Citings in News and Publications

Press Releases

 

For Immediate Release
April 15, 2008

McEntee Calls for Increased Funding for Libraries / "Libraries are a Vital Resource During Economic Downturn"

Washington, D.C. - Gerald W. McEntee, President of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, today called for increased funding for the nation's libraries, noting their importance to communities and workers coping with the downturn in the national economy.

"Our libraries must get the necessary funding to meet the needs of working families," said McEntee. "In economically difficult times, libraries are more important than ever to our communities. Funding our libraries is a critical investment in our future. That is why it is essential that mayors and decision-makers in every community provide library workers with the pay, support and respect that they have earned."

"As the nation feels the pain of the weakening economy, people are turning to their libraries for resources to find employment and public services, to advance their education, and to learn," said McEntee. "AFSCME salutes the library workers who make more than 123,000 libraries across the country happen."

McEntee noted that cutting library budgets has a serious impact on the nation's economic future. "At a time when communities need the resources our nation's libraries provide, too many jurisdictions are taking a knife to library budgets. That is a major mistake, and we are going to fight those budget cuts," McEntee said. "When the economy is in trouble, Americans need their libraries more than ever."

McEntee's call came on National Library Workers Day, a day set aside for communities, schools and universities across the country to celebrate the contributions of librarians and library workers. "Library workers have shown tremendous resiliency during these difficult times. They have adapted to the demands of the digital age, and kept our libraries running smoothly, often on shoestring budgets," he continued.

AFSCME represents more than 10,000 workers in libraries nationwide, more than any other union. AFSCME has been a leading advocate for pay increases for library workers and for funding increases for the public facilities they operate. This year, the union is distributing more than 60,000 bookmarks at libraries nationwide to commemorate the work of librarians and library workers.

Earlier this month, the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) announced that McEntee and AFSCME will be honored as ALA-APA Angels at the American Library Association Annual Conference in June. This honor recognizes AFSCME's efforts to help ALA-APA grow and flourish in its missions of providing certification and supporting better salaries. New York Public Library Guild Local 1930 of District Council 37 AFSCME, AFL-CIO, represented by President Carol Thomas and Treasurer Nina Manning, will also be among those honored as ALA-APA Angels.

For more information, contact:

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone (202) 429-1145
Fax (202) 429-1120

For Immediate Release,
April 8, 2008

ALA-APA names 30 leaders as its Angels

CHICAGO - Thirty library leaders will be honored as ALA-APA Angels at the American Library Association Annual Conference in June. The ALA-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) is celebrating five years of service by honoring some of the many people and organizations that have helped it grow and flourish in its missions of providing certification and supporting better salaries.

ALA-APA angels were instrumental in the creation and development of ALA-APA. They represent thousands of library employees who gave their time, energy, ideas and contributions to shape the work that ALA-APA is doing through the Certified Public Library Administrator Program and in advocating for fair pay.

The ALA-APA's Angel Reception will be held from 7:30 - 9 p.m. on Friday, June 27,, in Anaheim, Calif. All are invited to attend to support their colleagues and ALA-APA. Tickets for this fundraising event are $25 and may be purchased online at http://www.ala.org/template.cfm?section=alaregistration&template=/cfapps/registration/change/default.cfm  and on-site.

ALA-APA Angels:

  • Patricia Anderson, Montville Township Public Library
  • Nancy Bolt
  • Nancy Davenport, District of Columbia Public Library
  • Diane Fay
  • Jenna Freedman, Barnard College
  • Maurice Freedman
  • Joan Goddard
  • Arlita Harris, University of North Texas
  • Nancy Kranich
  • Michele Leber
  • Margaret Myers
  • Daniel O'Connor, Rutgers University
  • David Orenstein, Warren County Community College
  • Robert Rohlf, Robert H. Rohlf Associates
  • Patricia Smith, Texas Library Association
  • Barbara Stripling, New York City Department of Education
  • Teri Switzer, University of Colorado
  • Thomas Wilding
  • Denise Zielinski, DuPage Library System
  • American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME) - President Gerald McEntee
  • Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) members - represented by President Barbara Mates
  • Better Salaries and Pay Equity Task Force members - represented by Kathleen de la Pena McCook and Patricia Glass Schuman
  • Committee on Education members - represented by President Kenley E. Neufeld
  • Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO - President Paul Almeida and Assistant to the President Pamela Wilson
  • LAMA/PLA/ASCLA Joint Committee on Certification members - represented by Eva Poole and Betty Turock
  • Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA) members - represented by President W. Bede Mitchell
  • New York Public Library Guild Local 1930 District Council 37 AFSCME, AFL-CIO - represented by President Carol Thomas and Treasurer Nina Manning
  • Public Libraries Association (PLA) members - represented by President Jan Sanders * SirsiDynix Corporation
  • University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign Graduate School of Information and Library Science LEEP Program - represented by Program Director Marianne Steadley


ALA-APA thanks the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME) for their support of this event.

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community. It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.

For Immediate Release
March 3, 2008

Survey of library support staff certification competencies sent in March

On March 3, Library Support Staff (LSS) and librarians are invited to offer their opinions about which competencies are important for public and academic LSS.  The competencies will become the foundation for the Library Support Staff Certification Program.  This survey is being widely distributed to ALA members, and other potential respondents can access the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=MzGbewA5qX6oiCzXtODPcA_3d_3d.

Invited respondents will be asked to rate one or more competencies areas, which describe what support staff should know and be able to demonstrate in Foundations of Librarianship, Supervision and Management, Access Services, Reference, Communication and Teamwork, Youth Services, Technical Services, Public Programming and Reader’s Advisory - http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/supportstaffcompetencies.html.

In 2007, the American Library Association and the Western Council of State Libraries received funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Service’s Laura Bush Librarians for the 21st Century Program to establish a national, voluntary Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP).  During the first phase of the three-year grant to develop the Library Support Staff Certification Program, the project Advisory Committee drafted eleven competency areas.  The draft competencies will be modified after analysis of survey results. 

To learn more about the LSSCP project, visit http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/supportstaff.html.

 

 

For Immediate Release
February 6, 2008

Nine Certified Public Library Administrator Program candidates and one course approved

CHICAGO – At the 2008 Midwinter review, the Certified Public Library Administrator Program (CPLA) Certification Review Committee (CRC) approved nine new candidates and one more program course, Planning and Management of Buildings, offered by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  CPLA now has 96 candidates and one graduate, representing public libraries of all sizes across the nation.

The Certified Public Library Administrator program is a voluntary post-MLS certification program for public librarians with three years or more of supervisory experience and ALA-accredited master’s degrees in library and information studies.

The candidates are from 32 states and Nassau, Bahamas.  They average eight years of supervisory experience and have expressed how beneficial the courses are, regardless of how long they have been practicing.
Courses on nine different management topics are provided by associations, library schools and ALA divisions, offered online, face-to-face and at ALA conferences.  Dr. Arlita Harris of the University of North Texas (UNT) continues to be involved because, “our students needed additional administrative preparation in working with our key stakeholders, especially in the public library.”

Courses may also be taken by individuals who are not part of the CPLA program - http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplacourses.html.

CPLA invites you to apply to become a candidate or a course provider.  The next deadline for provider and candidate reviews is March 8.  The application for participants may be found on the CPLA Web site: http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cpla.html.  The RFP for providers is here: http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplaproviders.html.

If you have questions, please call the ALA-APA Office at (800)545-2433, ext. 2424.  ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community.  It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.

 

For Immediate Release
February 6, 2008

Submit a Star and Tell Us About Your Healthy Workplace for National Library Workers Day on April 15, 2008

CHICAGO - Start the celebration early for National Library Workers Day (NLWD) by telling the world what makes your favorite library employee special. ALA-APA is accepting submissions for the  NLWD Stars website - www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwdstarsform.html. NLWD is celebrated on Tuesday, April 15, during the American Library Association (ALA)-sponsored National Library Week. This year, we also want to know how your library administration and employees encourage staff to get and stay healthy.

This year, in addition to honoring library staff who deliver stellar service, the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) also wants to hear about library programming, equipment and benefits that are helping staff improve their health. Does your colleague teach a staff yoga class or hold a weight-loss support group? Does your library stock vending machines with low-fat food choices or offer staff discounts to local gyms? Let us know. NLWD Stars and workplace wellness initiatives will be featured on the National Library Workers Day site for one year. Self-nominations are accepted. The deadline for submission is April 14.

