" Change means movement, movement means friction,
friction means heat, and heat means controversy."
Saul Alinsky

Today's Affirmation
I have the strength to do
the things I need to do. 

Today, I stop blaming everyone else for what
is not right around me.
I learn lessons and let sadness go. 

 Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow.
It empties today of its strength. 

Other Qutoes/Thoughts to ponder as You
Consider a paraprofessionals' role in Todays' Workplace

Today in Libraries around the Globe, Staff are learning new skills, filling New Assignments and Changing the Workplace for the Better!
Administrations, are finding ways to fill :
Jobs with some New, and some formerly "professional only"
job descriptions, with Intelligent, Capable - Paraprofessionals.
There are Parapro - WebMasters, Systems Administrators, Library Skills/Information Literacy Instructors,
Supervisors in Charge of entire Departments, Paraprofessionals, who run and own their own
"Information Provider" Enterprises, and this is only just the beginning of Changes to Come in the 21st Century.

NOTE!!
If ever you should come upon a URL that no longer works
or the page is gone - take  a chance 
by using the WayBack Machine
"an Internet Archive" - just put the old URL in and see if the 
archive goes back to that page
when it did "exist" 
The Wayback Machine is very popular -
search when it is not so busy on the NET
http://www.archive.org

And when doing a search on Google.com - if a link doesn't work or 
says the page is no longer found
Try clicking on the "cached" version of the page -
when Google last indexed or spidered the
site and saved it  in its'  "cache"

I think that the following title: Ideaship, needs to be read by Library Administrators & Supervisors.
It points up the feelings that I try to convey throughout this website - which is: 
For an organization to succeed,  it needs to: encourage, value & appreciate
the  opinions, ideas, & skills of ALL of its staff.
Too much of an organization's potential is often never tapped,
or it is ignored, because -
Many Library Administrators continue to divide staff:
by title, education, &  job classifcation. 
In today's Library: Innovate, Invigorate and Use new ideas to create new staffing solutions.

Ideaship: How to Get Ideas Flowing into the WorkPlace
Jack Foster  Larry Corby (Illustrator)
ISBN: 1576751643
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Pub. Date: January  2001
From the Publisher
For Jack Foster, the primary job of a leader (what he calls an “Ideaer”) is to raise people’s self-esteem,
make it fun to come to work, and in the process help both employee and employer boost productivity
in an increasingly competitive marketplace. In Ideaship, he simply and compellingly describes 39 ways
to unleash workers’ creativity. 
The book covers a wide spectrum of strategies that are both practical and inspirational.
Chapters include “Don’t ask for one solution — ask for many,” “Allow them the freedom to fail,” 
and “Give them more than one problem at a time.”
Ideaship contains dozens of easily implemented, proven techniques for making employees more creative.
Purchase at Barnes & Noble - $14.95

Here is an excerpt of an online review of the book Ideaship, as it relates to Libraries
from managinginformation.com book reviews
"He points out that whatever work we do, there are problems which need solutions 
and that innovative thinking is required everywhere. No-one in any organisation has a monopoly 
on good ideas and to succeed, we need to harness everyone's potential, no matter where 
they are in the organisation. In LIS, we are facing rapid changes; we need all the help we 
can get to deliver quality services. Often our most junior staff are in the front line
and their performance can affect the way our users perceive the services which we offer. 
These staff may also have valuable ideas about what would improve services 
and know better than those further up the organisation what our users are looking for.
When staff feel that their contribution is valued and their feedback is welcomed, 
this can help maintain motivation in spite of other difficulties which may constrain us.
This book reminds us of this."
Read the entire review at:
http://www.managinginformation.com/Book%20reviews/bookreviews_ideaship.htm

Related: 
How to Get Ideas 
Jack Foster  Larry Corby (Illustrator)
ISBN: 157675006X
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Pub. Date: September  1996

A major research project on adapting to the digital age has been completed by 
Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. 

She reports her findings in a new HBS Press book,
“Evolve!" Succeeding in the Digital Culture of Tomorrow 
Kanter points out the opportunities and the obstacles that are presented by the Internet. 
The book is filled with profiles and examples of the emerging e-age. 

I was interested in her findings of the characteristics that pacesetters 
saw as important in their organizational cultures. 

Kanter writes:  “…those claiming that they are better or much 
better than the competition…are much more likely to report that they have 
flexible, empowering, team-oriented organizations…”

Pacesetters, in Kanter’s study, identified the following as leading characteristics of their organizations: 

 People can do anything not explicitly prohibited. 
 Conflict is seen as creative. 
 Ideas that are unusual, controversial, or “different” are strongly encouraged and well received. 
 To get approval for an unforeseen or nonroutine activity, an OK from just one or two people is usually enough. 
 Decisions about significant activities are made almost immediately. 
 Decisions are made by the person with the most knowledge (as opposed to the person with the highest rank). 
 Departments collaborate. 
 People shift their job responsibilities in the course of a year. 
 When the unit is considering a major strategic change, 
 most people generally hear about it in advance, so they have a chance to comment. 
 Changes are considered a fact of life, and people take them in stride. 

