller, Union Ally, AFGE Local 1923
Erin Wegznek, Community Member
Erin Frederic, Former HCLS Employee
Errol Glazer, Patron
Eunju Cheb, Community Member
Fahimeh (Zahra) Kohanloo, Patron
Gabrielle Wilson, Community Member
Gemma Holgate, Patron
Gordon Fuller, Community Member
Grace Maguire, Community Member
Grace Reckers, Union Ally, OPEIU
Greg Yamamoto, Patron
Hafsa Nadeem, Former HCLS Employee
Heather Roy, Patron
Helen Dail, Former HCLS Employee
Hugh Williams, Union Ally
Hugh Davis, Union Ally
Jackye Peretz, Community Member
Jamequa Summerall, Former HCLS Employee
James Adomines, Community Member
Jamie Maguire, Community Member
Jane Conlon, Former HCLS Employee
January Jordan, Former HCLS Employee
Jaye Holly, Former HCLS Employee
Jean Pfefferkorn, Former HCLS Employee
Jeff Baker, Patron
Jenna Hooks, Union Ally
Jennifer Hicks, Former HCLS Employee
Jennifer Smith, Former HCLS Employee
Jennifer Zappa-Higgins, Patron
Jenny McCormick, Patron, Miller Library
Jillianne Trotter, Former HCLS Employee
Joan Langley, Former HCLS Employee
Joanna Barnum, Business Owner, Local Artist
Joanne Locke, Patron
Jodi Feldman, Union Ally
Jodi Feldman, Union Ally
Joe Roos, Patron
Joe Vincent, Patron
Johanna Alonso, Patron
John Daniello, Community Member
John Fitzpatrick, Patron
John McKitterick, Patron
John Swaner, Community Member
Josh Clemens, Patron
Joyce Brager, Patron
Julie Bertling, Community Member
Julie Saylor, Union Ally, Pratt Workers United
Julie Berenson-Howard, Patron
June Zhu, Union Ally
Justine Randt, Former HCLS Employee
Kaitlin Jessing-Butz, Union Ally
Karen Adomines, Patron
Katherine Barrett, Community Member
Katherine Quinn, Patron
Katherine Katan, Community Member
Katherine Welton, Patron
Kathleen Johnston, Patron
Kathryn Ehrlich, Patron
Kathryn Hemmis, Community Member
Kathy Ceasar-Spall, Patron
Kelly Fryberger, Community Member
Kerri Maguire, Community Member
Kerri Maguire, Patron
Kevin Lavin, Community Member
Kevin Mitchell, Patron
Khaleel Gheba, Former HCLS Employee
Kimberly Estell, Community Member
Kiran Badwal, Former HCLS Employee
Kirsten Burcat, Former HCLS Employee
Kirsten O’Neill, Community Member
Kyle White-McGinn, Union Ally
Laci Radford, Former HCLS Employee
Laura Mettle, Patron
Laura Royden, Patron
Laura Schmitz, Former HCLS Employee
Lauren Kazlow, Patron
Lauren Oviatt, Patron
Laurie Liskin, Patron
Leah Roberts, Patron
Leah Hart, Community Member
Leann Craumer, Patron
Lin Nazarro, Union Ally
Lisa Bowling, Patron
Lisa Rhodes, Community Member
Lora Koehler, Patron
Lynn Rashid, Patron
Maeve Mulholland, Patron
Maggie Holgate, Patron
Margaret Blount, PT, DPT, Patron
Margaret Smith, Former HCLS Employee
Maria Schwalbe, Union Ally, AFSCME
Marilyn Phillips, Patron
Mark Hemmis, Business Owner, Phoenix Upper Main
Mark Wieske, Former HCLS Employee
Mark Bizokas, Former HCLS Employee
Marti Dirscherl, Former HCLS Employee, PrattWorkersUnited
Marti Ellerbrock, Former HCLS Employee
Mary Bailey, Community Member
Mary Decker Grant, Former HCLS Employee
Mary Kate Murray, Patron
Maryam Shadmehr, HCLS Employee
Mase Woodland, Patron, Pratt Workers United
Matthew Molyett, Community Member
Matthew Skillman, Patron
Meg Yarbrough, Community Member
Megan Guzowski-Long, Community Member
Meghan Whitfield, Former HCLS Employee
Melissa Molyett, Community Member
Michele Hunter, Former HCLS Employee
Michelle Farley, Patron
Mikaela Ikaskiw, Patron
Michelle Oswald, Patron
Mike C., Community Member
Mike Carvalho, Union Ally
Mike Maguire, Patron
Millicent Fullmer, Union Ally
Mirande Bissell, Patron
Molly Buhl-Eaton, Patron
Myung Lee, Community Member
Nancy MacBride, Patron
Nancy Strigle, Patron, HCPSS
Nancy Gumbel, Community Member
Nancy Tennant, Former HCLS Employee
Nicholas Dennis, Former HCLS Employee
Nick Swaner, Former HCLS Employee
Nicole Border, Patron
Nicole Dvorak, Patron, Baltimore County Public Library Union
Norma Mendoza, HCLS Employee
Parastoo Ziazarifi, Community Member
Patricia Schwartz, Patron
Paulette Lutz, Patron
Peter Clemens, Patron
Peter Stauffer, Patron
Phillip Lord, Former HCLS Employee
Pooja Swaminathan, Union Ally
Rachel East, Former HCLS Employee
Regina Verow, Patron
Richard Nagle, Patron
Rita Snyder, Former HCLS Employee
Robert Learmouth, Patron
Rose Edwards, Patron
Ryan Callahan, Union Ally
Ryan Learmouth, Patron
Ryan Maguire, Former HCLS Employee
Sara Becker, Union Ally
Sarah Boston, Patron
Sarah Radinsky, Former HCLS Employee
Sarah Russo, Former HCLS Employee
Sean Callahan, Union Ally
Seth Frumkin, Community Member
Sharon Fuller, Patron
Shirley ONeill, Former HCLS Employee
Sophie Greenwell, Patron
Stacy Huh, Patron
Stefan Freed, Former HCLS Employee
Stefanie Mathew, Patron
Stephanie Anderson, Union Ally, IAMAW Local Lodge 4538
Stephen Peller, Union Ally
Steve Davis, Community Member
Stephen Roy, Spouse
Steven Gentry, Former HCLS Employee, AFT Local 6244
Sue Clemens, Former HCLS Employee
Susan Cooke, Former HCLS Employee
Susan Gum, Patron
Susan Gerb, Community Member
Susan Stonesifer, Former HCLS Employee
Sylvia Hennessie, Former HCLS Employee
Tanya Keitz, Community Member
Tanza Aliberti, Union Ally
Taylor Garland, Union Ally, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
Taylor Wilkowski, Union Ally
Taylor Kleiner, Patron
Tess Carper, Patron
Tiphanie Schreier, Patron
Tori Patrick, Union Ally, Daniel Boone Regional Library Workers United
Traci Baker, Patron
Traci Eaton, HCLS Employee
Tyler Coburn, Union Ally, IAM Local Lodge 4538
Veronica Baker, Former HCLS Employee
Virginia Raney, Patron
Wayne Cuffley, Community Member
Wendy Davis, Patron
Xavier Brooks, Former HCLS Employee
Ying Matties, Patron