Teach employees and patrons about National Library Workers Day by decorating your library with the free NLWD poster available on the ALA-APA website at http://www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwd_poster.pdf. The poster also features instructions for nominating Stars.

NLWD is a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers. Libraries are encouraged to use National Library Workers Day to focus on the value of their staff: individuals or units responsible for the number of materials selected, acquired, cataloged, checked out and back in, and shelved; for handling requests and sending them to other libraries; for answering reference questions; for planning, publicizing and presenting programs; for developing and maintaining the library's website; for managing the library and for other elements of library service. Ideas for how to celebrate in your library are here: http://www.ala-apa.org/about/NLWDflyer.pdf and http://www.ala-apa.org/about/ideas.html.
                               
For examples of workplace wellness initiatives, please see the ALA-APA survey analysis at http://www.ala-apa.org/salaries/workplacewellnessquant.pdf..

Proud of the work you do? The ALA Online Store is selling buttons that proclaim “Libraries Work Because We Do.” Visit this store listing at http://www.alastore.ala.org/SiteSolution.taf?_sn=catalog&_pn=product_detail&_op=2521.

Customizable tools and materials in English and Spanish to help libraries promote National Library Workers Day in their local media are available on the ALA-APA website at http://www.ala-apa.org/about/materials.html.

The list of NLWD Stars will be updated weekly. Contact the ALA-APA Office to tell us how you will be celebrating - 800-545-2433, x2424 or jgrady@ala.org.

Equal Pay Day, on April 22, 2008, is closely related to NLWD because libraries are staffed predominately by women, and library workers tend to be underpaid. Equal Pay Day highlights the gap between the wages of men and women. For more information, see the NCPE website at www.pay-equity.org.

National Library Week (April 13-19) press materials, programming suggestions and display ideas can be found on the ALA website in both English and Spanish at http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/natlibraryweek/nlw.htm. The theme for 2007 is “Come Together @ your library®.” The site includes a link to National Library Week products available from ALA Graphics, including posters, bookmarks and key chains.

NLWD is sponsored by ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees, which advocates for improving the salaries and status of librarians and support staff.

 

For Immediate Release
February 1, 2008

Brian Keith and Camilla B. Reid named winners of the 2007-2008 Sirsi-Dynix – ALA-APA Award for Improving Salaries

CHICAGO ‑ The ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees (ALA‑APA) is pleased to announce that Brian Keith, Library Human Resources Officer at the University of Florida Smathers Libraries, and Camilla B. Reid, Associate Director of the Augusta State University Reese Library, are the winners of the fourth annual SirsiDynix‑ALA‑APA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Promoting Salaries and Status for Library Workers.

The award is given to an individual, group of individuals or institution that have made an outstanding contribution to improving the salary and status of library workers in a local, regional or national setting. Keith will receive $3000 and Reid $2000 in appreciation of their work on improving salaries in their libraries.

The SirsiDynix Jury was very impressed with the scope of Keith’s project, which performed a two-stage market equity review of all support staff at the University of Florida Smathers Libraries. Jury member Linda Dobb said, “It is a tribute to your hard work and political saavy that of the 150 non-faculty staff evaluated, your new job matrix resulted in equity improvements for 120 employees for a total increase of $785,108.80 in wages and benefits.” One nominator lauded Keith’s for not only creating a new consistent set of position descriptions and responsibilities” but for “also convincing both the library administration and the University of Florida HR administration of the positive results of implementing this project.”The jury was also inspired that the project will serve as a model for other support staff areas that come under review at the University.

In April 2007, Reid submitted a comprehensive, documented, detailed proposal to the Vice-President that portrayed the need for salary adjustments. Reid successfully obtained these limited resources during a period of constrained university budgets and increased competition. Jury member Mary Mallory said the proposal “reflects your belief in the value of library paraprofessionals, the importance of salary equity, and your hard work to ensure that this was not a missed opportunity.” The jury also recognized the purposeful strategic planning, the extent of the staff development program, and the data gathering phase, each of which served as a catalyst for this advancement of well over half of the Library’s paraprofessional staff members. One colleague described her effort as “incomparable.” This project may also be a model for improving faculty salaries within the Library.

A breakfast will be held to honor the winners at the American Library Association Annual Conference in June in Anaheim, CA. The next award cycle will begin in October 2008, though nominations may be submitted now. Watch the ALA-APA Website for details - http://www.ala-apa.org/salaries/sirsidynixaward.html.

The jury members were John Jessee, chair, Jacksonville Public Library (Fla.); Linda Dobb, Bowling Green State University (Oh.); and Mary Mallory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This award is given annually, thanks to a contribution from SirsiDynix, the global leader in strategic technology solutions for libraries.

The recipient of the award does not have to be an ALA member or a current or past library staff member. The requirement is that the award recipient’s achievement(s) has been notable. Officers of the ALA or the ALA-APA are not eligible for the award, nor are members of the ALA-APA SirsiDynix Awards Jury, ALA-APA Standing Committee on the Salaries and Status of Library Workers or employees of SirsiDynix.

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community. It has two missions: advocacy for salary improvement efforts and providing certification in specializations of librarianship.

 

For Immediate Release
January 31, 2008

Libraries nationwide receiving ALA-APA Library Salary Survey

CHICAGO – Library directors and human Resources staff, check your mail.  Almost 4,000 public and academic libraries are being asked to participate in the 2008 ALA-APA Library Salary Survey.  This year, the survey asks for salary data for six librarian titles.  The deadline is Friday, Feb. 29, for completing the web-based survey.  Survey letters with instructions are addressed to the attention of the library director or human resources manager and are in envelopes with the ALA-APA logo.  The survey website is http://www.hrsource.org/images/mail/ala.html.

In order to thank participants, all responding institutions will be given 30-day access to the ALA-APA Library Salary Database –
http://cs.ala.org/websurvey/salarysurvey/login/login.cfm - as well as a discount on the printed survey.  The public and academic libraries receiving the letter are part of a scientifically selected sample, chosen to reflect the variety of sizes of libraries as well as to ensure that the sample will be statistically significant for state salary data reporting.  It is very important that all who are asked to participate respond so that the surveys provide the highest quality information to managers who set and benchmark salaries and for librarians who are in the process of evaluating their career prospects. 

ALA has collected and published salary information on librarians with ALA-accredited master’s degrees since 1982.  ALA-APA continues to consult with the ALA Office for Research and Statistics to conduct the survey, which reports data for five public library sizes and three academic library types by region and state.   This year’s supplemental question asks about employer-provided benefits.

If you have any questions, please contact the ALA-APA Office at 800-545-2433, ext.2424 or e-mail jgrady@ala.org.

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community.  It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.

 

For Immediate Release
December 21, 2007

First Candidate Completes Certified Public Library Administrator (CPLA) Program

Lois Blythe, Head of Adult Services at the Burlington (Ia.) Public Library, is the first candidate to complete the Certified Public Library Administrator Program.  Blythe completed the requisite seven courses in record time, becoming the first public librarian to earn the designation of CPLA.  The CPLA program, administered by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association, is a voluntary credential for public librarians who want to learn managerial competencies in areas like personnel, facilities, marketing and technology.

Blythe was admitted to the CPLA program when it began in the spring of 2006.  There are now 87 additional candidates.  She knew she wanted to become a director.  Blythe has been practicing in the field and learning to be an administrator on-the-job, but felt that CPLA would “afford me the opportunity to develop the business management skills I need to perform confidently and competently in a director’s position.”

It’s amazing that Blythe was able to finish the program in 18 months, in the midst of her library moving to another building.  It was a struggle, but with the support of her supervisor, Blythe continued to stretch [herself] by “learning new techniques, strategies, and technologies that can assist us in our workplaces and in our personal lives.” 

Blythe feels that one of the most valuable aspects of the program is that the assignments were organized so that they could be used at work.

Members of the CPLA Certification Review Committee were impressed by her technology and marketing plans.  They said, “Wow!  Her final projects were both informative and entertaining, but most importantly, her use of background statistics showed that she was basing her project on genuine demonstrated needs. Her analyses were realistic and comprehensive...proposed changes were creative and yet feasible." 

CPLA courses are delivered either face-to-face or online.  Blythe completed three of her seven courses online from the University of North Texas.  She said, “I liked having the ability to choose when and where I would read, chat with other participants, and complete my assignments.” Her instructor, Dr. Arlita Harris, said Blythe “was a model student, submitting assignments on schedule and participating in discussions among class members.  It thrills me that Lois is our first ‘graduate.’  I congratulate her!”

