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I want to be in the Spotlight!
Talking About Politics in the Workplace
By Jamal Cromity
[Editor's Note: APAForum is a discussion list for librarians and other library workers to discuss issues of interest, including political issues and candidates. This list is open to ALA members and others. To subscribe to the APA Forum, visit http://lists.ala-apa.org/sympa/info/apaforum.]
The 2008 presidential election demonstrated the great strides America has taken towards increasing opportunities for women and for people of color: an American First Lady ran for the Democratic nomination for President, an African American male won the Democratic nomination and a woman was selected to run on the Republican Party presidential ticket. And on November 4, 2008, America elected its first black president. These accomplishments, surely, inspire us to fight racism, break glass ceilings and battle pay inequity in our own workplaces. But while "discusion around the watercooler" can bring those together who share the same views, it can strain relationships among those who don't. MORE
Economic Uncertainty Spreads to Library Endowments
American Libraries: October 14, 2008, corrected October 20, 2008.
The stock market losses that have recently hit global markets might be taking some carefully stewarded library endowments along for the ride.
http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2008/october2008/endowmentsshaken.cfm MORE
Nutter Plans More Cuts As Budget Worsens
By Marcia Gelbart, Jeff Shields and Patrick Kerkstra, The Philadelphia Inquirer: November 6, 2008
On November 6, Mayor Michael Nutter announced that, as part of his plan to make up for a $1 billion gap in the city's five-year budget, the city will close 11 of 54 branch libraries. MORE
Swanton Library Levy among Funding Issues on Fulton Co. Ballot
By Janet Romaker, Toledo (Ohio) Blade: October 30, 2008
After a suffering a series of brutal budget cuts that have affected personnel spending, employee travel and health benefits, the Swanton Public Library is asking voters to approve an operating levy. MORE
I want to write about Career Advancement!
Dining Etiquette: A Refresher Course
[Editor’s Note: When you’re interviewing, celebrating, invited to a banquet or dining with friends and family, be aware of your table etiquette – you never know who’s watching. Someone influential’s impression of you could rise a few notches because you know which fork to use.]
In your roles as librarians, you often find yourselves outside the confines of the library advocating on behalf of your institution. Speaking before the city council, presenting to the community foundation and meeting with state representatives are part of many librarians’ job descriptions. There are other, more social situations that can also bring you face-to-face with people who can impact the future of your library. Chamber dinners, Rotary luncheons and holiday parties all provide opportunities for you to build relationships and establish yourself as an advocate for your library and person of influence in your community and state. You will want to keep your mind focused on communicating your message, not worrying about "Which fork is mine? Which way do I pass? What do I do with my napkin?" What follows is a refresher course on basic dining etiquette, providing the answers to the questions many people have about breaking bread with others. MORE
AASL sponsors Panter, Patin in Emerging Leaders program
CHICAGO—The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will sponsor Suzanna Panter and Beth Patin for the 2009 ALA Emerging Leaders program.
Panter graduated in 2006 from Old Dominion University with an MA in Library Media K–12. She is currently Library Information Specialist at Dumbarton Elementary School in Henrico, Va. Her passion is the ELL students she serves. In her application she says, "I will use the connections I make during the Emerging Leaders Program to research how other libraries support their ELL populations. I want to give back to a job I love and hope to inspire others to join ALA or other national organizations." MORE
LLAMA Midwinter Institute in Denver Focuses on Improving Project Managers
Learn how your projects can finish on time, under budget, at the level of quality you desire and with everyone involved still speaking by registering for the LLAMA Midwinter Institute "Mission Possible: Practical Project Management," held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, 2009 at the ALA midwinter meeting in Denver. Colo. MORE
I want to write about HR Practice!
Can We Bargain—Amicably? A Primer on Interest-Based Bargaining
By Mary T. Kalnin
When you consider the phrase "collective bargaining," what comes to mind? Perhaps one pictures a large table, or perhaps four tables arranged to form a square. In either case, one probably imagines chairs on each side of the table and, in those chairs, management representatives on one side and employee representatives and the union negotiators on the other. They stare at each other as each side waits for the other to say something. Since bargaining protocol dictates that the employees open the discussion, the chief union negotiator presents the employee position (or demands) for the next contract. The chief negotiator for management will either present management’s position or simply receive the employee "demands" and promise response and management’s positions at a later time. Welcome to the world of traditional, positional bargaining. MORE
I want to write about Recruitment!
