I want to be in the Spotlight!

Plan Your Referendum for Success

By James Rachlin and Socrates Rivers

As expense growth continuously erodes public library district budgets, the number of library districts facing difficult choices is mushrooming. Where local laws permit it, the inevitable result is a proliferation of these districts approaching their taxpayers with a ballot question seeking a tax rate increase. MORE

City Workers Ratify Pay-Raise Settlement

Published in the Chicago Tribune, June 19, 2005, p. 3.

CHICAGO - City workers represented by Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees have ratified a new four-year agreement that provides pay increases totaling 12.75 percent, the union announced Friday. MORE

I want to write about Career Advancement!

How to Prepare for a Performance Evaluation: Document Your Achievements

By Christine Martin

Performance evaluations can be uncomfortable for employees and employers alike. But, as an employee, you can head off that anxiety by forming your own agenda for the meeting. Arm yourself with a portfolio of your accomplishments and you may feel more in control than you expected. Here are some steps to take before the big event. MORE

The E-Learning Clearinghouse Database

In 2004, WebJunction received an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership grant to create a database of Web-based educational development for library staff and information professionals. The database is currently in development and will be launched in Fall 2005. MORE

I want to write about HR Practice!

Navigating the Academic Library Job Search

By Katherine O'Clair and Emily Rogers

If you ask almost anyone looking for a professional position in an academic library these days, especially those fresh out of school, you will hear that the search isn't easy. You would get a very similar response if you were to ask those who are on search committees looking for the right people to fill positions at their libraries. It all seems very simple and straightforward: job-seeking librarians and LIS students want to know how to successfully manage their job searches and gain employment, while administrators want to know how to attract well-suited candidates to their libraries. Rarely do the two sides come together to share their stories and points of view. However, at this year's Association of College and Research Libraries National Conference in Minneapolis, "seasoned" and next generation academic librarians had the unique opportunity to engage in a very active roundtable discussion. MORE

I want to write about Recruitment!

Scholarships and Grants Database for LIS Graduate, Undergraduate, and Continuing Education

For a list of scholarships and grants available for the continuing education and professional development of library workers in the US and Canada, visit. http://webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=10895. MORE

I want to write about Salaries & Pay Equity!

State-Set Minimum Wage Rates

By Casey Schacher

Although the U.S. government has failed to increase the national minimum wage, which has held at $5.15 per hour since 1997 despite ever increasing costs of living, states and local governments across the country have implemented compensation laws that raise regional minimum wages to exceed federal standards. MORE

I want to write about Statistics!

Public Library Information Added to State Education Data Profiles

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has added public library information to the State Education Data Profiles. It lists the number of ALA-accredited MLS librarians, other librarians, and support staff in public libraries in each state, with a chart comparing the number to the national average. MORE

Job Cuts Soar with Summer Heat

June job cuts were the highest since January 2004, according to a July 6, 2005, CNN article. Employers reported an estimated 110,996 cuts in June, an increase of nearly 35%. While auto and retail divisions were hit the hardest, government employers reported the largest number of decreases. MORE

I want to write about Support Staff!

Council Approves Policy on Inclusiveness

The ALA Policy on Inclusiveness and Mutual Respect was approved during the second session of the ALA Council at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. It was passed unanimously. Library support staff represent approximately two-thirds (67%) of all library staff. This policy is important because it recognizes Julie Brewer's point that "their contributions are essential to providing quality library services. Most libraries could not open without library support staff." MORE

I want to write about Work/Life!

The Office of the Future: Innovative Trends in Workplace Design and Function

By Casey Schacher

Loosen up your necktie and forgo the pantyhose, because future office spaces seek to strip employees of straight-laced traditions and re-dress them with environments that foster mobility, connectivity, and mental and physical fitness. Unlike in the past, the future work environment will keep the worker in mind, rather than the other way around. MORE

We say goodbye to our ALA-APA Intern Casey Schacher, who has been with the office since October 2004. She has been a tremendous help to us, writing excellent and interesting articles, implementing outreach campaigns, and always taking on the next challenge with a smile. Casey is going on to get her MLS! She will be attending the University of Missouri-Columbia’s School of Information Science and Learning Technologies. We wish her well as she becomes one of us!

July 16–21
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW LIBRARIES, San Antonio, TX

Aug. 3–6
PACIFIC NORTHWEST LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, Sitka, AK

Aug. 14–18
IFLA GENERAL CONFERENCE, Oslo, Norway

Sept. 14–17
KENTUCKY LIBRARY ASSOCIATION/KENTUCKY SCHOOL MEDIA ASSOCIATION, Louisville

Sept. 20–23
NORTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, Winston-Salem

Sept. 21–23
MINNESOTA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, Minneapolis

Sept. 21–23
NORTH DAKOTA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, Grand Forks

Sept. 25–28
PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, Hershey

Sept. 28–30
NEBRASKA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, Lincoln

Sept. 30–Oct. 2
LITA NATIONAL FORUM, San Jose, CA