Completing the CPLA program gave Blythe confidence, strengthened her writing and presentation skills, and expanded her understanding of library policies and procedures.  Blythe also found herself becoming more active in her state association as a result of the Politics and Networking course.  She said, “I am thrilled and surprised to be the first candidate to complete the CPLA program.  It was a worthwhile endeavor and I would recommend the program to other librarians looking to hone, revitalize, and broaden their skills.”

ALA-APA invites public librarians to apply.  Candidates must have an ALA-accredited MLS (or equivalent) and at least three years of supervisory experience in a public library.  To learn more about the current candidates, see http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplacandidates.pdf.  To apply, please visit the CPLA website at http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cpla.html.  Contact the ALA-APA office if you have questions at 800-545-2433, x2424 or cpla@ala.org. The next deadline is March 8, 2008.

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community.  It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.

For Immediate Release
December 21, 2007

New Library Support Staff Certification Project (LSSCP) Website Announced

The Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP), a project to develop a national voluntary certification program for support staff in public and academic libraries, has a new website, http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/supportstaff.html. The site houses informational documents, minutes from discussions by its Advisory Council and contact information for library associations and groups wanting to host conference or meeting presentations about the project.

The American Library Association, in partnership with the Western Council of State Libraries, was awarded $407,111 by the Institute of Museum and Library Services to develop the Library Support Staff Certification Program. The project is led by Nancy Bolt and Dr. Karen Strege.

This project addresses the Library Support Staff (LSS) community’s need for a national certification program to help the profession standardize expectations for LSS; helps support staff master critical job competencies; provides educators with guidance for training curricula; and helps employers articulate job requirements.

Contact the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) Office for more details at (800) 545-2433, ext. 2424, or e-mail jgrady@ala.org.

 

For Immediate Release
November 12, 2007

Nominees Sought for $5,000 Award for Improving Library
Workers' Salaries and Status

The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) is seeking nominees from both individuals and organizations that have made a positive change in the salaries or status of librarians and/or support staff. The Award Jury is looking forward to receiving the stories of champions that have had a local, regional or national impact. The winner will receive a $5000 award, courtesy of the SirsiDynix Corporation. Each candidate must have three nominations, using the electronic application form at www.ala-apa.org/salaries/sirsidynixnominationform.html. The deadline is Friday, Dec. 14.

Nominations will be reviewed by the Award Jury, chaired by John Jessee of the Jacksonville (Fla.) Public Library, at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in January 2008 in Philadelphia. The winner(s) will be honored at the Annual Conference in June 2008 in Anaheim, Calif.

The 2006-2007 jury was struck by the variety and depth of the actions leading to salary improvements in each nomination, finally narrowing the winners to three: Alachua County Library District (Fla.), Connie Vinita Dowell (San Diego State University) and Theresa McMahan (Sullivan County Library System, Tenn.). Alachua County Library District (ALCD) impressed the award jury because it conducted a detailed compensation study that resulted in salary adjustments for all staff. Dowell, dean of the San Diego State University (SDSU) Library and Information Access Department, worked proactively in a public university setting to find ways to reward and recognize deserving employees who took on additional duties and responsibilities during hard economic times. McMahan, then assistant director, pushed for raises for librarians, catalogers and part-time staff  by informing the library board and county commissioners about the duties of her staff.

The Award Jury encourages the library community to nominate staff and libraries of all sizes that are actively working on every level to secure equitable pay for people in librarianship. Please submit three strong letters of support, since only the first three received will be reviewed. Self-nominations are permitted. Supporting documents may be emailed to ALA-APA, faxed to 312-280-5013 or mailed to SirsiDynix Award, ALA-APA, 50 East Huron, Chicago, IL 60611.

The recipient of the award does not have to be an ALA member or a current or past library staff member. The requirement is that the award recipient's achievement(s) has been notable. Officers of the ALA or the ALA-Allied Professional Association are not eligible for the award, nor are members of the Jury, ALA-APA Standing Committee on the Salaries and Status of Library Workers or employees of SirsiDynix.

The ALA-APA Dynix Award Jury and employees of the SirsiDynix Corporation are not eligible for this award. The SirsiDynix Corporation is a leading provider of information technology to libraries and consortia worldwide.
For more information, contact jgrady@ala.org.

For Immediate Release                                                         
October 9, 2007  

Get a Free Copy of an ALA-APA Library Salary Survey - For Analyzing the Data

ALA-APA will give up to five people/institutions a free copy of the 2007 ALA-APA Salary Survey – Librarian: Public and Academic ($70 value) or 2007 ALA-APA Salary Survey – Non-MLS: Public and Academic ($100 value) in exchange for analyzing data and submitting a research paper on a topic of national interest. 

The Librarian Salary Survey has been published since 1982 and covers six positions.  The Non-MLS Salary Survey has been published since 2006 and covers more than 60 positions that do not require an American Library Association-accredited Masters Degree in Library Science.  The 2007 Non-MLS Salary Survey also reports salaries for staff employed as librarians but who do not have ALA-accredited Master’s Degrees in Library Science.  

Research may be comparative or descriptive.  Past issues of the survey may be made available to winners.  2006 winners published the following articles in the ALA-APA newsletter Library Worklife: HR E-News for Today’s Leaders:

To be considered for the free copy, please send an email to jbragg@ala.org with your contact information, writing experience and a detailed description of the question(s) you would like to answer by reviewing the survey.  Prior researchers may re-apply.  The recipients agree to write one article, maximum 1200 words, which answers their question, by March 2008.  Articles will be published in a later issue of Library Worklife: HR E-News for Today’s Leaders.  Recipients may keep or donate the survey.  The deadline for submitting your ideas is November 16, 2007.

For Immediate Release
October 9, 2007                                                                             

Twelve Certified Public Library Administrator Program candidates and one course approved

CHICAGO - The Certified Public Library Administrator Program (CPLA) Certification Review Committee (CRC) approved 12 new candidates and one more program course at the 2007 Fall review.  CPLA now has 87 candidates representing public libraries of all sizes across the nation.

The Certified Public Library Administrator program is a voluntary post-MLS certification program for public librarians with three years or more of supervisory experience and ALA-accredited master’s degrees in library and information studies.

The candidates are from 30 states and Nassau, Bahamas.  They average ten years of supervisory experience, but still feel that these courses are beneficial.  Margaret Hooper, a CPLA candidate from Douglas County Libraries in Colorado, after taking the Politics and Networking course from UIUC, affirmed, “I believe I would not have been able to advance in the profession without this class.”  Other candidates have expressed similar sentiments about all of the courses.

There are 35 courses on nine different management topics provided by associations, library schools and ALA divisions, offered online, face-to-face and at ALA conferences.  In addition to the new course, North Suburban Library System (IL), University of North Texas (UNT), Southeastern Massachusetts Library System (SEMLS) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) renewed their commitment to offer courses.  Instructor Cheryl Bryan of SEMLS said, “As someone who completed my degree quite awhile ago I’m well aware that I’ve taught myself most of what I needed to know to be a successful library director. The topics are relevant and address the needs I see when I’m out working with our member libraries.”   Instructor Dr. Arlita Harris of UNT continues to be involved because, “our students needed additional administrative preparation in working with our key stakeholders, especially in the public library.”
Courses may also be taken by individuals who are not part of the CPLA program - http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplacourses.html.

CPLA invites you to apply to become a candidate or a course provider.  The next deadline for provider and candidate reviews is December 7, 2007.  The application for participants may be found on the CPLA Web site: http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cpla.html.  The RFP for providers is here: http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplaproviders.html.
If you have questions, please call the ALA-APA Office. 

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community.  It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.

For Immediate Release
October 5, 2007

CALL FOR CERTIFICATION AND SALARIES COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS

ALA President-elect Jim Rettig is seeking applications and nominations for appointments to 2008-2009 ALA Allied Professional Association committees. Appointments take effect at the conclusion of the 2008 Annual Conference.

Mr. Rettig will fill slots on the following committees:  Certification Program, CPLA Certification Review, Promotion and Fundraising, Publishing, Salaries and Status of Library Workers, SirsiDynix  - ALA-APA Award for Outstanding Promotion of the Salaries and Status of Library Workers Jury (see charges below). 

All applicants must complete and submit the electronic 2008-2009 ALA-APA Committee Volunteer Form.  The form is available at: http://www.ala-apa.org/committeevolunteerform.html.  You may serve on ALA-APA committees even if you are concurrently serving on up to three ALA committees.

