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State and National Support Staff Issues

Explore the COPE 3 Proposal focusing on career ladders, compensation, training, and the role of support staff in ALA. Learn about action items, recommendations, and progress in supporting library staff. Presented at the NC Serials Conference, April 16, 2004.

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State and National Support Staff Issues

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  1. State and National Support Staff Issues NC Serials Conference Friday, April 16, 2004 Prepared by: Annis Barbee, Shirley Hamlett, and Karen LetarteNCSU Libraries

  2. SSIRT/LSSIRT NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  3. LSSIRT Survey Results • Over 2,000 responses were received from the survey. • Top three library support staff issues are: 1)   Career ladders [few opportunities for advancement] 2)   Compensation not appropriate to level of education, experience and responsibilities 3)   Access to continuing education and training opportunities NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  4. COPE3 Proposal NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  5. COPE 3 Objectives • To give voice to the three main issues from the 1997 survey: Career ladders, compensation, continuing ed/training. • To address the shortage of library staff members • Recruitment • Changing roles • To define the role of library support staff members in the American Library Association and, also, to define the responsibility of ALA toward library support staff members. • To define ways to express mutual respect between all who staff America's libraries and to define ways to celebrate the commonality of purpose among library staff members. NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  6. COPE 3 Terminology • Focus for COPE 3 on those library workers who work in positions in the library that do not include specialists or those in positions defined as requiring the MLS. • The term used to describe these library workers, which was used by the Steering Committee in naming the Congress and in all official references from COPE 3, is library support staff. NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  7. COPE 3 Delegate Action Items • Delegates were asked to identify three to five specific ideas for action. • Focus on action items that are doable and sustainable • Action ideas in 23 separate topics were generated. NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  8. Top 10 Topics from COPE 3 NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  9. ALA Responsibility • Steering Committee requested ALA take a leadership role • in working with library support staff issues and challenges • in recommending to other associations and to libraries and their parent institutions concrete ways to address these issues and challenges NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  10. 6 Areas for Recommendations • Association Life (ALA) • Workplace • Credentialing • Education and Continuing Professional Development • Valuing People • Marketing and Public Relations NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  11. 2.2 Career Paths • 2.2.1 ALA should appoint a taskforce to establish a career ladder for support staff that is supplemental to ALA’s Library and Information Studies Education and Human Resource Utilization policy statement. This support staff career ladder (or lattice) should consider: • standardized job titles • staff training and development standards • certification levels • competencies • compensation NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  12. Library/Information Science Career Path Other Educational Career path Senior Librarian Senior Specialist Librarian Specialist LIS Associate Associate Specialist LIS Assistant Assistant Specialist Clerk

  13. 2.2.2 • ALA and its divisions should consider stronger programming in human resources development for libraries with an emphasis on new models for • classification • job description • pay for responsibility and performance • other pertinent areas. NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  14. 3.3 Competencies • The support staff career ladder taskforce (2.1.1) should include in its work the establishment of competencies for library support staff. These competencies should relate to program accreditation, library support staff certification, and approval of library support staff development activities. NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  15. 3.2 Accreditation of Library Support Staff Education Programs • 3.2.1 ALA should move forward with acceptance of the 1998 revision of Criteria to Prepare Library Technical Assistants and establish a process that will allow the evaluation and revision of these criteria at regular intervals. • 3.2.2 If a support staff certification program is established through ALA/APA, ALA should study the feasibility of establishing a process for the approval or endorsement of continuing education programs for library support staff. NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  16. Progress on recommendations • COPE 3 Report submitted and unanimously approved by the Executive Board at ALA Toronto June 2003 • Board requested that by Oct. 2003 ALA will prepare an implementation recommendation report • Discussion underway to make LSSIRT a division NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  17. Other steps • 1) ALA Membership Committee will now include a permanent support staff position to be appointed by LSSIRT. • 2) Joint LSSIRT- ALA Membership Committee TF will develop proposal for a support staff membership category within the ALA dues structure for presentation to ALA Council at Midwinter 2004 • 3) ALA press releases and other information pieces will reflect the growing library support staff membership and participation in ALA. NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  18. The North Carolina Library Paraprofessional Association • A roundtable of the North Carolina Library Association • A voting member of NCLA’s executive board • Currently represents 7% of the total NCLA membership NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  19. NCLPA Regions Sheila Little, Region 2 DirectorWilson County Public Library249 W Nash StWilson, NC 27893(252) 243-6784 Jackie Frye, Region 1 DirectorHarnett County Public Library PO Box 1149Lillington, NC 27546(910) 893-3446 Wendy Barber, Region 4 DirectorWilkes County Public Library215 Tenth Street N. Wilkesboro, NC 28659(336) 838-2818 Barbara Torpy, Region 3 DirectorDavie County Public Library371 N. Main StreetMocksville, NC 27028(336) 751-2023 NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  20. Goals of the NCLPA • Promoting the development and recognition of the paraprofessional as an important and vital member of the library workforce; • Encouraging discussion, activities and programs which support the mutual interest of the NCLPA and the NCLA; • Providing a forum for paraprofessionals to share ideas and concerns of common interest and to identify common needs and goals; • Acting as a stimulus to make NCLA more responsive to paraprofessional concerns; and • Encouraging and maintaining a cooperative and supportive relationship among paraprofessionals and other library staff. NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  21. Current Initiatives • Resolutions to the North Carolina Library Association • Inclusive Language • Mutual Respect NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  22. Other Activities • Certification Workshop • Web presence • Biennial and Centennial conference workshops • Conference Scholarship • Future workshops on public, technical, and administrative support staff issues NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  23. The NCLPA Needs You • http://www.nclaonline.org/nclpa/ NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

  24. For further information • COPE 3 Websitehttp://www.ala.org/Content/ContentGroups/HRDR/3rd_Congress_on_Professional_Education__Focus_on_Library_Support_Staff/3rd_Congress_Overview.htm • American Library Association/Allied Professional Association http://www.ala-apa.org/ • Council on Library and Media Technicians http://colt.ucr.edu/ • Library Support Staff Interests Roundtable—LSSIRT http://www.ala.org/ala/lssirt/lssirt.htm NC Serials Conference April 16, 2004

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