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Volume 3, No. 5 • May 2006
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I want to be in the Spotlight!
Good News: Better Pay, Reduced Workweek Hours and Improved Benefits Revived Montville Township (NJ) Public Library
By Patricia Anderson
Already established substandard wages, poor productivity, bad morale, high staff turnover, mediocre customer service, a non-competitive workweek, poor workplace conditions and facing hostile collective bargaining negotiations just around the corner, the outlook for improved wages and work conditions seemed hopeless. The year was 2003 and the union contract had already expired. As the newest director at the Montville Township Public Library, following a series of rotating directors, I had to remind myself why I accepted the Director position.
The following article should motivate other librarians and library workers in similar seemingly hopeless situations not to give up. Even if it’s only one person ... it is possible to pave the way for positive negotiations, revive staff morale and confidence, and convince library trustees that it is important to pay market rate wages and offer competitive benefits in order to provide better service to the communities we serve. I should know because I did it and in all honesty it wasn’t easy. MORE
Winners of the SirsiDynix ALA-APA Award Spread the Word about Salaries
By Gwyneth Mibeck and Elissa Cadillac
In April and May we are featuring the winners of the 2006 SirsiDynix—ALA-APA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Promoting Salaries and Status for Library Workers.
Elissa Cadillic is the current President of AFSCME, Council 93, Local 1526 at the Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees). MORE
Loriene Roy Elected ALA and ALA-APA President for 2007–2008
Loriene Roy, professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Information, has been elected president of the American Library Association (ALA) and the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) for the 2007–2008 term. Roy won over William Crowe, director of the University of Kansas’ (KU) Kenneth Spencer Research Library. MORE
Volunteer Editors and Columnists Wanted!
ALA-APA is seeking volunteer editors and regular columnists for Library Worklife: HR E-News for Today’s Leaders. This electronic publication reaches thousands of libraries and library workers each month, delivering high quality content. MORE
I want to write about Career Advancement!
References Are Key to Job Search Success
By Elisa F. Topper
A mistake that job seekers make unknowingly is not selecting the best people to serve as their references. Countless articles have been written on resume writing, interviewing and the entire job search process, but few on how to use references to your best advantage. Once candidates have been narrowed down in the search process, often the references may be the deciding factor when candidates are equal in their qualifications. MORE
I want to write about Certification!
The Next Certification Deadline for Course Providers and Participants Is May 29, 2006
You still have time to submit a proposal to provide one (or more) of the nine courses for the Certified Public Library Administrator Program (CPLA). There are sixteen candidates who are eager to take courses, particularly online. MORE
I want to write about HR Law!
Plain Talk about the Medicare Part D Deadline
By Christine Martin
Trying to help aging parents or others figure out the new Medicare prescription drug benefit before the May 15 deadline to sign up? The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 made prescription drug coverage available to senior citizens and other Medicare recipients effective January 1, 2006, but it did not make it easy. Confusion abounds in part because there is no single Medicare prescription drug plan. Instead, seniors are being asked to join one of dozens of private-sector health insurance plans approved by Medicare and offered across the country. This article covers some of the highlights that seniors need to know as the May 15 deadline for signing up without a penalty approaches. MORE
I want to write about HR Practice!
Your Library’s Future: When Leaders Leave, Succession Planning Can Smooth the Transitions
By Paula Singer, Jeanne Goodrich, and Linda Goldberg
Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Library Journal. Originally published in vol. 129, no. 17 (Oct. 15, 2004).
We read the stories in the paper: an organization with tremendous influence goes from leading edge to leaderless in one horrible stroke of fate. Recently [April 2004], McDonald’s Corporation announced the sudden death of its chair and CEO, Jim Cantalupo. Yet the organization barely skipped a beat, announcing a new chair and CEO within days. Investors barely responded, and the $40 billion multinational purveyor of Big Macs and Supersize Fries survives better than most of our waistlines.
The saving grace for McDonald's is succession planning, a common program in large corporations. Without plans for replacing top leadership talent, whether the departure is sudden or not, the corporation will suffer. MORE
I want to write about Salaries & Pay Equity!
A Rose by Any Other Name.
By Julie Todaro
What’s the "real" story about the library and information workforce today? We don’t know. What’s the real story about the library and information workforce of tomorrow? Frankly, we don’t know that either. ... there are many issues relating to the library workforce, many of which seem to be two sides of the same coin. They include:
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Rumors of massive retirements—although not on the horizon yet—threaten to leave huge gaps in higher and the highest levels of management.
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Not enough beginning librarians and library employees—whether first or second career—are out there applying for jobs. ...
Now you might think that this article will attempt to answer the issues/questions I’ve raised, but I’m not going to. Instead I want to discuss how we might attract those limited numbers of librarians out there now! How can we encourage people to apply for our jobs? What would send the message that your job is the one to apply for? MORE
I want to write about Salaries & Pay Equity!
Compensation Strategies Used in Public and Academic Libraries: A Report from the 2005 Survey of Librarian Salaries
It is important for librarians to know how their salaries are determined. It may be one question that can be asked by new librarians, either during the interview or after an offer is made: "How is the library funded and how are salaries and other compensation determined?" How much do current employees understand about the compensation plan? Is there a plan? This month, we will explore the compensation strategies used in libraries. MORE
I want to write about Support Staff!
Journal Yourself to Success!
By Laurie Marotta
Professional development has a place for every employee at any level in any organization. Keeping your own professional development going is so important in today’s job market, where expected skills, knowledge and abilities can change so quickly. And, whether you are a new grad in your first job or at the top of your career ladder, the need for continued development is imperative. MORE
I want to write about Work/Life!
Rejuvenating your Computing Experience
By Casey Schacher
Let’s face it: being on a computer everyday isn’t always a pleasant experience. Although useful, computers can be a source of mental and physical drain. As we perform through our workdays, we interact with the same digital tasks, applications, documents, websites and user interfaces, creating an atmosphere plagued by repetitiveness. If we combine this with poor physical posture and lighting conditions, the computing experience can be downright torture for our minds and bodies. The good news is that you can combat the digital blues by using a few simple tricks. MORE
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