In order to ensure broad representation and diversity on all committees, geographical location, type of library, gender, ethnicity, previous committee work (ALA, ALA APA and other), relevant experience, and other factors are considered when the committee rosters are compiled. Committee appointees will receive appointment letters after the 2008
ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, PA.  Appointees will begin their committee service at the conclusion of the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA.

Nominations should be submitted no later than Monday December 3, 2007. Questions concerning appointments can be directed to ALA President-Elect Jim Rettig at jrettig@richmond.edu or Jenifer Grady, ALA-APA Director at jgrady@ala.org.



For Immediate Release
August 14, 2007

Registration now open for September CPLA courses from PLA

CHICAGO - The Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is now accepting registrations for five specialized continuing education courses to be offered in September 2007 in partnership with local library systems.  Each of these courses has been approved for the Certified Public Library Administrator (CPLA) program and registration is open to CPLA candidates as well as librarians looking for quality, specialized continuing education.  Courses to be offered in September 2007 include:

  • September 5-6 – Planning and Management of Buildings - Columbus, Ohio
  • September 11-12 – Budget and Finance - Kansas City, Miss.
  • September 19-20 – Current Issues - San Francisco
  • September 25-26 – Current Issues - Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
  • September 26-27 – Marketing  - Atlanta

The CPLA program is a voluntary post-MLS certification program for public librarians with three-years or more of supervisory experience.  However, librarians who are not enrolled in the certification program are also eligible to take PLA/CPLA classes.  This series of continuing education programs meets both the requirements for CPLA certification and the needs of librarians wanting to enhance their managerial skills.

For more information on becoming a certified public library administrator, visit the ALA-APA Web site, www.ala-apa.org.  For more information on CPLA courses offered by PLA, including full course descriptions, instructor bios and registration information, visit PLA’s Web site at www.pla.org, or contact the PLA office at 800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA.

PLA is a division of the American Library Association.  PLA’s core purpose is to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve. Its mission is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library services.

For Immediate Release
August 7, 2007

ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services and ALA-APA
Find Out What Rural Librarians Think About Their Salaries

CHICAGO – Rather than assume based on salary and cost-of-living comparisons, the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) asked the constituents served by the American Library Association Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) their thought about their salaries.  The results were insightful and sometimes surprising.  The Rural Libraries Salary Survey was conducted by ALA-APA for a panel discussion at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The program was entitled, “Rural and Small Libraries vs. Small Salaries.”  ALA-APA and OLOS shines light on a long-overlooked area of librarianship -  the low salaries and status of library workers in small and rural libraries. 

Respondents were from inland Alaska to the Carolina coast, from the Pennsylvania hills to the plains of Wyoming. The vast coverage explained the differences in what respondents considered “rural.”  The first question of the survey asked how respondents defined rural, and the responses could be categorized as isolated, agrarian or sparsely populated, depending on the location.

Answers to the question about how respondents feel about rural library staff salaries, we were struck most by the commonalities: pay inequity, low professional status, lack of qualified staff, high employee turnover and a concern about the effects of the new minimum wage on rural economies.
 
However, the survey leaves readers with hope. Many rural library workers have successfully advocated for improved status and salaries.  The techniques used were reflective of the advice given in the Better Salaries and Pay Equity Toolkit (ALA-APA, 2007) and The Small but Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library (OLOS, 2007):  educate patrons, city officials and boards about the value of library staff, use clear advocacy messages, consult national and local salary surveys, seek outside funding and be patient.

The panel featured Judy Rule, director of Cabell County (W.Va.) Public Library, who was successful in raising salaries, improving benefits and increasing staff satisfaction in a state with the lowest salaries in the nation and severe budget constraints.  Amy Grasmick, director of Kimball (Vt.) Public Library, explained that Vermont is so small that only the capitol city qualifies for E-Rate funding and that almost all funding is from local sources.  Grasmick was on the committee that created Increasing Public Library Compensation: a How-to Guide for Vermont Libraries.  Jenifer Grady, director of ALA-APA, presented library staff salaries from a national perspective and the Rural Libraries Staff Survey results.  The panel was moderated by Carol Barta, Chair of the ALA Committee on Rural, Native and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds.

The results of the Rural Library Staff Salary Survey may be found on the OLOS Web site and comments are welcome:  http://www.ala.org/ala/olos/aboutolos/oloscommittees/rnt/RuralLibSalarySurvey.pdf .  OLOS and ALA-APA thank all of the respondents.

 

For Immediate Release
August 3, 2007                                  

Librarian Salary Survey Reports Median Librarian Salary Up 2.8 Percent to $57,809 in 2007; Non-MLS Position Salaries Also Reported

Results from the 2007 edition of the ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian - Public and Academic and ALA-APA Salary Survey: Non-MLS - Public and Academic are now available in two ways – immediately for subscribers to the ALA-APA Library Salary Database and in print in August from the American Library Association (ALA) online store. Analysis of data from more than 800 public and academic libraries showed the mean salary for librarians with ALA-accredited Master’s Degrees reported increased 2.8 percent from 2006, up $1,550 to $57,809.  The median ALA MLS salary was $53,000. Salaries ranged from $22,048 to $225,000.

For the first time, the Non-MLS Salary Survey data, including sixty-two Non-MLS positions, reports salaries for staff employed as librarians but who do not have ALA-accredited Master’s Degrees in Library Science. Non-MLS salaries ranged $10,712 to $143,700. Both printed surveys also indicate the minimal educational requirement for each position.

Published by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA), the survey shows aggregated data from more than 7,500 ALA MLS librarians and almost 20,000 Non-MLS individual salaries at the state and regional levels.

Librarian positions included are directors/deans, associate/assistant directors, department heads, managers of support staff, librarians who do not supervise and beginning librarians.  Non-MLS positions are library specific (e.g. library technical assistants and clerks by functional area, bookmobile drivers, collection development managers) and non-library specific (e.g. senior accountants, administrative assistants, proposal writers, human resources managers, information technology managers)
The survey gives national-level mean and quartile data. The printed reports include analysis of salary trends and an extensive appendix of other sources of compensation data within and outside of the library profession.

The Librarian Salary Survey continues more than 20 years of collecting and reporting salary data for six positions requiring an ALA-accredited master's degree in library science.  The Non-MLS Salary Survey has been published since 2006.   

The "Librarian Salary Survey" price remains unchanged at $63 for ALA members/$70 for non-members. Participating libraries receive a 25 percent discount. The "Non-MLS Salary Survey" is $90 for ALA members/$100 for non-members, and participating libraries receive a 25 percent discount.  Database users may subscribe online at http://cs.ala.org/websurvey/salarysurvey/salarysurveyform/form.cfm.  Print purchasers may order through the ALA Store at http://www.alastore.ala.org/.  

Both surveys were completed with consultation from Denise Davis, director of the ALA Office for Research and Statistics, and conducted by The Management Association of Illinois.

The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and has as one of its missions supporting salary improvement initiatives for library workers. Please contact the ALA-APA Office at 800-545-2433, x2424 or jgrady@ala.org with questions or comments.

A Hipper Crowd of Shushers

By Kara Jesella, New York Times: July 8, 2007

ON a Sunday night last month at Daddy’s, a bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, more than a dozen people in their 20s and 30s gathered at a professional soiree, drinking frozen margaritas and nibbling store-bought cookies. With their thrift-store inspired clothes and abundant tattoos, they looked as if they could be filmmakers, Web designers, coffee shop purveyors or artists.

When talk turned to a dance party the group had recently given at a nearby restaurant, their profession became clearer.

“Did you try the special drinks?” Sarah Gentile, 29, asked Jennifer Yao, 31, referring to the colorfully named cocktails.

“I got the Joy of Sex,” Ms. Yao replied. “I thought for sure it was French Women Don’t Get Fat.”

Ms. Yao could be forgiven for being confused: the drink was numbered and the guests had to guess the name. “613.96 C,” said Ms. Yao, cryptically, then apologized: “Sorry if I talk in Dewey.”

That would be the Dewey Decimal System. The groups’ members were librarians. Or, in some cases, guybrarians.

“He hates being called that,” said Sarah Murphy, one of the evening’s organizers and a founder of the Desk Set, a social group for librarians and library students.

Ms. Murphy was speaking of Jeff Buckley, a reference librarian at a law firm, who had a tattoo of the logo from the Federal Depository Library Program peeking out of his black T-shirt sleeve.

