St. Louis County Library, a Top 10 place to Work

By Jennifer McBride

St. Louis County Library has been named a Top Place to Work by the St. Louis Post Dispatch. The announcement was made on June 25 in a special section of the paper.

The Top Workplace designation was made after library staff were surveyed by Workplace Dynamics, an independent research company. Staff responded online to 25 questions designed by Workplace Dynamics regarding the library. In total, 88% of SLCL employees responded to the questions.

Library Director Charles Pace said, “I think it's a tribute to both our employees and our organization that we have received this recognition. I want to think all of the employees for their hard work and dedication to the Library and for their commitment to making us one of the top library systems in the country.”

Staff responded to questions about job satisfaction, benefits, management, training opportunities and leadership. Answers were on a 7-point scale ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Two questions allowed respondents to write their own comments. All answers went to Workplace Dynamics, which created a summary. A question-by-question analysis will be sent to the library in a few weeks.

Kristen Sorth, Assistant Director for Administration, was pleased to learn that SLCL is considered a Top Workplace. (Before becoming assistant director in June, Ms. Sorth was Senior Manager for Human Resources.)

“We want our employees to be happy and to love their job. The mission of the St. Louis County Library has an impact on this. As Library employees, we are incredibly lucky to be able to come to work everyday and have an impact on the lives of our customers. SLCL employees are passionate about customer service and giving back to the community"

More information about the Top Workplace designation can be found at the Post Dispatch website.