| Volume 3, No. 11 • November 2006
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I want to be in the Spotlight!
Affordable Health Care Options: Shop Smart!
By Jim Brown, Actors’ Fund of America
Several months ago I was asked by the Southern New Jersey Arts Council to come to Atlantic City to speak to its membership about health insurance. I agreed, but immediately felt a strong sense of cognitive dissonance—I imagined myself discussing pre-existing condition rules amidst the din of slot machines. But then it occurred to me—what better place to discuss health insurance than a casino? After all, isn’t gambling, rather than human rights or public health, the model on which we’ve based access to our health care system?
What I brought to Southern New Jersey Arts Council is similar to what I brought to an ALA-APA program at the American Library Association conference in New Orleans: affordable healthcare choices. MORE
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, 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 who have had a local, regional or national impact. The winner will receive a $5,000 award, thanks to the SirsiDynix Corporation. Each nominee must have three nominations using the electronic application form at www.ala-apa.org/salaries/sirsidynixnominationform.html. The deadline is Friday, December 1, 2006. MORE
Minneapolis Mayor Reveals Plans to Shut, Open Branches
By Kevin Giles, The Star Tribune [Minneapolis, MN], October 25, 2006
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak is eager to reform the Minneapolis Library system budget, but library officials are unsure that his plan will provide thorough or lasting solutions to a long-running funding problem. MORE
“Prohibitive” Personnel Costs May Dampen County Takeover of Federated Libraries
By Scott Williams, Milwaukee Journal Sentinal [WI], October 31, 2006
Waukesha County had planned to take over all public libraries in the region, but a recent report suggests that resulting personnel costs would be “prohibitive.” MORE
Denver Public Library Asks Mayor for $3.3 Million
By George Merritt, The Denver Post [CO], September 6, 2006 Denver Public Library officials seek a budget increase of $3.3 million. The library’s request is more than twice the amount recommended by Mayor John Hickenlooper’s office, $1.4 million. MORE
Law Librarians Included in Settlement Reached in Monroe County Wage Dispute
By David Pierce, The Pocono Record [Stroudsburg, PA], October 19, 2006
In an October 19 article, the Pocono Record announced that a state arbitrator ended the year-long wage dispute between Monroe County and Teamsters Local 229. The resulting settlement provides an 11% pay increase for law librarians and other Monroe County court employees. MORE
I want to write about Career Advancement!
Continuing Education in Your State—Where You Can Find It
ALA-APA surveyed library associations and state libraries to capture local opportunities for you to grow in your career. Contact the associations to find out the details and how you can take advantage of their offerings. The reports give some information and the topic areas of workshops, courses and conferences, based on direct responses or information gleaned from the association’s Web site. MORE
ALA-NMRT Career Mentoring Program seeks experienced librarians
Although the deadline has passed, think ahead for your chance to participate in a great new project from the New Members Round Table of American Library Association (NMRT) next year, to meet a new librarian ally, and to have someone to guide you as you learn the ins and outs of librarianship! MORE
I want to write about Certification!
Update on the Certified Public Library Administrator Program
- 39 candidates from AK, CA, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, NC, NV, OH, OR, RI, UT, VA and the Bahamas
- Candidates are graduates of more than 25 library schools.
- 22 courses are offered by
- Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA)
- North Suburban Library System (IL)
- PALINET (PA)
- Southeastern Massachusetts Library System (SEMLS)
- University of North Texas
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- 16 candidates have taken at least one course already. MORE
I want to write about HR Practice!
Mind Your Manners: Courtesy Important For Employers As Well As Employees
By Christine Martin Even though unemployment is low (4.4 percent in October, according to U.S. Department of Labor) and the American Library Association has predicted a shortage of librarians, library job applicants still complain that employers fail to extend even the most common courtesies. MORE
I want to write about Salaries & Pay Equity!
Librarian Salary Survey Reports Mean Librarian Salary Up More Than 4% to $56,259 in 2006
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 to $56,259 in 2006. MORE
I want to write about Statistics!
Observations from the 2006 Librarian Salary Survey
By A.C. Hawley and Jamie Bragg
The findings of the 2006 Librarian Salary Survey (now known as ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian—Public and Academic) suggest that many library professionals have seen substantial raises in pay over the last year, based on mean or average salaries for the nation. Several positions surveyed have enjoyed double-digit salary increases over those seen in the 2005 Librarian Salary Survey. MORE
I want to write about Support Staff!
National Directory of Paraprofessional Associations: August 2006
Meralyn Meadows researched, compiled, maintained and updated this directory for the American Library Association (ALA) Library Support Staff Interests Round Table (LSSIRT). The directory is 53 pages and in PDF format — www.ala.org/ala/lssirt/lssirtbenefits/National_Directory_Aug21_2006.pdf. MORE
I want to write about Work/Life!
Ethical Wills Provide a Bridge to Loved Ones
By Casey Schacher
My mother recently told me that she writes down feelings, thoughts and reflections so that I can read them when she dies. “They’re just scattered around the house, in notebooks, on napkins, anywhere really ... for when I’m not here anymore,” she said. Though she does not realize it, my mom has created the makings of an ethical will that will someday serve as a gateway to the mind and heart of the woman I love most. MORE |