Librarians? Aren’t they supposed to be bespectacled women with a love of classic books and a perpetual annoyance with talkative patrons — the ultimate humorless shushers?

Not any more. With so much of the job involving technology and with a focus now on finding and sharing information beyond just what is available in books, a new type of librarian is emerging — the kind that, according to the Web site Librarian Avengers, is “looking to put the ‘hep cat’ in cataloguing.”

When the cult film “Party Girl” appeared in 1995, with Parker Posey as a night life impresario who finds happiness in the stacks, the idea that a librarian could be cool was a joke.

Now, there is a public librarian who writes dispatches for McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, a favored magazine of the young literati. “Unshelved,” a comic about librarians — yes, there is a comic about librarians — features a hipster librarian character. And, in real life, there are an increasing number of librarians who are notable not just for their pink-streaked hair but also for their passion for pop culture, activism and technology.

“We’re not the typical librarians anymore,” said Rick Block, an adjunct professor at the Long Island University Palmer School and at the Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science, both graduate schools for librarians, in New York City.

“When I was in library school in the early ’80s, the students weren’t as interesting,” Mr. Block said.

Since then, however, library organizations have been trying to recruit a more diverse group of students and to mentor younger members of the profession.

“I think we’re getting more progressive and hipper,” said Carrie Ansell, a 28-year-old law librarian in Washington.

In the last few years, articles have decried the graying of the profession, noting a large percentage of librarians that would soon be retiring and a seemingly insurmountable demand for replacements. But worries about a mass exodus appear to have been unfounded.

Michele Besant, the librarian at the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the Association of Library and Information Science statistics show a steady increase in library information science enrollments over the last 10 years. Further, at hers and other schools there is a trend for students to be entering masters programs at a younger age.

The myth prevails that librarians are becoming obsolete. “There’s Google, no one needs us,” Ms. Gentile said, mockingly, over a drink at Daddy’s.

Still, these are high-tech times. Why are people getting into this profession when libraries seem as retro as the granny glasses so many of the members of the Desk Set wear?

“Because it’s cool,” said Ms. Gentile, who works at the Brooklyn Museum.

Ms. Murphy, 29, thinks so, too. An actress who had long considered library school, Ms. Murphy finally decided to sign up after meeting several librarians — in bars.

“People I, going in, would never have expected were from the library field,” she said. “Smart, well-read, interesting, funny people, who seemed to be happy with their jobs.”

Maria Falgoust, 31, is also a founder of Desk Set, which took its name from the 1957 Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy romantic comedy. A student who works part time at the library at Saint Ann’s School, she was inspired to become a librarian by a friend, a public librarian who works with teenagers and goes to rock shows regularly.

Since matriculating to Palmer, Ms. Falgoust has met plenty of other like-minded librarians at places such as Brooklyn Label, a restaurant, and at Punk Rope, an exercise class. “They’re everywhere you go,” she said.

Especially in Greenpoint, where Ms. Murphy and Ms. Falgoust live about 10 blocks from each other and where there are, Ms. Falgoust said, about 13 other librarians in the neighborhood.

How did such a nerdy profession become cool — aside from the fact that a certain amount of nerdiness is now cool? Many young librarians and library professors said that the work is no longer just about books but also about organizing and connecting people with information, including music and movies.

And though many librarians say that they, like nurses or priests, are called to the profession, they also say the job is stable, intellectually stimulating and can have reasonable hours — perfect for creative types who want to pursue their passions outside of work and don’t want to finance their pursuits by waiting tables. (The median salary for librarians was about $51,000 in 2006, according to the American Library Association-Allied Professional Organization.)

“I wanted to do something different, something maybe more meaningful,” said Carrie Klein, 36, who used to be a publicist for a record label and for bands such as Radiohead and the Foo Fighters, but is now starting a new job in the library at Entertainment Weekly.

Michelle Campbell, 26, a librarian in Washington, said that librarianship is a haven for left-wing social engagement, which is particularly appealing to the young librarians she knows. “Especially those of us who graduated around the same time as the Patriot Act,” Ms. Campbell said. “We see what happens when information is restricted.”

Ms. Campbell added that she became a librarian because it “combined a geeky intellectualism” with information technology skills and social activism.

Jessamyn West, 38, an editor of “Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out” a book that promotes social responsibility in librarianship, and the librarian behind the Web site librarian.net (its tagline is “putting the rarin’ back in librarian since 1999”) agreed that many new librarians are attracted to what they call the “Library 2.0” phenomenon. “It’s become a techie profession,” she said.

In a typical day, Ms. West might send instant and e-mail messages to patrons, many of who do their research online rather than in the library. She might also check Twitter, MySpace and other social networking sites, post to her various blogs and keep current through MetaFilter and RSS feeds. Some librarians also create Wikis or podcasts.

At the American Library Association’s annual conference last month in Washington, there were display tables of graphic novels, manga and comic books. In addition to a panel called “No Shushing Required,” there were sessions on social networking and zines and one called “Future Friends: Marketing Reference and User Services to Generation X.”

On a Saturday, after a day of panels, a group of librarians relaxed and danced at Selam Restaurant. Sarah Mercure nursed a blueberry vodka and cranberry juice and talked about deciding on her career after hearing a librarian who curated a zine collection speak. Pete Welsch, a D.J., spun records and talked about how his interest in social activism, film and music led him to library school.

But some librarians have found the job can be at odds with their outside cultural interests.

“I went to see a band a few weeks ago with old co-workers and turned to one and said ‘Is it just me or is this really, really loud?’ ” said Ms. Klein, the former publicist. Her friend, she said, “laughed and said, ‘You have librarian ears now.’ ”

Correction: July 15, 2007

An article last Sunday about a younger generation of librarians misstated the name of a library organization that held a conference in Washington last month. It is the American Library Association, not the American Librarian Association.

for Immediate Release
June 25, 2007

PLA receives Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant to help public libraries build skills and experience needed to increase local support and funding

$7.7 million grant will fund national training program for library staff and supporters    

(Washington, D.C.) – Susan Hildreth, president of the Public Library Association (PLA) announced during the 2007 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded PLA a $7.7 million grant to develop and provide a national advocacy training program for public librarians over the next three years.  

Research shows that the public is often unaware of the contributions libraries and librarians make to the health and vitality of their communities. As a result, libraries—which receive more than 80 percent of their funding from local sources—are often overlooked when scarce state, and local financing are allocated among critical services in a community. To help library staff and supporters counter this trend, PLA’s training program will provide librarians with the skills and resources necessary to seek increased funding, create community partnerships, and build alliances with local and regional decision makers. The training will support libraries that are eligible to receive Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Opportunity Online hardware grants, which require grantees to match foundation funds with local dollars. It will also be available to non-grantees on a limited basis.  

“It is imperative that all librarians and library supporters learn to position their public library as an essential community resource in ways that resonate with local stakeholders and result in increased local funding,” said Jill Nishi, program manager of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s U.S. Libraries initiative. “This professional development program will give people the skills they need to channel their passion and commitment to libraries into strategic community outreach and communications.”

The training will be offered in sites around the country for Gates Foundation grantees, as well as online and during the PLA National Conference and the PLA Spring Symposium. Foundation grantees will be encouraged to send teams of up to three people to the locally customized training where they will learn about and create advocacy plans grounded in the reality of their local, political and economic environment. Each participant will also receive the PLA publication Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose and Persuasion: A PLA Toolkit for Success, which will provide them with step-by-step instructions for implementing their advocacy plan.

Finally, the training will include access to an online community, which will provide original content, managed discussions and ongoing support for libraries engaged in local campaigns to build public support and funding.   

“As outlined in PLA’s strategic plan, advocacy is a priority for our organization,” said Hildreth. “Thanks to the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we will be able to reach thousands of librarians with the training they need to build the skills and confidence necessary to
effectively advocate for increased public funding for their libraries.” 

For more information about PLA, visit PLA’s Web site at www.pla.org or contact the PLA office at 800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or PLA is a division of the American Library Association.  PLA’s core purpose is to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve. Its mission is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library services.

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people -- especially those with the fewest resources -- have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Patty Stonesifer and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. More information is available at: www.gatesfoundation.org.

for Immediate Release
June 19, 2007

ALA and Western Council to Develop Library Support Staff Certification with Laura Bush IMLS Grant

The American Library Association, in partnership with the Western Council of State Libraries, has been awarded $407,111 to develop the Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP).  ALA and WCSL, led by project directors Nancy Bolt and Dr. Karen Strege, will develop a national voluntary certification program for support staff in public and academic libraries. Needs assessments for the last fifteen years have called for a national, standardized certification program for library support staff. The three-year project will result in a set of core competencies, an assessment methodology and policies and procedures.

