| Volume 3, No. 7 • July 2006
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I want to be in the Spotlight! National Librarians Association: Noteworthy Statements on Professionalism, Salaries, and Certification
By Gwyneth Mibeck
Questions have circulated about the National Librarians Association (NLA) on listservs and blogs as of late.1 Mainly, interested individuals seek a better understanding of the organization's twenty-year existence from 1975–1995, and its concentration on librarians at work. NLA was created to champion librarians.
The National Librarians Association (NLA) was one of the first independent organizations to recognize the need for national standards rather than state standards, believing they would increase professionalism.
Although there are many differences between the ALA-Allied Professional Association: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees, and what the NLA set out to do, the most striking is the proposed means of certification. MORE
I want to write about Career Advancement!
The Abilene Paradox: Does Everyone Really Agree? Or Are They Just Being Nice?
By Christine Martin
Do you ever wish that someone in your organization would speak up against an impossible situation or a project that is doomed to fail? Do you suspect that co-workers share your opinion? If so, your organization may be in the grip of the Abilene Paradox, a group phenomenon first identified in 1974 by management consultant Jerry Harvey. Harvey, now a professor emeritus of management science at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., writes that groups “blunder” into the paradox when “they take actions in contradiction to what they really want to do and therefore defeat the very purposes they are trying to achieve.”1 Harvey first encountered the paradox more than thirty years ago when he, his wife and her parents agreed to take a four-hour trip though 100-degree Texas heat in an un-air-conditioned 1958 Buick just to eat dinner in Abilene. It was only after returning home to Coleman, Texas—hot, tired, and cranky —that the group discovered that no one had wanted to go. But each had assumed the others did, and so had acted against his or her better judgment. MORE SirsiDynix Award Networking Breakfast – Winners Use “Horse Sense”
The annual SirsiDynix-ALA-APA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Promoting Salaries and Status for Library Workers was presented to Jim Fish, Director of Baltimore County Public Library; AFSCME Local 1526 of the Boston Public Library; and Eileen Muller, president of the Brooklyn Library Guild, Local 1482 (honorable mention) on June 25th. This annual award for $5000 is sponsored by the SirsiDynix Corporation for 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. MORE
Library director calls it quits, cites labor friction; Griffin, called 'a joy to work with' by Berkeley Library Foundation president, clashed with union over staff cuts
By Martin Snapp, Contra Costa Times, June 16, 2006
Berkeley [CA] Public Library Director Jackie Griffin resigned last week, ending a tumultuous five years of highs and lows. MORE
Budget plan cuts librarians
By Steve Maynard, The News Tribune, May 10, 2006
The superintendent of Federal Way Public Schools [WA] on Tuesday night recommended eliminating 27 of 34 librarian jobs as part of a $4 million budget cut. MORE County budget may add 39 workers
By Bob Cuddy, The San Luis Obispo Tribune [CA], May 22, 2006
The county Board of Supervisors will introduce a budget Tuesday that restores money to parks, roads and libraries and provides for hiring 39 new employees…County Administrative Officer David Edge, who prepared the $434.6 million fiscal year 2006-07 budget, said "this is more new positions than I've ever recommended" in his 24-year career as an administrator. MORE Pearl River Library Budget Approved
By Gerald McKinstry The Journal News (Westchester County, NY), June 7, 2006
Voters yesterday approved a $1.87 million library budget and re-elected an unopposed trustee. The budget passed by 55 votes, 193 to 138, said Carolyn Johnson, the library's director. "Our programs have been immensely popular, and we offer a wide variety of materials so a person trying to economize at home can use the library resources…” Read the full article – fee based MORE Tomkins Cove OKs budget for library, manager's pay
By Akiko Matsuda, The Journal News (Westchester County, NY), June 8, 2006
Voters approved a $187,687 budget last night for the public library.. Seven people cast ballots for the 2006-07 budget during the annual meeting at the library at 419 Liberty Drive, and the budget was unanimously approved. Library manager Janet Lukas said yesterday that she was happy about the outcome. "I'm very pleased that the budget passed, MORE Library budget to rise
Fort Wayne News Sentinel [IN], June 6, 2006
The Allen County Public Library's budget should increase slightly next year, when revenues are expected to increase by 1.8 percent and spending by 2.7 percent. MORE Howland library to present same budget
By David Paulsen, Poughkeepsie Journal [NY], June 26, 2006 Tuesday
Howland Public Library will likely reduce its hours as a way to trim costs following the defeat last week of its budget referendum. Cuts in hours and other services will depend partly on the results of a survey the library is conducting to determine patrons' priorities. Library Director Phyllis Keaton said she hopes Howland can reduce employees' hours without eliminating positions as the library attempts to reduce personnel costs. Read the full article – fee based MORE
I want to write about Certification!