This is the culture we may have to adopt if we expect to successfully transition into the e-age. 
**Note this same info is posted on the Marketing our Libraries resources page**

Other books of interest:

Managing Change for Library Support Staff 
Anne Goulding
Format: Hardcover, 176pp.
ISBN: 1859722490
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing Company
Pub. Date: April  1996

Developing Library Staff for the 21st Century 
Maureen Sullivan (Editor
Format: Paperback, 118pp.
ISBN: 0789000679
Publisher: Haworth Press, Incorporated, The
Pub. Date: June  1996

Read the 2001 artitcle by Martha Parsons & Troy Christensen
Alki: The Washington Library Association Journal, December 2001
Toward a More Perfect Union : Breaking Down the Caste System in Libraries
**PDF file*
http://www.wla.org/alki/perfectunion.pdf

Find information about the developments and outcomes of the:
3rd Congress on Professional Education: Focus on Library Support Staff (COPE III)
May 16-17, 2003
Excerpt quoted from LSSIRT website:
Target outcomes for this Congress are: 
Give voice to the LSSIRT survey of 1997
Find ways to address shortage of library staff members
Define role of support staff members in ALA and define ALA's responsibility toward support staff members. 
Define ways to express mutual respect among all who staff America's libraries.
Visit the COPE III webpage

Read the information on the AFL-CIO page, regarding Librarians & Library Paraprofessionals in todays workplace
http://www.dpeaflcio.org/pros/workplace/library.htm
----------------
As "OUR" Roles change and become redefined - 
WE need to understand trends and ideas, issues, of  the Professional Librarians. 
How are Libraries staffing their library -  today, what are they using as hiring criteria, etc.
Library Paraprofessionals can only help themselves by learning as much as they can
about "technology", library policies and procedures and  what 
the other side of the "library" is learning & thinking.
Read the literature, and latest news, join listservs, attend conferences & seminars.

The Listing on the COLT website of Library Technician/Technology programs
at Universities & Colleges Online and off - show that 
the Skills Learned and Knowledge Acquired are sometimes similar to what 
Librarians are learning. 
Read what Library Directors are looking for in new hires.
And take a  look at some of the Jobs offered online to see,
expected competencies, and also see current Job descriptions.
Please don't  forget to try out FREE learning opportunities
that come your way - online, local workshops - where ever they are,
take a look at staff training opportunites, as well.
Keep up your skills, take the initiative, Learn it Before You Need it!

ARL SPEC Kits of Interest to Librarians & Information Professionals, Paraprofessionals
Changing Roles of Library Professionals
SPEC Kit 256, May 2000
by Janice Simmons-Welburn, University of Iowa
Over the past ten years, many changes have affected the roles of librarians 
and other professionals in research libraries. The changes have been caused, 
in part, by technological advances, reorganizations, more focus 
on libraries as learning organizations, the use of teams and team-based approaches to tasks, 
and a recognition of diversity's importance to organizational development.
Librarians have had to align priorities with redefined institutional goals. 

The survey for this SPEC Kit, conducted by the ARL Leadership Committee,
was an effort to examine these professional changes through
an analysis of position descriptions issued by ARL member institutions. 

The M.L.S. Hiring Requirement
SPEC Kit 257, June 2000
by Julia C. Blixrud, ARL
Traditionally, academic research libraries have been expected to 
require the M.L.S. for any professional position
However, as libraries create new types of positions
especially for those with significant technology components, 
library directors and personnel officers have begun to question 
whether the M.L.S. degree is as necessary as other degrees or experiences.

This Kit includes the Quick SPEC survey results and
selected documents addressing institutional policies and procedures
for the hiring and appointment process, as well as criteria for 
the promotion and reappointment processes in a variety of institutional settings. 

SPEC Kit 212
Non-Librarian Professsionals
December 1995 
Introduction
With increasing frequency, professional position announcements make reference to educational and experiential requirements that are broader than, or in lieu of, the traditional M.L.S./library experience qualification. In the not-too-distant past, librarians were "forced" to assume professional roles beyond the immediate scope of librarianship (e.g., personnel officer, systems analyst, facilities administrator, fund-raiser), but it now seems that library administrators are willing to seek and hire individuals with such specialized training and experience from within their respective professions or fields. 
Further, a segment of the professional literature during the last decade or so, has vociferously argued in favor of moving beyond the standard M.L.S. pool of applicants and considering equally, if not giving preference to, candidates for librarian positions who possess other requisite educational qualifications and experience. Invariably, the main argument has revolved around the notion that to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by informational technologies, libraries need an infusion of diversified talent and a greater breadth of perspective than what the traditionally trained and oriented librarian brings. 

In the spring of 1994, a survey was conducted to determine the extent to which ARL member institutions hire non-M.L.S. degreed applicants into professional positions. A follow-up survey of those institutions which reported hiring such persons into professional positions was conducted in summer 1995. Of the 119 ARL members, 95 (80%) responded. 
Read remainder of kit results
 

SPEC Kit 224
Staff Training and Development
June 1997 
 INTRODUCTION 
This study examines the state of formal staff training and development in ARL libraries by identifying what programs are offered; how they are organized, administered, and budgeted; who participates; and how training is evaluated. Staff training and development programs can maximize the potential and effectiveness of employees in the dramatically changing environment of proliferating electronic resources, budgetary crises, downsizing, outsourcing, restructuring and reorganization. In February 1997, a survey was distributed to all ARL libraries; of the 120 member institutions, 50 responded. 
Read remainder  of kit results