The goal of the project is that users of academic and public libraries will have improved services because of a national certification program for library support staff, provided by the American Library Association.  The project team will develop a set of national core competencies for library support staff that are applicable in academic and public libraries and which will be tested in five sites.

The project will be co-directed by Dr. Karen Strege and Ms. Nancy Bolt, both former state librarians with extensive experience in project management and staff development.  Jenifer Grady, Director of the ALA-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA), will serve as the Chief ALA Liaison.  Mary Ghikas, Senior Associate Executive Director of ALA, will administer the grant.  Other ALA staff and an Advisory Committee composed of representatives from ALA Divisions, Round Tables, Committees, and particularly, library support staff, will assist the project directors.   

This project addresses the Library Support Staff (LSS) community’s needs for a national certification program to help the profession standardize expectations for LSS, help the large number of LSS master critical job competencies; provide educators with guidance for training curriculums; and help employers articulate job requirements. 
At the conclusion of the grant, the program will be submitted for adoption by the American Library Association.  Once adopted, the program would be managed by the ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees, a service organization to ALA.

For Immediate Release
June 12, 2007

PLA to introduce new “Toolkit for Success” at ALA Annual Conference

CHICAGO – The Public Library Association (PLA) will introduce its latest publication, “Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose and Persuasion: A PLA Toolkit for Success,” at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Washington, DC, June 21-27, 2007.   The Toolkit will be available for purchase in the ALA Store for $100 ($90 with ALA member discount).

Copies of the Toolkit will be available for preview in the PLA booth at the ALA Member Pavilion in the Exhibits Hall.  Additionally, PLA will present a demonstration of the contents and application of the Toolkit on Sunday, June 24, from 1:30 to 3:30 in the Washington Convention Center, Room 103A.

As competition for dollars continues to intensify, library staff and trustees must learn to connect the library directly to what the community values most. Through an effective, sustained advocacy effort, libraries can be positioned—and remain—top-of-mind for the public and funders. Creating an advocacy plan is the first step.

“Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose and Persuasion: A PLA Toolkit for Success” provides guidance for the entire planning process, including goal setting, audience analysis and identification, message and strategy development, and tactic evaluation and selection. Nearly 100 pages of step-by-step instruction are included in this colorful and convenient binder as well as on the accompanying CD-Rom. Easy-to-use worksheets, sample marketing materials, and templates make this interactive Toolkit a must-have publication for every public library.

Following the ALA Annual Conference, “Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose and Persuasion: A PLA Toolkit for Success,” will be available through the ALA Online Store at www.alastore.ala.org or by calling the ALA Store (1-866-746-7252). For more information on PLA publications, contact the PLA office at 800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or visit PLA’s Web site at www.pla.org.

For more information about PLA, contact the PLA office at 800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or visit PLA’s Web site at www.pla.org.  PLA is a division of the American Library Association.  PLA’s core purpose is to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve. Its mission is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library services.

 

for Immediate Release
June 11, 2007

Best of ALA-APA Library Worklife Newsletter Sent to ALA Members

This week, the ALA-APA is sending out a free special issue of its electronic newsletter, Library Worklife: HR E-News for Today’s Leaders.  Twenty-six of the most popular articles from the past 3 ½ years are being emailed to ALA individual and institutional members.  Articles cover topics as diverse as successful pay raises in libraries, determining your transferable skills, whether library degrees matter for directors, how to fire someone the right way, recruiting diverse candidates and avoiding job burnout. 

ALA members may remember receiving free issues from January through June of 2004, which are still available in full-text without a login and password.  Everyone is invited to peruse the Special Issue by visiting http://www.ala-apa.org/newsletter/4nspecial.html. The newsletter is a benefit for ALA institutional members and $35/year for individual members.  Students can subscribe for just $15.  Institutions that are not receiving the newsletter should contact ALA Member and Customer Service by phone at 800-545-2433 ext 5 to give an email address for the monthly alerts. 

Library Worklife authors are well-known in the field, newcomers to librarianship as well as contributors from other professions like lawyers, authors and consultants.  Submissions should be sent to jgrady@ala.org and guidelines may be found at http://www.ala-apa.org/newsletter/submissions.html. 

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community.  It has two missions: advocacy for salary improvement efforts and providing certification in specializations of librarianship.

for Immediate Release
May 1, 2007

New CPLA candidates and courses approved

The Certified Public Library Administrator Program (CPLA) Certification Review Committee (CRC) approved five candidates and one program course during the Spring 2007 review.  The new course in Marketing will be offered online by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Certified Public Library Administrator program is a voluntary post-MLS certification program for public librarians with three years or more of supervisory experience and ALA-accredited master's degrees in library and information studies.
The program now has 70 candidates from 30 states. There are 32 courses on nine different management topics provided by associations, library schools and ALA divisions. The courses are offered online, face-to-face and at ALA conferences. Courses may also be taken by individuals who are not CPLA candidates - http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplacourses.html.

CPLA invites you to apply to become a candidate or a course provider. The next deadline for provider and candidate reviews is May 25, 2007. The CPLA Committee will review provider and candidate applications at the ALA Annual Conference. The application for participants can be found on the CPLA Web site: http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cpla.html. The RFP for providers is here: http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplaproviders.html.

If you have questions, please contact the ALA-APA Office at 800-545-2433, x2424 or cpla@ala.org. ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community. It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.

For Immediate Release
April 18, 2007

ALA-APA Library Salary Survey Deadline Extended

CHICAGO – Library Directors and Human Resources staff – Check your mail!  Almost four thousand public and academic libraries were asked to participate in the 2007 ALA-APA Library Salary Survey and we would like more responses to ensure the most valid data set.  This year, the Librarian and Non-MLS Salary Surveys are combined.  The new deadline is Monday, April 30, 2007, for completing the Web-based survey.  Postcards have been sent addressed to the attention of the Library Director or Human Resources Manager.  All responding libraries will be entered into a drawing for free print copies of the salary survey or free annual subscriptions to the Library Salary Database.  All participants receive a discount on the printed version.

ALA-APA thanks the library staff who have already completed the survey.  If you would like to know if your library was within the sample, please call the Management Association of Illinois at 800-448-4584 and ask for Jeanne Hannon or Kristy Williams.  If you have any other questions, please contact the ALA-APA Office at 800-545-2433, x2424 or jgrady@ala.org.

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community.  It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.

 
April 3, 2007

How do your library salaries measure up?  Consult the Library Salary Database for industry-specific information

CHICAGO - The Library Salary Databaseis a new easy-to-use tool that gives you instant access to the most comprehensive and accurate source for library employee salary information from a trusted source -- the ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees and the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Research and Development. 

The Salary Database is available via the Web, and features salary information from the most recently published ALA-APA annual salary surveys of library workers. The database details more than 65 librarian and non-MLS positions in academic and public libraries. Users may search for salary information by position, library type, state and/or region. 

“The database is an excellent tool for individuals and institutions,” said Jenifer Grady, director, ALA-APA. “Now employees or employers can easily find salary information that can assist with job searches, performance reviews, professional research, budgeting, or salary comparisons with similar institutions.” 
A trial version of the database is available at http://cs.ala.org/websurvey/salarysurvey/trial/index.cfm. 

A 30-day subscription is available at a special rate of $30 from April through June, after which the price will increase to $50. The annual subscription price for ALA members is $150 and the non-ALA member price is $250.  To subscribe to the database please visit http://cs.ala.org/websurvey/salarysurvey/salarysurveyform/form.cfm.  

For technical and content questions please contact the ALA-APA office at 800-545-2433, x2424 or jgrady@ala.org.  Contact ALA Member and Customer Service for subscription questions at 800-545-2433, x5 or membership@ala.org.
ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community.  It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.  For more information on the ALA-APA please visit www.ala-apa.org.

The mission of the Office for Research and Statistics (ORS) is to provide leadership and expert advice to ALA staff, members, and public on all matters related to research and statistics about libraries, librarians, and other library stuff; represent the Association to Federal agencies on these issues; and initiate projects needed to expand the knowledge base of the field through research and the collection of useful statistics. For more information on the ORS please visit www.ala.org/ors.

