Spotlight

• The Professional Part-Timer

  By Catherine Collins

  Editor’s note: This is the second in a series leading to a program called “The Side Gig,” hosted by ALA-APA at the American Library Association Annual Conference in June 2011.

  Whether we wish to supplement full-time employment, to pay the bills when we’re between jobs or to make a long-term professional choice, many of us may consider part-time employment at some time in our years in the work force.

  For me, part-time work was both … Read the rest

• Alexandria University Librarianship and Information Science department efforts to face challenges: a report

  By Ghadeer Magdy

  Recent political developments in my country of Egypt have opened up opportunities to build a new democratic system based on freedom of speech and circulation of information. In the 1950s, Egypt was the first Arab nation to introduce the study of librarianship in universities. I am a student at the Alexandria University Librarianship and Information Science Department, which attempts to help Egyptian librarians and library students to tackle these new opportunities. Unfortunately, Egyptian library students face

  … Read the rest

ALA-APA News

• Libraries avoid new governor’s budget cleaver; Nearly $22 million is set aside, and federal match of $9 million.

  By Matt Dixon, Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville): February 14, 2011

  To the relief of library employees and advocates across the state, Florida’s Governor Rick Scott chose not to cut the nearly $22 million dollars reserved for Florida libraries.

  Scott’s office has made no comment about the governor’s decision to preserve library funding. Some speculate that cutting funding would jeopardize $9 million in federal matching dollars.  Jacksonville Public Libraries Director Barbara Gubbin reminds library supporters that the funding’s status may change before … Read the rest

• Carol Stream library board OKs bump in salary ranges

  By Christopher Placek, Chicago Daily Herald: February 17, 2011

  Carol Stream Public Library board members increased salary ranges for all library positions. Lower pay grades will be raised by about 8 percent; jobs at the higher pay end will rise by over 4 percent.

  Some board members worry that raising salary ranges might strain the library’s budget, but Executive Director Ann Kennedy notes that only seven current employees will be affected – and their positions fall within the lower … Read the rest

• Librarians Join the Protesters in Madison

  By Sharon McQueen, Library Journal: February 28, 2011

  On February 26, several dozen librarians, library staff and library students marched in Madison, Wisconsin, to protest the bill that would eliminate collective bargaining rights of most Wisconsin state workers.

  The library employees’ march from the headquarters of the Madison Public Library to join other protestors at the State Capitol was initiated by librarian Omar Poler and organized by SLIS student Kim Pittman and grad Carrie Gostomski.

  Demonstrations against Governor … Read the rest

Career Advancement

• The For-Profit Library? What Libraries and Learning Resource Centers Bring to the For-Profit College

  By Jennifer Meyer, MLS

  I have worked in a for-profit college library for nearly four years. Taking the job was nerve racking for me originally. A for-profit college? But I was excited to observe the school’s commitment to integrity and to its students. And it is inspiring to see the difference this education can make in the life of a student.

  Proprietary, or for-profit, colleges have been in the news recently, and anyone associated with the field of education probably has … Read the rest

HR Practice

• Recognize Employee Performance – For Free!

  By Chris Martin

  Editor’s note: This article was published in honor of National Library Workers Day on Tuesday, April 12. The NLWD website has celebration ideas.  Don’t forget to Submit a Star, nominating someone great in your library.

  Do you want to reward and encourage your employees, but fear that it is impossible in an era of shrinking budgets? You can recognize employees without breaking the bank after you have spent time getting to know them – and … Read the rest

Salaries

• Minimum Salary for Library Employees and State Library Salary Data Updated

  CHICAGO – The updated minimum salary for librarians should be $42,485/yr and for all staff $13.81/hr, based on American Library Association-Allied Professional Association resolutions passed in 2007 and 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator. These figures are updated annually by ALA-APA. Thanks to a partnership with the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO in Washington, DC, the Directory of State Libraries that collect salary data has also been updated. The 2-page document, … Read the rest