SPEC Kit 252
Library Support Staff Position
Classification Studies
October 1999 
Executive Summary
Introduction
Classification schemes provide a basis for creating new positions, making recruitment and hiring decisions, establishing salary scales, and delineating common standards for performance review and career advancement. A review of the previous SPEC Kits on related topics, Personnel Classification Schemes in ARL Libraries (SPEC Kit 85, June 1982) and Job Analysis in ARL Libraries (SPEC Kit 135, June 1987), reveals little noticeable change over time in the purpose of job analysis for developing classifications. Libraries, however, have changed. 
Technology has brought about a dramatic change not so much in what libraries do, but in how libraries do it. Duties and responsibilities remain essentially the same, but the skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the required tasks have altered. Partly, an institution’s software and hardware have made the work more complex. Shared bibliographic information, for instance, has blurred the lines not only between support staff positions (no M.L.S. required) and librarians (M.L.S. required), but among support staff as well. Partly, internal reorganizations have resulted in greater expectations for positions, including the need for continual staff training and upgrading of skills. Staff members in all areas of the library are expected to have a broad understanding of operations throughout the system in order to perform their jobs satisfactorily. As a result, job classifications need to be revised periodically now more than ever to reflect the complexity, impact, and resourcefulness demanded of today's library staff, including support staff. 
Read remainder of kit results

Skills for new Information Professionals: 
The SKIP Project  (A United Kingdom project - data from 1997-98)
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/services/elib/papers/other/skip/finalpt2.html 
Very interesting data compiled:
2.5 The Changing Roles of Paraprofessional Staff and 
Library Assistants
2.6 Skills issues for paraprofessionals and library assistants
2.7 Training issues for Paraprofessionals and Library Assistants

Roles of Paraprofessionals in Libraries :  an  AskERIC InfoGuide
compliled by Anne D. Plyler, Nov. 1997

ALCTS Task Force on 
Meeting the Continuing Needs of Paraprofessionals Report 1995
Introduction
The role of paraprofessional staff in libraries is rapidly
changing as specialization is increasing and tasks performed by
paraprofessional staff are becoming more complex. 
This has led to an increased demand in the areas of staff development
and continuing education for paraprofessional staff. 

We do have a voice, we do have organizations and people
who are working hard for "positive" changes for the 
positive professional development of Library Support staff.
Get Involved, Stay Involved, Speak Up, and Learn to Understand the Issues,
Understand the Trends, and the Problems, Roles in the Information/Internet age, 
that Libraries face today. Many of the Links to that type of knowledge is
just a "click" away - throughout the pages of LibrarySupportstaff.com.

See resource links and article citations regarding Certification of Support staff.

Check out my happenings and comments page:
Read comments and about the recent iniatives of paraprofessionals
on our behalf:
Gene Kinnaly - has allowed me to quote his comments
re: The ALA Task Force on the Status of Librarians
Please Note: Gene is on the:
ALA Better Salaries & Pay Equity Task Force - be sure to visit their website:
              http://www.mjfreedman.org/tfhome.html 
and
See the meeting notes of the Connecticut Library Support Staff
on advocating for Better Pay and Equity - Jan. 2003
Plus
Paulette Feld tells us about the latest developments of the 
Library Career Pathways Task Force
happenings.html

Ask the tough questions of your administrators:

Why can't job descriptions or job titles be changed?
Why can't several options be allowed for meeting "qualifications"?
What are fair wages for "comparable" skill sets, in your community outside the Library?
Why can't Paraprofessionals be trained/educated to do:
Literature Searches, Teach, Handle Reference Questions, 
Handle Marketing Projects, Take part in Collection Development, etc.?
Why don't Paraprofessionals have a "career ladder" they can climb in their Library?

Library Directors:
Why not consider - demonstrated competency, on the job experience, 
and seniority within the Library,
etc. - VERSUS hiring/filling a "Librarian" position based on 
qualifications of having a MLS degree.
Why not re-write a job description to allow - for this possibility. 
I think that some libraries, overlook their most valuable players -
just to do things the way they always have been  done. 
Today in the 21st century - Paraprofessionals,
out number Librarians as library workers - 
why not take advantage of this employee knowledge base.
If Libraries train, motivate, and "appreciate" paraprofessionals - 
they truly  will help their Libraries Thrive for the future. 
Salaries are as big an issue for Support Staff as they are for
Librarians. Compensation should reflect "pay" for the skills
required to get the job done, not "pay" what the "classification" calls for,
and that was probably written years ago. 
What represents fair salaries and compensation for library positions,
will have to be re-thought. Skills, Competencies, Education,
for library jobs have changed over the recent years - 
Library Administrators - must step up and "change" with the
current outlook for the Library and Information Science professions.
Please don't look at "change" and "increased potential",
better pay equity, and participation in staff development,
for Paraprofessional Support Staff as a "threat" to Librarianship.
View it as:
"Bettering" YOUR LIBRARY for the future, for
your patrons, and for your entire Library Staff.
Librarians and Support Staff - **Together** WE Can
Be part of the "Solutions" to the problems & changes we ALL face!

A Happy, Well Trained - Library Staff - will  be Your  Library's Best MarketingTool.
Employee's who are acknowledged & rewarded for their skills & competency,
will be Your Library's Best Resource!

Read the articles In the Feb. 1,  2003 Issue of Library Journal
re: Career [Education] Recruitment for Future Library Information Professionals
links from the 'Happenings page"

Articles of interest:
Paraprofessionals Surpassing the Grade *Note this is a PDF file article*
AALL Paraprofessional Forum Agenda   July 1999
http://www.aallnet.org/products/pub_sp9904_surpassing.pdf
 

Articles about Librarians, but parapro's can read and learn from

Librarians´ professional skills acknowledged at last? 
Salmi L. 
Newsl Eur Health Libr 2001(55):10. 