 

March 2, 2007

From the Daily Digest of the Congressional Record
Employee Free Choice Act: The House passed H.R. 800, to amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations and to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing, by a recorded vote of 241 ayes to 185 noes, Roll No. 118.

February 28, 2007

U.S. House of Representatives to Vote on Employee Free Choice Act Tomorrow, March 1, 2007

The U.S. House of Representatives will be voting on H.R. 800, which protects employees' right to form unions. In June, 2006, the ALA Annual Conference, the ALA-APA Council voted in favor of a resolution supporting the Employee Free Choice Act - http://www.ala-apa.org/about/2005-2006APACD8_2R.pdf.

The ALA Washington Office prepared a statement of ALA-APA Support.

The AFL-CIO Web site has information about the Act and testimonies from workers who were penalized for trying to form unions and experts.

For Immediate Release
February 28, 2007

Alachua County Library District, Connie Dowell and Theresa McMahan named winners of the 2006-2007 Sirsi-Dynix - ALA-APA Award for Improving Salaries

CHICAGO - The ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees (ALA-APA) is pleased to announce that Alachua County Library District (Fla.), Connie Vinita Dowell (San Diego State University) and Theresa McMahan (Sullivan County Library System, Tenn.) are the winners of the third annual SirsiDynix - ALA-APA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Promoting Salaries and Status for Library Workers.

The award is given to an individual, group of individuals or institution that have made an outstanding contribution to improving the salary and status of library workers in a local, regional or national setting. Alachua County will receive $2500, Dowell $1500 and McMahan $1000 in appreciation of their work on improving salaries in their libraries.

Alachua County Library District (ALCD) impressed the award jury because it conducted a detailed compensation study that resulted in salary adjustments for all staff. In 2006, ALCD had the support of its board to bring base line salaries up to a fair living wage, to raise the base of all other positions and to give an increase of 2% to all staff who were already within the new pay grade range. For example, entry-level librarians base pay increased 11.5% to $36,000. ACLD also worked with the Alachua County Equal Opportunity Office and Human Resources to increase minority recruitment and to improve hiring practices and internal opportunities for minority applicants.

ALCD is a large public library, serving 241,000 citizens in and around Gainesville , Fla. . "We have been a leader in public library services in Florida for many years," said ACLD Director Sol Hirsch, who was one of three who nominated his district. "But until we made the effort to address fair compensation and have a staff that is representative of the community we serve, we could never be a great library. We are proud that the Alachua County Library District is now on that path." Dani Burrows, public relations and marketing director and Suzi Blaze, administrative services administrator also nominated ALCD.

Connie V. Dowell, dean of the San Diego State University (SDSU) Library and Information Access Department, worked proactively in a public university setting to find ways to reward and recognize deserving employees who took on additional duties and responsibilities during hard economic times. According to jury member Barbara J. Ford, "Ms. Dowell shows what can be done in a public university setting through the use of political savvy, dogged persistence, personal sacrifice, collaborative know-how and good data-gathering to achieve salary successes."

The jury was struck by the nominations, which came from a variety of supporters: Dr. Glenda Thornton, director of Cleveland State University Library ( Ohio ); Jon E. Cawthorne, associate dean, SDSU Library; and Tyrone Cannon, dean, University of San Francisco Library . They lauded how Dowell, during a severe recession, retained, reclassified and promoted library employees and increased the pay for those whose responsibilities had shifted. Dowell worked proactively with unions. Her active and open communication style with library staff, faculty and administrators promoted the importance of recognizing employee efforts. SDSU serves 34,000 students.

Theresa McMahan was called "a visionary [who] is changing the way people look at the library" by Jo McDavid, branch manager of the Colonial Heights Branch of Sullivan County Library System, which serves the 150,000 + citizens of Blountville, Tenn. Margaret Elsea, library manager, said that McMahan pushed for raises for librarians, catalogers and part-time staff when she was assistant director. McMahan informed the Board and County Commissioners about the duties of her staff, raising their status and laying the groundwork for the increases after a county-initiated salary study.

As director of Sullivan County Library System, McMahan pushed for and achieved higher, sometimes significantly higher, salary increases than those recommended by the salary study. Jury member John Jessee noted that McMahan "saw a problem and went to the movers and shakers and educated them."

A breakfast will be held to honor the winners at the American Library Association Annual Conference in June in Washington , DC . The next award cycle will begin in October 2007, though nominations may be submitted now. Watch the ALA-APA Website for details - http://www.ala-apa.org/salaries/sirsidynixaward.html.

The jury members were Barbara Ford, chair, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; John Jessee, Jacksonville Public Library ( Fla. ); and Peter McDonald, Fresno State University ( Calif. ). This award is given annually, thanks to a contribution from SirsiDynix, the global leader in strategic technology solutions for libraries.

The recipient of the award does not have to be an ALA member or a current or past library staff member. The requirement is that the award recipient's achievement(s) has been notable. Officers of the ALA or the ALA-APA are not eligible for the award, nor are members of the ALA-APA SirsiDynix Awards Jury, ALA-APA Standing Committee on the Salaries and Status of Library Workers or employees of SirsiDynix.

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community.  It has two missions: advocacy for salary improvement efforts and providing certification in specializations of librarianship.

For Immediate Release
February 28, 2007

Submit a Star for National Library Workers Day on April 17, 2007

CHICAGO - Start the celebration early for National Library Workers Day (NLWD) by submitting information about your favorite worker and what makes him or her special to the NLWD Stars Web site - www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwdstarsform.html. NLWD is celebrated on Tuesday, April 17, during the American Library Association (ALA)-sponsored National Library Week.

NLWD is sponsored by ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees, which advocates for improving the salaries and status of librarians and support staff.

NLWD Stars will be featured on the National Library Workers Day site for one year. Stars will also be honored at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Download the free NLWD poster from http://www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwd_poster.pdf, which tells patrons, trustees, and colleagues how to submit a Star. Self-nominations are accepted.

The deadline for submission is April 17.

NLWD is a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers. Ideas for how to celebrate in your library are here: http://www.ala-apa.org/about/ideas.html and http://www.ala-apa.org/about/NLWDflyer07.pdf (large file).

Proud of the work you do? Shop at the ALA-APA NLWD Online Store - http://www.cafepress.com/ala_apa - for t-shirts, buttons, mugs and posters that proclaim “Libraries Work Because We Do”.

Libraries are encouraged to use National Library Workers Day to focus on the value of their staff: individuals or units responsible for the number of materials selected, acquired, cataloged, checked out and back in, and shelved; for handling requests and sending them to other libraries; for answering reference questions; for planning, publicizing and presenting programs; for developing and maintaining the library's Web site; for managing the library and for other elements of library service.

Customizable tools and materials in English and Spanish to help libraries promote National Library Workers Day in their local media are available on the ALA-APA Web site at www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwd.

The list of NLWD Stars, will be updated weekly. Contact the ALA-APA Office to tell us how you will be celebrating - 800-545-2433, x2424 or jgrady@ala.org.

Equal Pay Day, on April 24, 2007, is closely related to NLWD because libraries are staffed predominately by women, and library workers tend to be underpaid. Equal Pay Day highlights the gap between the wages of men and women. For more information, see the NCPE website at www.pay-equity.org.

National Library Week (April 15-21) press materials, programming suggestions and display ideas can be found on the ALA Web site at http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/natlibraryweek/nlw.htm in both English and Spanish. The theme for 2007 is “Come Together @ your library®.” The site includes a link to National Library Week products available from ALA Graphics, including posters, bookmarks and key chains.

Let’s celebrate the wonderful work of library employees on that day because, after all, Libraries Work Because We Do.

For Immediate Release
February 28, 2007

Libraries Nationwide Invited to Participate in ALA-APA Library Salary Survey

CHICAGO - Library Directors and Human Resources staff - Check your mail! Almost four thousand public and academic libraries are being asked to participate in the 2007 ALA-APA Library Salary Survey. This year, the Librarian and Non-MLS Salary Surveys are combined. The deadline is Friday, March 30, 2007, for completing the Web-based survey. Letters will sent out this week and be addressed to the attention of the Library Director or Human Resources Manager, in envelopes with the ALA-APA logo.

The public and academic libraries that receive the letter are part of a scientifically selected sample, chosen to reflect the variety of sizes of libraries as well as to ensure that the sample will be statistically significant for state salary data reporting. It is very important that all who are asked to participate respond so that the surveys provide the highest quality information to managers who set and benchmark salaries and for library employees who are in the process of evaluating their career prospects. Participants receive a discount on the printed version.

