[LM_NET] Librarians in the News

[Josephine Dervan <rderva@INFIONLINE.NET>]

Hi Everyone-

Earlier this week, someone posted an article from the NY Times about a local 
public library in suburban NJ.  They were going to close daily after the 
middle school across the street got out to avoid problems they'd been having 
with student rowdiness. That evening my husband brought home a print article 
from the Wall Street Journal. I thought he was handing me the NY Times 
article but this was a completely different story about public librarians.

The gist of the WSJ article (not available free online) was that public 
libraries are beginning to have difficulty finding new staff to replace the 
older baby boomer librarians who are retiring.

There were several reasons cited:
1. librarians are being asked to have more technical skills which makes them 
appealing to other employers.
2. Public libraries pay relatively low starting salaries to these employees 
with an advanced degree.
3. The cost of a Masters in Library Science is fairly high in many schools.

When you consider both articles you realize why some people are no longer 
interested in working in public libraries for low salaries in sometimes 
difficult situations.

I am a former public librarian who transferred to the school library because 
the pay was better, the hours were better and I knew that I would be able to 
raise a family more conveniently working school hours.

Doug Johnson's posting of the job with the pharmaceutical company proves 
that there are better paying library jobs out there.

******************************************************
Josephine G. Dervan. Library Media Specialist
Strathmore Elementary School,  Aberdeen, NJ
Online Instructor, University of Wisconsin-Stout
rderva at infionline.net

He who has a garden and a library, wants for nothing- Cicero 

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