Recruitment | Salaries | Spotlight | Statistics | Support Staff | Work/Life
Spotlight
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National Librarians Association: Noteworthy Statements on Professionalism, Salaries, and Certification
Questions have circulated about the National Librarians Association (NLA) on listservs and blogs as of late.1 Mainly, interested individuals seek a better understanding of the organization’s twenty-year existence from 1975–1995, and its concentration on librarians at work. NLA was created to champion librarians.
The National Librarians Association (NLA), founded by John T. Thomas, was one of the first independent organizations to recognize the need for national standards rather than state standards, believing they would increase professionalism. … Read the rest
ALA-APA News
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SirsiDynix Award Networking Breakfast – Winners Use “Horse Sense”
The annual SirsiDynix-ALA-APA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Promoting Salaries and Status of Library Workers was presented to Jim Fish, Director of Baltimore County Public Library; AFSCME Local 1526 of the Boston Public Library; and Eileen Muller, president of the Brooklyn Library Guild, Local 1482 (honorable mention) on June 25th. This annual award for $5000 is sponsored by the SirsiDynix Corporation for an individual, group of individuals or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to improving the salary and … Read the rest -
Library Director Calls It Quits, Cites Labor Friction; Griffin, Called ‘A Joy To Work With’ By Berkeley Library Foundation President, Clashed With Union Over Staff Cuts
Berkeley [CA] Public Library Director Jackie Griffin resigned last week, ending a tumultuous five years of highs and lows.
The highs included balancing the library’s budget, renovating the central library branch and successfully suing the contractor for cost overruns. The lows included claims of unfair treatment by library workers, staff reductions caused by budget cuts, and the controversy surrounding radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs), which some say invade patrons’ privacy and … Read the rest
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Budget Plan Cuts Librarians
The superintendent of Federal Way Public Schools [WA] on Tuesday night recommended eliminating 27 of 34 librarian jobs as part of a $4 million budget cut.
Under Superintendent Tom Murphy’s plan, there would be one librarian for every five schools starting in September. While library hours wouldn’t change, each school would have a librarian just one day a week. Nearly every school in the Federal Way district currently has its own … Read the rest
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County Budget May Add 39 Workers
The county Board of Supervisors will introduce a budget Tuesday that restores money to parks, roads and libraries and provides for hiring 39 new employees…County Administrative Officer David Edge, who prepared the $434.6 million fiscal year 2006-07 budget, said “this is more new positions than I’ve ever recommended” in his 24-year career as an administrator.
Libraries
The library system, which has seen budget cuts and bond measures fail … Read the rest
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Pearl River Library Budget Approved
Voters yesterday approved a $1.87 million library budget and re-elected an unopposed trustee. The budget passed by 55 votes, 193 to 138, said Carolyn Johnson, the library’s director. “Our programs have been immensely popular, and we offer a wide variety of materials so a person trying to economize at home can use the library resources…” Read the full article – fee based … Read the rest
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Tomkins Cove OKs Budget for Library, Manager’s Pay
Voters approved a $187,687 budget last night for the public library.. Seven people cast ballots for the 2006-07 budget during the annual meeting at the library at 419 Liberty Drive, and the budget was unanimously approved. Library manager Janet Lukas said yesterday that she was happy about the outcome. “I’m very pleased that the budget passed,
The $187,687 budget includes a salary increase for Lukas, who recently received … Read the rest
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Howland Library To Present Same Budget
Howland Public Library will likely reduce its hours as a way to trim costs following the defeat last week of its budget referendum. Cuts in hours and other services will depend partly on the results of a survey the library is conducting to determine patrons’ priorities. Library Director Phyllis Keaton said she hopes Howland can reduce employees’ hours without eliminating positions as the library attempts to reduce personnel costs. Read … Read the rest
Career Advancement
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The Abilene Paradox: Does Everyone Really Agree? Or Are They Just Being Nice?
Do you ever wish that someone in your organization would speak up against an impossible situation or a project that is doomed to fail? Do you suspect that co-workers share your opinion? If so, your organization may be in the grip of the Abilene Paradox, a group phenomenon first identified in 1974 by management consultant Jerry Harvey. Harvey, now a professor emeritus of management science at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., writes that groups “blunder” into … Read the rest
Certification
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New CPLA Courses and Candidates!
At the 2006 American Library Association Annual Conference in New Orleans, the Certified Public Library Administrator Program Certification Review Committee (CRC) approved two more courses for the CPLA program. Both new online courses will be offered by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The approved courses are core – Budget and Finance and Organization and Personnel Management – and will be taught by Dr. Robert Burger. Eleven candidates were also approved, who work in libraries in Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, Illinois, … Read the rest
HR Practice
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Arbitration: The Final Frontier or The New Horizon?
In all of our lives it is certain that whether we are dealing with personal or professional matters we will encounter disputes. As a result if we are to rectify these situations amicably both parties must agree upon a process that they see as mutually beneficial. In recent years in both organized and non-organized environments this has meant an increase in the use of arbitration. However, with this increased use comes questions like, “Is arbitration right for … Read the rest
Support Staff
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A Comparison of an LTA Certificate Program with an MLIS Graduate Program
At the close of this summer session, if things go as planned, I will have completed my MLIS degree at Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS). It has been a rigorous program that allowed me to mature and grow in different ways. Here are my reflections on the experiences in the Library Technical Assistant (LTA) Certificate Program and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Before attending GSLIS I completed a Library … Read the rest
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Accreditation for Library Technical Assistant Programs?
Links to RUSA’s Community and Junior College Libraries Section, Library Technical Assistant (LTA) Education Committee Investigations
The Library Technical Assistant Education Committee issued a survey asking the nation’s Library Technical Assistant Training programs what is being taught, how courses are being taught and how the programs are administered. The results are summarized in a report. The committee’s Web site also has a map of where programs are located across the country, last updated in 2005.… Read the rest
Work/Life
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An Educational Perspective on Customer Service
[Editor’s Note: Ms. Slaughter is a teacher who is studying to become a librarian.]
A little background knowledge in educational philosophy can lend a helpful perspective to patron service in the library profession, where we are committed to facilitating lifelong learning. Recognizing the educational component of our work can enhance the service we provide to patrons of all ages, and encourage their growth as lifelong learners. Good customer service policies indicate patron-centered practices. In the field of … Read the rest
HR Law
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IRS Changes Definition of “Dependent”
The Internal Revenue Service changed the definition of “dependent” for 2005. This change specifically impacted employer provided health insurance. The change from parents providing more than half of the child’s support (old rules) to the child not providing more than half of his or her own support (new rules) will make it easier for children in families receiving various types of financial aid.
See Publication 501 – Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information, pp. 9 and 12.… Read the rest
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DOL To Shut Down Job Bank
The Department of Labor notified state officials of its plan to shut down the national job board, America’s Job Bank, by June of 2007. Created in 1995, the free site lists about 2 million jobs and 680,000 resumes. The job board functioned as a safety net for employers who wanted good faith efforts at compliance. Some states may launch their own boards. The Labor Department may also negotiate with a private vendor to maintain the job … Read the rest
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Immigration Reform
The U.S. Senate voted May 25 to approve new immigration reform; this would create a temporary guest worker program and provide a new option for immigrants seeking citizenship. The Senate also approved an amendment that would replace the current I-9 employment verification forms with an electronic system. This change is expected to occur within the next 18 months.
- Text of Bill S. 2611
- Text of Bill H.R. 4437 that was referred from House of Representatives to the
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