Changes were made to the survey based on feedback from 2006. There will only be one survey this year, which includes both MLS and Non-MLS positions. Full-time and part-time salaries are requested, as well as how your institution defines full-time. There are 68 positions, and for several, you may specify departments (or functional area). For some positions, you may report MLS as well as non-MLS staff with similar responsibilities, e.g., Director (MLS) and Director (non-MLS). Positions were redefined, added and removed from 2006. Finally, no supplemental questions are included in 2007 because we respect that completion of this survey is a substantial task for many of you.

ALA has collected and published salary information on librarians with ALA-accredited masters degrees since 1982. ALA-APA continues to consult with the ALA Office for Research and Statistics to conduct the survey. In 2005, that survey was expanded to address the request by the library community to have state-level data. In 2006, we conducted the first annual non-Masters degree in Library Science (non-MLS) Salary Survey.

ALA-APA will soon launch the Library Salary Database with salaries from 68 librarian and non-MLS positions. Users may choose reports for each position by library type, state and/or region. There is a trial version of the database at http://cs.ala.org/websurvey/salarysurvey/trial/index.cfm. There will be a special rate of $30 offered for the next few months for a one-month subscription to the database, which will have 30-day and annual subscription options.

If you have any questions, please contact the ALA-APA Office at 800-545-2433, x2424 or jgrady@ala.org.

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community. It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.

For Immediate Release
February 28, 2007

ALA-APA unveils Union Wiki

( CHICAGO ) ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees announces the creation of ALA-APA Union, a user-contributed wiki. This wiki is a resource both for current union members and for library professionals seeking information about joining or starting a union.

" Unions are one of many ways library workers may improve salaries," says ALA-APA Director Jenifer Grady. "ALA-APA cannot do collective bargaining, so its goal is to empower others to raise their salaries and benefits. Union membership is one of many ways to do this. By being part of a union, library workers gain local allies who can help them achieve pay equity and better salaries."

The wiki features articles on union current events, answers frequently asked questions about unions, and provides links to other wikis and blogs with similar goals. There are pages devoted to unions for academic, public, and school library professionals.

The library and union advocates have embraced the new tool. Kathleen de la Peña McCook, professor of Library and Information Science at the University of South Florida in Tampa , notes that 35% of all librarians are union members. "These union members now have a connection to ALA-APA that recognizes our commitment to worker rights," says McCook.

Access ALA-APA Union Wiki at http://ala-apaunion.pbwiki.com. The password for editing is apaedits.

For more information on ALA-APA and its mission to improve the salaries and status of library employees, visit www.ala-apa.org.

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2007

New CPLA online courses and candidates approved

CHICAGO  - The Certified Public Library Administrator Program (CPLA) Certification Review Committee (CRC) approved 28 candidates and eight more program courses at the 2007 American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Seattle .  The Public Library Association (PLA) will manage the new courses.

The Certified Public Library Administrator program is a voluntary post-MLS certification program for public librarians with three years or more of supervisory experience and ALA-accredited master's degrees in library and information studies.

The program now has 67 candidates from 30 states. There are 30 courses on nine different management topics provided by associations, library schools and ALA divisions, offered online, face-to-face, and at ALA conferences. Courses may also be taken by individuals who are not part of the CPLA program - http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplacourses.html.

CPLA invites you to apply to become a candidate or a course provider. The next deadline for provider and candidate reviews is March 16, 2007. The application for participants may be found on the CPLA Web site: http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cpla.html . The RFP for providers is here: http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplaproviders.html.

If you have questions, please call the ALA-APA Office. ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community. It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.

For Immediate Release
February 13, 2007                           

ALA-APA Council passes resolution to endorse a nonbinding minimum salary for professional librarians

(CHICAGO) At the American Library Association (ALA) 2007 Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, January 19 - 24, the ALA-Allied Professional Association: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees (ALA-APA) Council adopted a resolution to endorse a nonbinding minimum salary for professional librarians. The resolution states that: "over three-quarters of respondent library workers support the establishment of salary minimums for librarians, with the most common salary figure cited being $40,000."  

The resolution endorses a minimum salary for professional librarians of not less than $40,000 per year.

The goal of the ALA-APA is to promote the mutual professional interests of librarians and other library workers. Its two focus areas are direct support of comparable worth and pay equity initiatives, and other activities designed to improve the salaries and status of librarians and library workers; and certification of professionals in specializations beyond the initial professional degree .

The 183-member ALA-APA governing body passed the Resolution on January 22, 2007.

To read the full resolution, please visit the ALA-APA Web site at http://www.ala-apa.org/about/20062007APACD15.pdf. For more information on the ALA-APA please visit www.ala-apa.org.

 
For Immediate Release
November 3, 2006

"Librarian Salary Survey" reports mean librarian salary up more than 4% to $56,259 in 2006

CHICAGO  - The 2006 edition of the "ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian - Public and Academic" (previously known as "Librarian Salary Survey") is available for purchase from the American Library Association (ALA)  online store . With data from more than 1,000 public and academic libraries, the mean salary reported increased 4.6 percent from 2005, up $2,480 in 2006.

Published by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA), the survey shows aggregated data from more than 10,000 individual salaries at the state and regional levels. Positions included are directors/deans, associate/assistant directors, department heads, managers of support staff, librarians who do not supervise and beginning librarians.

The survey gives national-level mean and quartile data. The report includes analysis of salary trends and an extensive appendix of other sources of compensation data within and outside of the library profession. The median salary was $50,976. Salaries ranged from $22,000 to $253,500.

This survey continues more than 20 years of collecting and reporting salary data for six positions requiring an ALA-accredited master's degree in library science.  It complements the new "ALA-APA Salary Survey: Non-MLS - Public and Academic," which presents data from 62 positions that do not require an MLS. The "Non-MLS Salary Survey" also indicates the minimal educational requirement for each position. Quick facts about the "Non-MLS Salary Survey" are found on the ALA-APA Web site: http://www.ala-apa.org/salaries/nonmlssurveyfacts.html.

The "Librarian Salary Survey" price remains unchanged at $63 for ALA members/$70 for non-members. Participating libraries receive a 25 percent discount. The "Non-MLS Salary Survey" is $90 for ALA members/$100 for non-members, and participating libraries receive a 25 percent discount.

Both surveys were completed with consultation from Denise Davis, director of the ALA Office for Research and Statistics, and conducted by The Management Association of Illinois.

The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and has as one of its missions supporting salary improvement initiatives for library workers. Please contact the ALA-APA Office at 800-545-2433, x2424 or jgrady@ala.org with questions or comments.

 

August 1, 2006

ALA-APA Surveys Non-MLS positions

CHICAGO-The first edition of the ALA- Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) Non-MLS Salary Survey will be available in late August. This is the first survey to collect information on a large number of the positions within libraries that do not require an MLS degree from an ALA-accredited institution. This study is a companion report to the annual ALA-APA Survey of Librarian Salaries published by the ALA-APA and the American Library Association Office for Research and Statistics (ORS).

The study, available at the end of August, will report data on 62 different positions such as associate librarians, library technical assistants, copy catalogers and interlibrary loan assistants, information technology managers, human resources managers, administrative assistants, accountants, and development personnel. The annual salaries reported range from $10,712 to $141,924.

In keeping with the Survey of Librarian Salaries , public and academic library results are split into smaller categories for analysis. The public libraries are separated into five categories based upon the size of the population served, very small to very large. The academic libraries examined in the survey are divided into two-year colleges, four-year colleges, universities, and members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL).

The survey presents regional and state-level mean, quartile, and range data on all 62 positions across all nine categories of libraries. The census regions are: North Atlantic, Southeast, Great Lakes & Plains, and West & Southwest.

Survey methodology, technical considerations and detailed discussion are also provided.

The ALA Non-MLS Salary Survey will be $90 for institutional and individual ALA members and $100 for non-ALA members. It may be purchased from the ALA online store, www.alastore.ala.org. The 2006 Survey of Librarian Salaries will be $63 for institutional and individual ALA members and $70 for non-ALA members.

The research team was led by ALA-APA Director Jenifer Grady and ORS Director Denise Davis. The survey was conducted and analyzed by the Management Association of Illinois, led by Kristy Williams, CCP, Manager of Compensation Services. The team thanks all of the 839 libraries that took part in this inaugural survey.

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, Rhode Island, Nevada, Utah and North Carolina.

The next deadline for provider and candidate reviews is August 10, 2006.