NYPL executive pay

In the past few years, the New York Public Library has sold off important assets in order to raise money to continue operations. In the same period, compensation for their top administrators has increased dramatically. (The President and CEO now makes around $800,000.) The link is to an article in the New York Times dated November 19th.

Starting salaries for librarians at NYPL continue to be at the low end of the scale for urban public libraries.

6 comments on “NYPL executive pay

  1. Has anyone ever studied or documented how many people leave the profession because of low salaries?

  2. As a former NYPL employee (1993-2000), I’m still trying to climb out of the debt hole I fell into when I worked there. Any union sanctioned raise usually worked out to be about $2 more per paycheck: not even enough for one day’s commute to work.
    I liked to job and the challenges, but it was impossible to survive without holding down extra jobs. Meanwhile, a former VP of (now retired) called us into a meeting once to say “Well, it’s not like we’re getting summer houses this year!” which caused a near riot.

    But most all of us who left are still in the profession, just not in a public library.

  3. I just want to comment that the pay at NYPL is much lower than a typical public library pays. It’s at the low end of the scale for urban public libraries. Maybe if a librarian at NYPL is committed to staying in NYC and can’t stand the low pay they have to work in other types of libraries, but the situation is not the same in all cities.

  4. What about the retired cops who now work in Facilities raking in $53,000.00 to $130,000.00,and thats without the kind of degree required of a librarian. It is a disgrace that they leave the force at a young age to collect hefty pensions and than wind up favorably working for this disfunctional Library that is the NYPL.

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