Your goal is to attain the name recognition and background necessary 
for professional success. Each component of your online presence 
helps shape your professional image.
In the following paragraphs, we'll focus on the 
three main elements of an effective online presence—
your online network, your electronic resume, and your professional Web site—
and we'll give tips on using each aspect effectively in your personal online marketing plan. 
Read remainder of article:
http://www.infotoday.com/mls/oct01/gordon&nesbeitt.htm
------------
NOTE: I designed this website "librarysupportstaff.com" to not only support you and provide you with resources
but to also MARKET the Interests,  Concerns and Creations of Support Staff Paraprofessionals - ONLINE!!
Your contributions, comments and suggestions are always welcome.
Email me: mary@librarysupportstaff.com
 

Take the time to read the lyrics of the Harry Chapin - 
Song "Flowers are Red"
It is  about a Little boy who is coloring flowers at 
School and the teacher points out
that he is doing it wrong and tells him
there is only "ONE" way to look at Flowers
Refrain:
And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than they way they always have been seen

But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

Read this one persons' interpretation of that song
Learn more about Harry Chapin
"When in Doubt, Do Something"
- Harry Chapin 

And we also need to understand how far we have come:
Our History
(These articles can be found on the LSSRC and/or in  the
archives of Associates)
In the Beginning, There was Support Staff . . . 
by Edward B. Martinez

Read of the milestones/advances  we have made:
Milestones of the Support Staff Movement
compiled by the participants of
"The Library Support Staff Movement:
Week 1--Milestones Workshop"
on LIBSUP-L, June 1995
Workshop developed and facilitated by Ed Gillen
**Note this doument is only current to "1995"**

And this ASSOCIATES article talks of:
*NEW HORIZONS - NEW CHALLENGES*
 Keynote Address
 9th Annual NYSLAA Conference
 June 13, 1997.
 Presented.by.Ed.Gillen

and  WHAT DOES GIVING OUR BEST MEAN?

Change is often "difficult", 
adjustments and compromises
go along with changes.
How we each step up
and meet these "changes", 
make the adjusments,
and learn how to compromise,
will determine our futures.

On many of the pages of Library Support Staff.Com - 
You will find the
links to the Resources to
"Empower" you to become the
"Best" that you can be, in
Whatever your Role is Today,
and
What you Dream of for Tomorrow.

ARTICLES /CITATIONS/ABSTACTS that Discuss, 
New Roles, New Challenges and 
Some of the Recent  Changes in 
Libraries with regards to Support Staff Issues

Stay current with the wonderful articles in ASSOCIATES
Such as in:
The July 2003 issue
The conference report of:
*SSIG Workshop: Masithethe – Let Us Speak*
Jean Uys - University of Cape Town, South Africa
Excerpt quoted from online article:
The very live and vibrant LIASA Western Cape Support Staff (WCSSIG) had its first activity for the year on 9 April 2003 at the UWC Library Auditorium. The idea for the theme of the workshop came as a result of a call made by delegates at the Shelvers’ Workshops held jointly by the LIASA Western Cape Support Staff Interest Group and CALICO. Delegates felt that it was necessary to establish a forum in which ALL library staff could meet to discuss/debate issues, which were presently causing a rift between staff at different levels. Issues raised at the Shelvers’ Workshops highlighted the dissatisfaction that many support staff feel in the work situation, not just with co-workers but also with the slowness of libraries to adapt to the changing world out there. Questions asked were:

    * Why do employers prefer qualified people for certain posts? Does years of experience not count.
    * What qualities should a non-professional have to be promoted?
    * The role of SAQA.
    * Getting a better understanding of RPL and how it is being implemented at workplaces.
    * Why a professional qualification is important?
    * What is the role of support staff in libraries? 

Read the complete article in the July 2003 issue of ASSOCIATES
 

Also read:
*A View From the Rungs:Confessions Of a Career Ladder Climber*
by Carole Covington

Reorganizing Canadian libraries: a giant step back from the front
Library Trends,  V. 46 (3) Winter 1998
Background:
In the 1990s, libraries are undergoing unprecedented change deriving
from a combination of accelerating prices
of library materials and space,
an enormous increase in the amount and types of materials available,
and rapid developments in electronic technologies 
(Cummings et al., 1992).
Library decision-makers have employed a number of common
strategies to manage this change, particularly with
respect to the deployment of staff.
For example, following the passage of Proposition 13,
a limitation on property tax that severely curtailed
the revenue of local governments, Willett (1992)
found that, although managers in four California
libraries varied in their ability to represent
their organizations well to funders and maintain
good relations with their staff,
all of them attempted to deal
with declining resources by restructuring library services,
reducing programs and materials, cutting back on staff,
and deprofessionalizing work 
(i.e., assigning tasks formerly done by professional
librarians to less expensive nonprofessional staff).
Similarly, Crist (1994) reported that six academic
library administrators, who were interviewed about
their approaches to organizational change,
used managerial strategies that included reducing
the staff complement, redeploying professional staff away
from functional roles such as reference, and establishing
work teams in order to flatten the organizational
structure (i.e., reducing the proportion of managerial
positions and pushing decision-making responsibilities
lower in the staff hierarchy).
Neal and Steele (1993) described similar methods 
in the Indiana university libraries, where 
reorganization was designed on the basis of
the assumption that continued budgetary restraint
and a move from "automated to electronic status" 
would involve a "contraction of staff size and
greater expectations of staff" (p. 93).
Each of these examples illustrates that current
managerial practice in libraries almost inevitably
involves staff redeployment, especially 
through the assignment of greater responsibility
to staff working in the lower-paid,
lower-status ranks of the organizational hierarchy.
Too, as a result of the use of new technologies,
these staffing decisions take place within a context
where many of the traditional work roles 
performed by library workers are being altered significantly.

