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You Get What You Pay For! Your Most Important Investment Is Your People

This presentation by Dan O'Connor from Rutgers University at The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute on September 29, 2006 addresses the critical issues and challenges facing trustees in ensuring fair and competitive salaries for library workers. The talk explores salary guidelines, comparable worth studies, and salary implications for MLIS graduates in the context of New Jersey's cost of living. Suggestions are provided on achieving pay equity within library organizations.

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You Get What You Pay For! Your Most Important Investment Is Your People

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  1. You Get What You Pay For! Your Most Important Investment Is Your People If trustees are stewards, what will your legacy be? What are the issues and challenges facing trustees who are in need of excellent people to lead and staff their libraries in this new technological environment? Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  2. Special Thanks • Mitch Freedman • Michele Stricker • Dale Spindel • Karen Yannetta • NJ State Library (& IMLS) • NJ Library Trustee Association • NJ Library Association Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  3. What are the Core Issues? • What do NJ public librarians earn? • How does this compare to others? • How does it relate to NJ cost of living? • What is the responsibility of a NJ Public Library Trustee—your responsibility—to address pay issues for all library workers in your library? Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  4. What Is Comparable Worth? f Librarians: $43,090f Library technicians: $24,090m Accountants and auditors: $47,000n Administrative services managers: $52,500m Architects: $56,620m Civil engineers: $60,070m Computer systems analysts: $62,890n Customer service representatives: $26,240m Database administrators: $55,480n Paralegals: $37,950f Social Workers: $33,150f Teachers, post-secondary: $49,040 • Source: ALA/APA website Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  5. What are NJ PL Salary Guidelines? • “The recommended minimum salaries approved by the NJLA Executive Board for 2006 are the minimum librarian salary at $43,277 and the minimum library assistant salary at $23,607.” • Source: NJLA website Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  6. What Happens in my Home Town? “The Edison Board of Education approved a three-year teachers contract that provides raises ranging from 15 percent for rookies to as much as 57 percent for those with seven years of experience.” • Source: The Star-Ledger, Dec 22, 2005 Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  7. What Does This Mean In My Home Town? • In Edison, a teacher with 11 years of experience will be earning $82,450 next year—and that is with a bachelor’s degree. • Compare this to NJ library director salaries where fewer than 20% earn as much as that Edison teacher—and that is with a Master’s degree and more experience and more responsibility. • Implication: are teachers paid too much or are librarians paid too little? • Either way, librarians know that their value does not compare with others who have similar education & experience. Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  8. NJ PL Salaries: the Context • Jim Hughes (Rutgers Economic Advisor to NJ) stated recently: “Companies have to pay more to compensate for the higher costs of living in New Jersey. In 2004 our median household income was 34 higher than the nation, but our median monthly housing expenses were 52 percent higher.” • Source: The Star-Ledger, 8/30/06 Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  9. How Do Librarian Salaries Compare to Other NJ Salaries? • NJ Median Family Income by Number of Earners • Family with no earner: $31,307 • One earner: 51,881 • Two earners: 91,705 • Three or more earners: 110,383 • Source: Census Bureau, 2005 data http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/medincearnersandstate.html Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  10. How Do Salaries Relate to our Library Workforce? • Who comes into our field? For example, who are new MLIS students? • What are the basic costs to get an MLIS degree (from Rutgers)? • What are the salary expectations of our graduates when they finish their Master’s degree? • Issues: payback student loans, live in expensive NJ, support a family… Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  11. Approx Rutgers Tuition and Fees for an MLIS Student • Tuition per semester (NJ): ~$6,000 • Fees: ~$600 • Dorm: ~$3,000 • Meal Plan: ~$2,000 • Total per semester: 11,600 • Plus textbooks, clothes, etc = ~$13,000+ • Cost: $13,000 x 3 semesters = ~$40,000 • Implications for Salary on First Job Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  12. What Can YOU Do? • Mitch Freedman’s 3 Step Plan: • Board adopts a policy of pay equity—it goes on the record with a written document. • Board does a comparable worth study—comparing PL salaries to other Town employees and to school librarian salaries • Board puts in place a plan to achieve comparable worth over the next 1, 3, and 5 years—the plan must be implemented to show its commitment to valuing its library workers. Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  13. Mitch Freedman’s caveats: • Salaries appropriate to the knowledge and technical skills of library workers will empower them. • Appropriate salaries informs the community that it values libraries because it values the people who work in them. • It really does not cost much to have a great library. Currently, NJ public libraries account for about 2.5% of a municipal budget. It would only cost about 2% of more to have a superior library with appropriately paid workers. Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  14. What Actions Might You Take • Have a meeting! It would only take one hour for the Board to meet with all the library staff to view and discuss the film we started with today—ALA/APA’s • “working@your library: for LOVE or MONEY?” • Have some Board members review ALA’s Advocating for Better Salaries and Pay Equity Toolkit. Report back to the Board: • Prepare written copy of your library’s pay equity policy • Develop a specific plan to raise salaries to appropriate levels Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  15. To Help You Get Started… • Mitch Freedman has given me permission to give you copies of the first 11 pages of the Toolkit. Use this as a guide to start your planning. Get the rest of the document from the ALA/APA website: http://www.ala-apa.org/ Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

  16. Two Final Questions • Ask yourself: • Is my legacy as a Board member to continue the status quo? • Can I help our town create an exceptional library with dedicated library workers? Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 29, 2006

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