I want to be in the Spotlight!

The Blind Leading the Dyslexic

By Cindy Nugent

[Editor’s note:  Cindy’s is the first of a 3-part series featuring members of the American Library Association’s Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) who are sensitive to the special access needs that can impact work in libraries.  For information about being a member of and/or providing service to populations with special needs, see the ASCLA website and ASCLA Tipsheets on accessibility issues.]

My name is Cindy Nugent and I am dyslexic. Surprisingly to me, I am also the Children and Young Adult’s Librarian at the Mississippi Library Commission’s Blind & Physically Handicapped Library Services Division. I find it hard to believe that I am a Librarian because a library would have been the last place you could have found me as a child. It was not a fun place for me because I could not read. But now, with a lot of help, I enjoy reading and want to help others like me enjoy libraries. Everyone can have a success story if we find the right tools and the right people to help us. MORE

Library backers planning fundraising drive

By Matthew Bruun, Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA): August 1, 2008

For the last month, the Fitchburg (MA) Public Library has struggled to keep up with the workload brought on by a steep reduction in work hours and staff. The reduced hours and layoffs sprung from a 68 percent budget cut authorized by Fitchburg mayor Lisa A. Wong. MORE

Library to add weekend hours starting September 1

By Margaret Fosmoe, South Bend Tribune (IN): July 29, 2008

The St. Joseph County Public Library (IN) is reducing its purchases, hours and staffing in order to cut operating expenses by 6 percent in 2008 and 12 percent for 2009. In addition to laying off employees, the library is asking workers to voluntarily reduce their work hours to help the budget. MORE

Milwaukee Public Budget Hearing:

Nurses, librarians make plea, City workers argue against suggested job, service cuts

By Larry Sandler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI): July 30, 2008

In a July 29 meeting, librarians pleaded with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett not to cut their services and their jobs in next year's city budget. A current proposal would close four neighborhood libraries. MORE

Budget cuts forcing service cuts, closures

By Ledyard King, The Montgomery Advertiser (AL): July 20, 2008

WASHINGTON - Visits to libraries are up across the nation. So is circulation. But budget pressures are forcing many libraries to scale back hours or close. MORE

Libraries In D.C. Plan Cuts In Hours; Budget Shortfall Would Also Close Kiosks

By Elissa Silverman; Washington Post: July 30, 2008

As a result of $2 million in staff reductions in the 2009 budget, the D.C. public library system is planning a severe cutback in hours. MORE

I want to write about Career Advancement!

Annual Conference Program Highlights

“Toot Your Horn: How Librarians Can Increase Their Impact And Expand Their Sphere Of Influence”

Presented by Donna Cardillo
Library Employee, Promote Thyself

Review by Angela Barnes

Too often, library workers who are passionate advocates for libraries are unwilling or unable to advocate for themselves. At ALA-APA’s Annual Conference 2008 program “Toot Your Horn: How Librarians Can Increase Their Impact And Expand Their Sphere Of Influence,” keynote speaker Donna Cardillo advised library employees to take action to improve their image and the image of librarianship. Cardillo urged beginning horn-tooters to cultivate a professional image; harness the power of the media; promote the profession; network; join professional organizations; and hone communication skills.  You’ll just have to imagine Cardillo’s fiery delivery and the passion with which she spoke these words. MORE

ALSC to offer four online continuing education courses

CHICAGO—The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is offering four online continuing education courses this fall including: “Reading Instruction and Children’s Books” (Katherine Todd); “The Tech Savvy Booktalker” (Nancy J. Keane); “The Technology Enhanced Library Professional” (Sara Fisher); and “Sharing Poetry with Children” (Sylvia M. Vardell).
The courses, selected by the ALSC Education Committee, are the first of their kind for ALSC and will begin Oct. 6, running through Nov. 14. Future sessions are scheduled for February 2009 and summer 2009. All courses will run between four and six weeks and will be taught in an online learning community using Moodle. MORE

I want to write about Certification!

Annual Conference Program Highlights

Becoming a Better Public Library Manager: Certification Works!

Presented by Darla Wegener, Director of Library Services, Lincoln Public Library (CA); Nanette Donohue, Technical Services Manager, Champaign Public Library (IL); Roberta Thomas, Administrative Librarian, Grayslake Area Public Library District (IL); Karen Jessee, Senior Librarian, Jacksonville Public Library (FL); Denise Zielinski, Director Information Services, Dupage Library System (IL); Dr. Arlita Harris, Program Coordinator, University of North Texas LE@D Program

Review by Jenifer Grady

[Editor’s note: For more about the Certified Public Library Administrator Program, see the article entitled “In Their Own Words: A SWOT Analysis of the CPLA Program” in the May/June issue of Public Libraries, 47(3), pp. 9–14.]

Who better to hear about the Certified Public Library Administrator Program than the pioneers who have committed their time, energy and money to this two-year old professional development opportunity? Three candidates, all with very different reasons for participating, one graduate/committee member and an instructor gave convincing testimonies about how CPLA is having such an incredible impact on candidates’ work lives. MORE

I want to write about HR Law!

Annual Conference Program Highlights

Lobbying for Operational Expenses

Presented by Emily Sheketoff, Executive Director, ALA Washington Office

Review by Jenifer Grady

On Sunday, June 29, more than 60 people gathered to hear Emily tell them how they could advocate for more operational funding—you know, funding for the mundane issues like salaries and electricity. It is probably not news to you that advocacy is advocacy—similar rules apply whether you’re trying to get a law passed or convince your constituents of the importance of teen programming. Emily repeatedthat the keys to advocacy are preparation, communication and building relationships. Identify who the library serves, find out what the library does that is important to those groups and design a well-researched and tailored campaign around how increased funding can have an impact on meeting their needs. Unlike similar programs that focus on raising funding for library resources, this meeting discussed advocating for increasing a budget for personnel. It was about putting a face on the services that patrons expect at the library. MORE

I want to write about HR Practice!