The entire issue of Library Trends v. 46 (3) 1998 is worth getting a copy of and reading:
The theme of  the issue is:
The Roles of Professionals,  Paraprofessionals, and Non-professionals
A view from the Academy.

Library Trends Wntr, 1998
The role of the paraprofessional in technical services in libraries.
Author/s: Lynne C. Howarth

Library Trends v. 46 (3) 1998
Working the Reference Desk 
by: Marcella D. Genz
The roles of reference workers have evolved unevenly and are often unclear. 
This article examines the historical reasons for the reference desk and 
its workers in order to establish how reference work has been circumscribed, 
to see how it evolved, and to see if there is a defining perimeter
between the tasks and duties of the paraprofessional and those of the professional. 

Library Trends
Wntr, 1998
Ethical considerations regarding library nonprofessionals:
competing perspectives and values.
Author/s: Thomas J. Froehlich 

Another article - this one from Feb. 1998
Talks about the Future Direction of Libraries, & Librarians
Let's Make Sure "Support Staff" understand
all the issues and changes we may be facing
We all have a stake in "Libraries"!
Read: "Reflecting On Our Future"
by Cherrie Noble; Computers In Libraries, Feb. 1998.
and read also
Libraries for 2020
Ensuring Public Participation in the 21st Century Information Society
by Nancy Kranich; iMP Feb. 2001

**NOTE!** Some of the citations I list here (and on other pages)
may also be listed/referenced on other "Bibliographies"
such as the one on this site: LLA
Professional Development Publications
Library Staff Support Issues

But be sure to take a read at everything.
** Note: More citations can be found on the "cites.html" page
and the citations on this page - see too, the articles cited related to Certification Issues

This 1999 - article, discusses the Selling of Your "Expertise"
to Management - as a MLS degree holder.
But all the "competencies" mentioned, can be useful to the parapro
YOU may already have some of them - some, that can take a recent MLS grad,
years to understand and develop the skill sets required of
a Information Specialist
YOU! need to be proactive - in "promoting" YOU! to management!!
Read the article:
Be proactive: communicate your worth to management!
Information Outlook Jan, 1999

Here are some selected Citations of Articles - that point out - just some of the NEW Roles that
Library Paraprofessionals take part in each day.
And included are articles that deal with issues and changes that 
Libraries are dealing with today, regarding: Staffing, & Role Definitions.
Order the articles via ILL or see if it is available Online
or in your own Library.
Also see related or similar articles re: Certification of Support staff

The changing role of paraprofessionals in the knowledge economy
Impact on the traditional library services in the Singapore National Reference Library
Tin, Koh Lay; Al-Hawamdeh, Suliman
Journal of Information Science v. 28 no. 4 (2002) p. 331-43

Library paraprofessionals: the key to success
Brown, Mary C.
Journal of Educational Media & Library Sciences v. 39 no. 2 (December 2001) p. 91-7

Tradition in Transition: Blurring The Boundries Between Professional
and Paraprofessional Positions
Gina Hsiung : Associates v. 4(3) 1998

Article:
Library Issues v. 17 (1) 1996
Transforming Library Staff Roles

"The Changing Roles of Library Support Staff." 
Fernandez, Georgina. 
V. 38 Florida Libraries (October 1995): 124

Mapping the Process: Engaging Staff in Work Redesign
   Hayes, Jan; Sullivan, Maureen
   Library Administration & Management v. 17 no. 2 (Spring 2003) p. 87-93

Staff-driven strategic planning: learning from the past, embracing the future
Kuntz, Jennifer Johnson; Tennant, Michele R.; Case, Ann C.
Journal of the Medical Library Association v. 91 no. 1 (January 2003) p. 79-83

Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship Fall 1999
Daryl Youngman
Library Staffing Considerations in the Age of Technology
Basic Elements for Managing Change

Related: article on Staffing Today's Library
Public Library Staff: How Many Is Enough?
Author:   Lynch, Mary Jo
American Libraries v. 34 no. 5 (May 2003) p. 58-9

Library Journal Article
What Public Libraries Must Do To Survive By Evan St. Lifer -- 4/1/2001
Features >
Net incursions and patrons' evolving information needs have pushed the
public library to redefine itself while staying true to its age-old mission of service
Read complete article at:
http://tinyurl.com/j2nm
Excerpt:
Herrera reasons that recruitment alone won't solve libraries' staffing ills.
Thus Pasadena PL plans on rejiggering the roles of the staff by reevaluating
who is deployed to do what and how they are deployed to do it. Herrera says
rethinking roles will lead to a change in the way libraries use librarians.
'I'm finding, much to my dismay, that librarians are spending time doing
clerical things like [coordinating] Internet signup sheets,' maintains
Herrera. 'I want them to be working on collection development or designing
new programs, whether it's e-reference or complex reference work, as opposed
to-I hate to say this-more clerical stuff. So we may have fewer librarians,
but the ones we do have will be better valued.'
Read complete article at:
http://tinyurl.com/j2nm

Recruitment, Retention & Restructuring: Human Resources in Academic Libraries
A White Paper by the Ad Hoc Task Force on Recruitment & Retention Issues
a subcommittee of the Association of College & Research Libraries
Personnel Administrators & Staff Development Officers Discussion Group
Final Draft  May 20, 2002
http://tinyurl.com/e1no 
Excerpt quoted from paper:
Even with hiring more functional specialists and those with a bachelor's
degree in library or information science, the reality is there would still
be a need and a role for those with the MLIS - particularly as leaders and
senior managers. We will need to determine what positions absolutely require
an MLIS librarian. 
What the library is doing is critical to the campus sothe MLIS is important
to the vision and establishing the priorities.
With a more diverse workforce, we will be required to define the term
"professional" differently, perhaps more inclusively to value all the people
who work in libraries, not just librarians. 
The goal is to staff ourlibraries with competent people. 
In considering different staffing models, we can achieve that goal and accomplish the work. 
Read complete paper at: http://tinyurl.com/e1no 

