Pros
I loved my customers. My co-workers were great. The pay was ok, not great but I've had much worse. The environment was welcoming and fun. There was always something new we were celebrating or promoting for the community. The staff inclusivity groups were also a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed interacting with my regulars and families the most in my section in the Children's Area. I loved making displays and coming up with book recommendations for kids and guardians.
Cons
Management was awful. My manager could never give consistent feedback even when we had monthly one-on-one meetings and monthly team meetings, which btw are required even if you're not scheduled to work that day, and I was made to leave early one hour during those weeks so they could "pay" me for the hour long meeting, but not as an additional hour. They cut corners everywhere to save themselves a dime from paying you. Being non-profit is one thing, but making your employees rearrange their schedule to suit the lowest possible pay scale is wrong. They would regularly give staff assignments and duties that would get changed at the very next meeting, or worse be the exact opposite of what was asked before. They would ask for ideas and input and then when they got it they would ignore it or brush it off with a "great idea, but I think that's a bit more than what we can reasonably do with this project." They want you to express yourself, but only in ways they want to hear. They like to talk a big game with open communication and helping one another, but in the nearly 3 years I was there, this was not at all true. I was passed over for promotion 3 times and I wasn't a slouch. I have a college degree, teaching experience in childcare, and even asked for more training to assist me in getting hired full-time. The most I got was an attempt to teach me how to use the media equipment in the Connor's Cove theater. When I asked why I couldn't even get an interview for other positions, not a job but just a chance to interview, I was advised to "get more involved with the company and outreach activities." I had been on a cultural inclusivity group for employees and had volunteered at multiple events every year. As a part-time employee looking for full-time hours, I should not have to work for free during my time off to get an equal chance at interviewing. Equal opportunity doesn't look like that. When I had decided I wanted to go back to school and needed schedule accomodation I was denied, even though both of my fellow coworkers agreed to change their schedules so we could all split the shifts around our availabilities. So, I asked for a meeting between my manager and the regional manager about it. In *that* meeting I was told only administration had control of making schedules. I don't know how much more administrative you can get than being a regional manager? You shouldn't even have to go that far to get some help with schedules. And so I decided it was time to leave. They've got values that are superb. They don't stick to them though. It's all for show.