Recruitment of Librarians Should Begin at a Young Age
Maryann Mori, MSLIS
Two years ago, I realized the importance of early professional recruitment at an important ceremony: my grandson’s preschool graduation. During the ceremony we watched videotaped interviews in which my grandson and his fifty fellow preschoolers answered the age-old question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Answers ranged from "cowboy" and "Spiderman" to teacher, doctor and (somewhat improbably) "paleontologist." But not one child in fifty said, "I want to be a librarian." Not one.
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Applicants Sought For 3M/NMRT Professional Development Grant
Deadline: December 15, 2008
Members of ALA's New Members Round Table (NMRT) can apply to receive a grant, sponsored by 3M Library Systems, which will cover expenses to attend the ALA Annual Conference, July 9-15, 2009, in Chicago, IL.
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want to write about Statistics!
RUSA Award Honors Library Links with Labor
CHICAGO—The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) seeks nominations for the 2009 John Sessions Memorial Award.
The award, a plaque supported by a donation from the AFL-CIO, recognizes a library or library system that has made a significant effort to work with the labor community and has consequently brought recognition of the history and contribution of the labor movement to the development of the United States. The award is named for John Sessions, former American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) co-chair of the AFL-CIO/ALA Joint Committee on Library Service to Labor Groups. MORE
Nine Reasons Your Salary Isn't Higher
By Liz Wolgemuth, U.S. News and World Report: July 25, 2008
http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/105444/9-Reasons-Your-Salary-Isn't-Higher MORE
I want to write about Statistics!
Library Employee Benefits 2003 and 2008: A Report From the 2008 Librarian Salary Survey
By Jenifer Grady
Given the current economic downturn, one might assume that libraries are offering fewer benefits than they were five years ago. The results of the 2008 ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian—Public and Academic (Librarian Salary Survey) confirm this assumption, but also offer several surprises. The supplemental question in the 2008 ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian was a five-year follow-up to the 2003 ALA Survey of Librarian Salaries on benefits provided to library staff (Lynch 2003). Twenty-one common benefits were listed in the questionnaire, which also allowed for an "other" option. Human resources staff completed this question for full- and part-time professional and support staff: "Please indicate below what benefits your library provides and which staff are eligible. Use your own definitions of full-time and part-time. Do not report benefits that are for the director only as determined by contract negotiations."MORE
I want to write about Support Staff!
First Steps Towards Career Ladders for Library Support Staff at Stony Brook University
By Germaine Hoynos and Daniel W. Kinney
This article is based on a presentation given at the 39th Annual State University of New York Library Association (SUNYLA) Conference at SUNY Maritime, June 14, 2007.
In 1998, cataloging paraprofessionals at the Stony Brook University Library requested upgrades based on a substantial increase in the scope and complexity of their responsibilities. Stony Brook’s paraprofessionals, together with their supervisors, argued that the library should reclassify positions to include newly required technical proficiency. During the 1990s and into the present decade, staff responsibilities had expanded to include continually revised cataloging standards, the introduction of the Internet, new formats, digital resources, online authority control and metadata, and these changes were not matched with appropriate reclassification and remuneration. The following year, the president of the university issued a Five Year Plan that included career ladders for professional staff. The president’s plan provided the opportunity to pursue the upgrades in earnest. MORE
I
want to write about Work/Life!
Organize the Web: By Yourself or With Friends
By Alexandra Tyle
Web users are changing the way they save and organize their favorite web pages. The days of saving websites through web browsers are gone. Social bookmarking, a web 2.0 service, is allowing web users to access their web pages from any computer with an Internet connection. Before social bookmarking, web users relied on the Favorites feature, available through their web browsers. These favorites were only available on one computer. If the user used more than one computer, they needed to manually enter the websites to the second computer's favorites. If their computer crashed, the list of favorite websites was lost. MORE
Working America Announces Winners of My Bad Boss Contest
Working America, community affiliate of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), announces the results of 2008’s My Bad Boss contest. Read the experiences of a young EMT forced to work in a duct-taped ambulance driven by the boss’ chemically dependent uncle; an office manager demoted because she couldn’t see the future; and a fast food manager fired because he closed shop early—to rescue his family from their burning house. MORE
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Editors: Jenifer Grady, Jamie Bragg
Index of all articles from volume 1, no. 1, though volume 5, no. 10.
Planning an orientation for new board members? Break the ice and promote discussion with Trustee Troubles. This series of short films follows the humorous misadventures of a new trustee. Watch them online or borrow them from Wyoming Libraries.
http://www.wyominglibraries.org/trusteetrouble.html
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