Library Associates
http://www.libraryassociates.com/index.html

Excerpts quoted from online articles:
READ BOOKS? NOT LIKELY!
By Karyle Butcher
However, if budget reductions were all we were concerned about, perhaps we
could sit down during the day with an occasional book. But this is not to
be. Within our libraries, changing technology is bringing about major
organizational restructuring and the redistribution of job assignments.
Willamette University Librarian Larry Oberg has captured this struggle in
articles and presentations discussing the changing role of paraprofessionals
in the library work place. He notes that duties historically per formed by
library professionals are now being performed by support staff. In some
organizations this redefinition and redistribution of duties is viewed as a
good thing and with much excitement (and some nervousness). In others,
especially when the redistribution comes as a result of budget cutbacks,
there is confusion and unhappiness, both on the part of librarians who fear
letting go of work that for so long defined who they were, and support staff
who see this redistribution as an attempt by management to increase workload
but not salaries. 
http://www.libraryassociates.com/index.html
 

Trends and tips for paraprofessionals in public libraries
Colorado Libraries v. 26 no. 1 (Spring 2000) p. 19-21

Are professionals always necessary?
Rogers, Michael
Library Journal  v. 125 no. 10 (June 1 2000) p. 90-2

Help yourself: front-line defense in an academic library
Turner, Diane J.; Grotzky, Marilyn E.
The Reference Librarian no. 75/76 (2002) p. 253-62

BOOK: Staffing for results: a guide to working smarter
Mayo, Diane; Goodrich, Jeanne  / American Library Association / 2002
ISBN: 0-8389-0826-8

Morphing the technician: moving the line in the sand
Pilarski, Carla; Picasso, Vicki
Australian Library Journal v. 51 no. 2 (May 2002) p. 127-33

Librarians and paraprofessionals: making libraries essential for the 21st century
presented at the Arkansas Library Paraprofessionals spring conference, May 2000
Arkansas Libraries v. 57 no. 6 (December 2000) p. 12-6

Evaluating the use of paraprofessionals at the reference desk
at the University of Dayton
College & Undergraduate Libraries v. 8 no. 1 (2001) p. 27-35

Job rotation in an academic library: damned if you do and damned if you don't!
Malinski, Richard M.
Library Trends v. 50 no. 4 (Spring 2002) p. 673-80

Career Paths for Paraprofessionals: Your Ladder to Success
Hurt, Tara Ludlow; Sunday, Deborah Stansbury
Library Administration & Management v. 16 no. 4 (Fall 2002) p. 198-202

Library Trends
Spring, 1999
Ten Years Later:
Support Staff Perceptions and Opinions on Technology in the Workplace.
Author/s: Dorothy E. Jones 

Johnson, Peggy. "Managing Changing Roles: Professional and Paraprofessional Staff in Libraries." 
Journal of Library Administration (1996): 79-99. 

Hawley, Lorin M. "Why You Do Not Need an MLS to Work in ILL." 
Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Information Supply (1995): 89-94. 

Hill, Linda A. Becoming a Manager: Mastery of a New Identity. 
Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1992. 

"Does It Pertain To Your Job." 
Ihrig, Carol. S.
Library Mosaics (January/February 1996): 16. 

Will the Real Librarian Please Step Forward?
NetNexus,n.3 (May, 1997)
www.geocities.com/Athens/1260/ltmar97.htm
**Note this article written in 1997 was in response to the discussions
on the listserv Libsup-L, at the time, in regards to Image, New Roles,Respect,
What *WE* do on the job Versus our MLS co-workers, etc. 

Support staff Leadership Ideas.
Ihrig, Carol S.
Library Mosaics, vol. 5, (Jul/Aug 1994) : 21 

Keys to Success for Library Paraprofessionals and Support Staff.
Leonhardt, Thomas W. 
Library Administration and Management, vol.10, n.4 (Fall 1996) :214 

Finding Our Voice: Support Staff in Professional Organizations.
Martin, Kathleen M. 
Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, vol.36 (Winter 1995):26 

 Imundo, Louis V. Effective Supervisor’s Handbook. New York: American Management Association, 991.

 Johnson, Peggy. "Managing Changing Roles: Professional and Paraprofessional Staff in Libraries." 
Journal of Library Administration (1996): 79-99. 

Koenig, M. "The Transfer Of Library Skills To Non-Library Contexts." 
In I.P. Godden, ed.
 Advances in Librarianship, vol. 15. San Diego Ca.: Academic Press. 

"Librarian and Support Staff Roles Need Clearer Definition."
Library Personnel News (September/October 1995): 3-4. 

"Maintaining Support Staff Competence Achieved Through Many Avenues." 
Library Personnel News (September/October 1995): 3-4.

 Margoshes, Miriam K. "Beth Is Really A Pro." Library Journal (May 1, 2000): 8.