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. MORE
I want to write about HR Law & Regulation!
IRS Changes Definition of “Dependent”
By Dorothy Ragsdale
The Internal Revenue Service changed the definition of “dependent” for 2005. This change specifically impacted employer provided health insurance. MORE
DOL To Shut Down Job Bank
By Dorothy Ragsdale
The Department of Labor notified state officials of its plan to shut down the national job board, America's Job Bank, by June of 2007. MORE
Immigration Reform
By Dorothy Ragsdale
The U.S. Senate voted May 25 to approve new immigration reform; this would create a temporary guest worker program and provide a new option for immigrants seeking citizenship. MORE
I want to write about HR Practice!
Arbitration: The Final Frontier or The New Horizon?
By Julius Rhodes
In all of our lives it is certain that whether we are dealing with personal or professional matters we will encounter disputes. As a result if we are to rectify these situations amicably both parties must agree upon a process that they see as mutually beneficial. In recent years in both organized and non-organized environments this has meant an increase in the use of arbitration. However, with this increased use comes questions like, “Is arbitration right for my organization? How do you know when to use arbitration and what is arbitration?” I do not represent myself as having all the answers (to assert such widespread knowledge on my own would be vain so I will leave any such conclusions up to you the reader); however, I will provide a window that will allow us to look into the appropriate uses of arbitration, as well as how it differs from litigation, mediation and fact-finding. MORE
I want to write about Support Staff!
A Comparison Of An LTA Certificate Program With An MLIS Graduate Program
By Ben Wappler
At the close of this summer session, if things go as planned, I will have completed my MLIS degree at Dominican University's Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS). It has been a rigorous program that allowed me to mature and grow in different ways. Here are my reflections on the experiences in the Library Technical Assistant (LTA) Certificate Program and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Before attending GSLIS I completed a Library Technical Assistant Certificate at the College of DuPage (COD) in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, in 1999. A year later, I started working at the Brookfield Public Library as a circulation assistant. I desired to learn more about library science and improve my skills in the library field and decided to attend the Dominican University's GSLIS. MORE
Accreditation for Library Technical Assistant Programs? Links to RUSA's Community and Junior College Libraries Section, Library Technical Assistant (LTA) Education Committee Investigations
The Library Technical Assistant Education Committee issued a survey asking the nation's Library Technical Assistant Training programs what is being taught, how courses are being taught and how the programs are administered. The results are summarized in a report. The committee's Web site also has a map of where programs are located across the country, last updated in 2005. MORE
I want to write about Work/Life!
An Educational Perspective on Customer Service
By Anne Slaughter
[Editor's Note: Ms. Slaughter is a teacher who is studying to become a librarian.]
A little background knowledge in educational philosophy can lend a helpful perspective to patron service in the library profession, where we are committed to facilitating lifelong learning. Recognizing the educational component of our work can enhance the service we provide to patrons of all ages, and encourage their growth as lifelong learners. Good customer service policies indicate patron-centered practices. In the field of early childhood education—where foundational educational experiences awaken a love for learning—being a reflective practitioner is essential to providing a student-centered education. But the principles that guide the basic support of young learners can apply to learners of any age. A focus on teaching the whole student contributes to students' general well being and increases their capacity for learning, and providing a good environment for that learning to take place is an essential component of quality education. An environment that is conducive to learning goes far beyond the physical facilities –the vision of the educators and their drive to provide constructive experiences is paramount. MORE
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