The Better Salaries Effort: A Long Train Running

By Carol Brey-Casiano

Adapted and updated from "Taking Our Salary Fight to the Streets: Why We Need a New Campaign for America’s Librarians" which appeared in a Library Journal opinion piece dated April 15, 2002.

In April of 2002, Library Journal published an opinion piece I wrote called "Taking Our Library Salary Fight To the Streets," about the importance of advocating for better pay for librarians and library workers. Two years later it seems that, (with apologies to the Doobie Brothers) we are now facing a "Long Train Running" as we recognize that turning around years of traditionally low pay will take still more years of dedication and effort. MORE

Competencies and Certification

By Sandy Brooks

Competencies are a perennially hot topic in career and education discussions. To be “competent” is to be capable and well qualified. Therefore, a “competency” is an expression of a skill or characteristic needed by a worker to be capable and well qualified to do their job. A list of competencies for a certain job or career can be used in a number of ways. MORE

Presentation Skills Aren’t Debatable!

By Vicki Burger

People often ask my suggestions for preparing to move into positions of more responsibility within their organizations. I like to remind them of the importance of presentation skills. Think about how much of the time the leaders in your library are "selling" an idea, communicating information or training on new processes or policies.

In fact, various surveys have shown that upwards to 90% of managers say that the ability to present ideas convincingly is critical to their jobs. Developing presentation skills can give a boost to your professional visibility and success. MORE

Rural Library Compensation, The Vermont Initiative

By Jessamyn West

The first librarian job I applied for in Vermont was part-time, and advertised as paying $12/hour. They were hoping to get someone with a Master’s Degree but were prepared to be reasonable. This was in 2002. When I asked the Trustees if there would be any money available for professional development, I could see that I was talking myself right out of a job. The library closest to me in Vermont pays $8/hour and is open 16 hours a week. It’s a lovely library, but I can’t afford to work there. MORE

Midwinter Meeting Update

By Jenifer Grady, ALA-APA Director

Midwinter discussions sparked the beginning of great things to come from the ALA-APA Standing Committee on Salaries and Status of Library Workers. The Committee, chaired by past ALA President Mitch Freedman, accomplished several goals, including an update on activities through January 2004 and the establishment of sixteen subcommittees (listed below). MORE

New Injury and Illness Posting Requirements Effective This Month

Starting this month, employers must post a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred last year. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reminds employers that the summary, OSHA’s Form 300A (not the complete Form 300 log), should be displayed in an area where all workers have access to view it and must list the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2003 and were logged on the OSHA 300 form. Companies with no recordable injuries or illnesses still need to post the summary form with zeroes on the total line. MORE (takes you to OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov)

Proposed Changes to the EEO-1

By Dorothy Ragsdale, Director, Human Resources, American Library Association

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) EEO-1 report is an annual report prepared by employers. This is a composition of the workforce by sex and race/ethnic category. The information is collected in nine categories: (1) officials and managers; (2) professionals; (3) technicians; (4) sales workers; (5) office and clerical workers; (6) craft workers; (7) operators; (8) laborers; and (9) service workers. Race/ethnic designations used are White (not of Hispanic origin), Black (not of Hispanic origin), Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Island, American Indian or Native American.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has proposed several changes to the EEO-1 report’s race/ethnicity classification system act and the EEO-1 form itself. Currently the EEO-1 report requires employers to collect and provide a demographic snapshot of an employer’s workforce. MORE

Recognizing (And Applying) New Conceptions of Work

By Jennifer Sweeney

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, technicians represent the fastest growing segment of the U.S. labor force. Also increasing is the technical nature of work in many professions, and the need for workers with technical skill is expected to continue to grow into the foreseeable future (Barley & Bechky, 1994). The implications of this growth are important to think about not only because this is all happening in library work, but also because the roles and characteristics of technicians and technical work are highly similar to those of library support staff and the work they do. Library human resource practices may not be in line with the changes that are occurring. MORE

New Recruitment Video Available

Recruitment of the next generation of librarians is one of the most pressing issues facing the profession and the association today.

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) a division of the American Library Association, has developed a streaming video highlighting the role of academic librarians and the satisfactions to be realized in the profession.

The video includes interviews with academic librarians who discuss what they do and why they made their career choices.

View or download the Recruiting to the Profession Video (streaming file, requires RealMedia player) MORE

Survey Results

Although we experienced rough economic times and tight budgets last year, sixty-six percent (66%) or two hundred seventy-nine (279) of the four hundred twenty-two (422) people who responded to the survey said their library had not instituted a pay freeze.

Approximately thirty-four percent (34%) or one hundred forty-three (143) of those responding to the survey said yes, their library had instituted a pay freeze last year. Forty-four percent (44%) of those worked in public libraries, followed closely by academic libraries at thirty-five percent (35%). MORE

Ten Surefire Ways to Tick Off Your Co-Workers

Featured on MSN CareerBuilder

Who couldn’t add to this list? Here are a few ways that you can sabotage or may already be sabotaging your relationships with your colleagues. These behaviors can have lasting implications and the potential for limiting your chances for advancement. Recognize anyone in these descriptions?

1. "It’s always about me."

2. Responding to cell phone calls while conversing with co-workers

3. Acting like an authority figure (without authorization or power)

4. Taking casual day too casually

MORE (Takes you to MSN Web site)