 Massey, Tinker. "Staff: An Important Resource in Libraries." 
Southeastern Librarian (Winter 1994): 82

Paraprofessionals Surpassing the Grade
AALL Paraprofessional forum agenda
July 1999 / **Note this is a PDF file**
www.aallnet.org/products/pub_sp9904_surpassing.pdf

Research paper by MLIS student
[*note: meant for "professional staffing" solutions/ideas,
but may contain useful information for all staff]
Job Sharing:
A Study of the Use of This Job Alternative in Libraries. 
The following is supplemental information for
the May 1998 issue of the AALL Spectrum.
www.aallnet.org/products/pub_sp9805.asp

How will the "Education" of people for Library Job positions - change in the future?
Read this interesting article
Information Outlook
Dec, 1999
On : FindArticles.com
Beyond COMPETENCIES: A Trendspotter's Guide to Library Education.
REFERENCES
(1.) Swigger, Keith. "Education for an Ancient Profession in the Twenty-first Century." 
URL http://www.ala.org/congress/swigger.html. 

(2.) Mason, Marilyn Gell. "MLS: May the Market Force be with You." 
URLhttp://www.ala.org.congress/mason.html. 

Read also an excerpt of a conference speech:
Changing Roles for Paraprofessionals

And also this Article:
Online
March, 2000
I NEVER LEARNED ABOUT THAT IN LIBRARY SCHOOL: Curriculum Changes in LIS.
and
Searcher
May, 1998
The newly minted MLS: what do we need to know today?

Information Outlook
Oct, 1998
Competing with the Web: if we don't win, our users lose.
(learning the uses of the World Wide Web)
Author/s: Carolyn Kotlas
Is the World Wide Web luring people away from your information center?
Are your organization's employees "outsourcing" services
without your knowledge or consent?
There have always been people who overlooked or
avoided going to the library for their information needs.
Now, as never before, the web's growing wealth
of resources can increase this behavior in an organization.

The person who knows "HOW" will always have a Job.
The person who always knows "WHY"
will always be his Boss.
Diane Ravitch

From Bottom Line Secrets:
Focus on being thorough.
J. Ogden Armour inherited his family’s
Armour meat-packing business in 1901.
Warned by his father not to let wealth ruin him,
J.O., as he was called, turned the company
into a conglomerate with more than 3,000 products.

Armour’s strategy:
Successful men show many
contrasting characteristics.
But the one quality that they never lack
is thoroughness.
Business is full of men who would
be at the top if they had only
learned to think their thoughts out to a conclusion.
They know that two and two make four,
but they never stop to think, four of what.
Many of these halfway folks get by,
but they never get far.
The person who does his work painstakingly,
with completeness and finality,
is the man who will be trusted
with more and more responsibility,
up to the limit of his capacity.

The man who informs himself adequately
about his firm, its methods,
its policies and its products,
who does his work so well
that no one need follow him
up to patch the ragged edges,
is on the safest, surest
and Shortest Road to Achievement.

Read the remainder of this column &
other "Success Secrets"
"Winning Business Lessons"
from Andrew Carnegie,
P.T Barnum, Henry Ford, J.C. Penney.... 

Go beyond your Job Description!
Exceed Expectations,
You will feel better about yourself
and in the long run..
You'll do a better job for Your Library

I have provided enough "Leads"/"Links"
on Library Support Staff.com
to "Resources" to help you Succeed,
To Play Whatever "ROLE" you aspire too!!

"Seek TOUGH Challenges.........."

After receiving great information from folks about using paraprofessionals to teach library instruction classes, I promised to summarize my responses for the list. I heard from seven folks and programs. Four of the programs used paraprofessionals to teach introductory freshman writing classes and found the experience very successful. Characteristics of these successful programs include involving the paraprofessionals at various levels of public service, information desks, reference desks and the like so they have experience working with students, and having a clear script for these classes that, in most cases, a team of librarians and paraprofessionals have worked on together. The opportunities have been helpful in retaining and attracting qualified, service oriented folks and almost everyone who responded felt they could not provide these classes without the help of motivated gifted paraprofessionals. In two other programs paraprofessionals worked in concert with librarians, team teaching the hands-on classes or providing a building tour as part of the freshman library experience. They did not teach classes on their own. One response stated categorically that paraprofessionals were not used in the classroom as there was strong feeling that only librarians had the expertise and background necessary to adapt. I thank all of the folks who answered and based on your feedback have written a proposal to have paraprofessional teach these introductory classes. At least some of them. 

Article from School Library Journal
Maryland trains library staffs in preliteracy activities. (news).(Brief Article)
Author/s: 
Issue: Dec, 2001

Thanks to an aspiring new project, every Maryland library staffer who works with preschool children will soon be able to help kids acquire the reading readiness skills they need to succeed in school. The public library staff will also be trained to share preliteracy information and easy-to-do activities with parents of young children. The project, funded by a federal Library Services and Technology Act grant, will offer 20 workshops statewide, presented by instructors from Johns Hopkins University.

"We are committed to train all the children's library staff, professional and paraprofessional, in preliteracy skills," says Stephanie Shauck, children's coordinator for Maryland's Department of Library Development and Services. The 20 training sessions, scheduled to begin after Thanksgiving and run until April, will mix child development information with activities that parents can use at home, such as placing magnetic letters on the refrigerator to encourage pre-kindergartners to learn the shapes and sounds of the alphabet's letters. Librarians can also use these activities in their own storytime presentations and their work with individual children, says Kathleen Reif, director of the Wicomico County (MD) Public Library. But, says Reif, the most important role that public youth librarians can perform is modeling appropriate behaviors for parents to take home and use with their own children. "Public librarians will never have the resources to see those children enough to make a difference," Reif says. "The person who will [make a difference] is the parent. So, we're training librarians to pass along ideas and information."