Good Work + Bad Attitude = Bad News

By Julie Todaro and Jamie Bragg

Managers face a variety of employee challenges every day. Many challenges are easily defined: it is often simple to identify low-performing employees, burned-out employees, new employees who need extensive orientation and existing employees who need training or retraining. It may be more difficult to address the challenge of the employee who does good work with a bad attitude. An attitude of rudeness, malice or disrespect can be one of the most insidious threats to workplace collaboration. Furthermore, a bad attitude can be disastrous for productivity. A manager focused on productivity may be tempted to overlook an employee’s negative attitude, especially if that employee is among a library’s top performers. But a bad attitude can ultimately impact the productivity of co-workers, which can denigrate the team and preclude accomplishment of team goals. MORE

I want to write about Recruitment!

Spectrum Scholarship winners announced

CHICAGO - The American Library Association's (ALA) Office for Diversity has chosen its 2008 Spectrum Scholars.

The Spectrum Scholarship Program aims at recruiting applicants and awarding scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students for graduate programs in library and information studies. MORE

I want to write about Salaries and Pay Equity!

Paycheck Fairness Act Passed by House of Representatives

By Michele Leber

The House passed the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338) on July 31, 247 to 178, with 14 Republicans voting for the bill. We owe particular gratitude to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who has sponsored the bill for 11 years and has been unwavering and untiring in her support of it. Please also thank your representatives for their support of the bill. MORE

Annual Conference Program Highlights

Networking Breakfast Honoring Brian Keith And Camilla B. Reid And Featuring A Chat By Roy Stone And A Poem By Jim Wilson

Review by Jenifer Grady

The fourth annual Networking Breakfast was held on Sunday, June 29, 2008, celebrating the work of Brian Keith, Library Human Resources Officer at the University of Florida Smathers Libraries, and Camilla B. Reid, Associate Director of the Augusta State University Reese Library, the two winners of the SirsiDynix‑ALA‑APA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Promoting Salaries and Status for Library Workers. In addition to a delicious breakfast, sponsored by SirsiDynix and AFSCME Local 1930, the New York Public Library Guild, and great conversation, guests were treated to a rousing talk by Roy Stone, President, Librarians Guild AFSCME Local 2626, Los Angeles Public Library and Jim Wilson, Vice President, Founder & Senior Library Advisor of SirsiDynix. MORE

I want to write about Statistics!

Librarian Salary Survey Reports Mean Librarian Salary Up 2 Percent to $58,960 in 2008

CHICAGO - Results from the 2008 edition of the ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian - Public and Academic are available in two ways – immediately for subscribers to the ALA-APA Library Salary Database and in print from the American Library Association (ALA) online store. Analysis of data from more than 1,010 public and academic libraries showed the mean salary for librarians with ALA-accredited Master’s Degrees reported increased 2 percent from 2007, up $1,151 to $57,809. The median ALA MLS salary was $53,251 and salaries ranged from $22,000 to $331,200. ALA-APA thanks all the library staff who completed the survey on behalf of their institutions. MORE

There Is a Union Difference in Library Salaries

The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) and the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) collaborated on The Union Difference for Library Workers, which found that salaries in unionized public and academic libraries were higher than those in non-union libraries for staff in positions that do not require an ALA-accredited Master’s Degree in Library Science. Data from the 2006 ALA-APA Salary Survey: Non-MLS – Public and Academic revealed that average salaries were higher for many of the 62 positions, including Library Technical Assistant, Library Clerk and Associate Librarian. MORE

I want to write about Support Staff!

Annual Conference Program Highlights

AC08 LSSCP Meeting Addresses Competencies, Division Approval, Field Testing

By Jamie Bragg

On June 26, 2008, the Library Support Staff Advisory Committee gathered to discuss progress on the Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP).

Throughout the day-long meeting, held at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference, the Advisory Committee heard reports on topics including the development of program competencies, a schedule for presenting these competencies to the ALA Divisions and the relationship between LSSCP and Library Technical Assistant Programs. MORE

I want to write about Work/Life!

Absenteeism, Morale and Work/Life Balance: How Are You Doing?

By Gail Munde, PhD, PHR

Numerous studies have linked absenteeism to low employee or low workplace morale. Absenteeism presents a challenge for a supervisor when the non-attendence is either excessive, i.e., all leave benefits have been exhausted, or when the rate or pattern of unscheduled absences generates the perception that an employee’s work attendance is unreliable. Unscheduled absences are those which are unplanned or last-minute, and therefore not usually approved in advance, e.g., unforeseen illness of self or family members, to cover gaps in child or elder care, lack of transportation to and from work and “mental health” days taken as either vacation or sick leave. An employee who abuses leave by taking “pattern” absences (repeated, unscheduled absences immediately before or after weekends or holidays) can strain relationships with both supervisors and co-workers. And the greater the number of employees who abuse leave, the greater the impact on the organization. If unscheduled absences are consistently high across a team or department, service and productivity suffer. MORE

Editors: Jenifer Grady, Jamie Bragg

Index of all articles from volume 1, no. 1, though volume 5, no. 8.