Shauck says the project will provide a preliteracy skills Web portal that will update information for librarians. She hopes the portal will soon be up and running, but she's not sure of the exact date of its debut. The new project will conclude in April, when Assistant Secretary of Education Susan B. Neuman (see "A Friend at the Top," pp. 52-54) speaks to the state's librarians in Baltimore. Neuman will discuss what librarians can do to help children begin school ready to read. Any library directors who attend, she says, will be encouraged to bring along a local legislator. Reif says that one of the goals of the project is to change politicians' and the public's perceptions of the library, to see it as a place that helps families prepare children for school. "We've been like Rodney Dangerfield--no respect," she says.--W. M.

School Library Journal
Dec, 2001

COPYRIGHT 2001 Cahners Business Information

Article:
Turner, Diane J. and  Marilyn Grotzky.
 “They Teach Too : A Role for Paraprofessionals in Library Instruction.” 
The Reference Librarian 51 / 52 (1995) : 181 – 193. 
In response to a shortage of teaching librarians,
Auraria Library (which serves the University 
of Colorado at Denver, Metropolitan State College,
and the Community College of Denver)
began using volunteers from the paraprofessional staff
to teach in lower division and orientation bibliographic classes.
The ratio of librarians to students in the library is 1.13 to 1,000, which 
combined with a teaching load of 500 classes per year created the need for s systematic  program aimed at developing paraprofessional staff to help with the teaching load.
 They provide class delivery, help design modules,
and deliver demonstration classes in the use of resources found in the library. 
 

Article:
Burford, Vanessa. (Spring 1997). Public Library Instruction:
A Novice's Experience. Research Strategies 15(2), 106-109.

Describes the experiences of a paraprofessional's successful attempt to create and implement a program of library tours and basic program instruction for the Houston Public Library. The author includes a sample tour information form used to gauge areas of patron interest as well as a flier describing both the general and departmental tours. These samples are in the appendices of the article. In closing, the author imparts helpful guidelines for those who would establish like programs. (Ehrensperger)

Library Staff in Leadership Roles
http://www.ukans.edu/~assoc/wilson700.htm

Role Definition
American Library Association
Office for Library Personnel Resources
Standing Committee on Library Education
World Book-ALA Goal Award Project on Library Support Staff
Issue Paper #9

You may also want to read the following Article
in "Library Trends" v. 46 # 3 Winter 1998
Library Technician Programs:
Skills-Oriented Paraprofessional Education
by Frances Davidson-Arnott and Deborah Kay
pages 540-563
Abstract
To better understand the work that library technicians can and should do in libraries, the formal programs that train library technicians are discussed. Library technicians are trained to carry out much of the day-to-day operations of libraries. The curriculum from Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, the largest library technician program in Canada, is used to show that the training is largely skill based. Knowledge-based components are only included in the curriculum to provide the context for those skills and to socialize the prospective library technicians into profession to ensure that they operate as paraprofessionals and not as clerical staff. Librarians, the workplace, technology, and the students that enroll in library technician programs all have influenced the nature of the programs as they exist today. While there are many similarities and some differences between Canadian programs and those offered in Australia and the United States, all strive to resolve issues such as the definition of library technicians, role differentiation among staff, certification, and accreditation.

ARL SPEC Kit 256
Changing Roles of Library Professionals
Executive Summary/May 2000
Focus is On "Librarians"
But still interesting reading.

It has been 5 years since
Larry Oberg wrote this article in 1995
Library Support Staff in an Age of Change:
Utilization, Role Definition, and Status
Read it and Ask yourself
How far have we come..
how far Can WE GO!!???

The following is an excerpt of a comment written by Larry Oberg:
Efforts to separate the professional wheat from the clerical chaff date back at least to the Williamson Report of 1923. This early review of training for library service challenged librarians to distinguish unambiguously between professional and "non-professional" tasks. Williamson's caveat was in fact heeded. In 1927 the ALA released a report entitled, "A Proposed Classification and Compensation Plan for Library Positions," a document that marked the beginning of a long series of efforts to separate library tasks into two discrete streams. 

By 1970, the ALA Council had approved the "Library Education and Personnel Utilization" document -- generally referred to as LEPU. Still in effect today, LEPU was revised only a year or two ago. This document proposes formal educational requirements for all library staff and three distinct levels of employment for support personnel: library associates, library technical assistants, and clerks. 

Read the rest of his comments and all the postings on:
http://www.si.umich.edu/cristaled/postings/V96.html

Related: read this Oregon Library Assocation - publication article by Larry Oberg
OLA Quarterly
Volume 5, Number 4 – Winter, 2000
The Library of the 21st Century:
Creative Approaches to Staffing and Organization
by Larry R. Oberg University Librarian,
Mark 0. Hatfield Library, Willamette University, Salem
http://www.olaweb.org/quarterly/quar5-4/oberg.shtml

Managing Change for Library Support Staff 
Anne Goulding
Format: Hardcover, 176pp.
ISBN: 1859722490
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing Company
Pub. Date: April  1996

Read the Research Findings of
a  UK project named "SKIP"
Skills for the NEW Information Professionals
"Part 2.5"
The Changing Roles of Paraprofessional Staff and Library Assistants

**Remember if its "technology skills you need to Learn"
You can DO IT FOR FREE - Online!**
See all the wonderful Resources available.

Read too, another UK Review of the Literature
on the new complexities of
Staffing & Skills needed
in Libraries for the future.

Another UK author thinks paraprofessionals may end up
as "secretaries" and that Professional Librarians will
be doing our Jobs ~ or a variation of it as the "roles"
change for all Library personnel
Read the full article from "IMPACT" v. 4 (1) 2001
Library Skills in Transition
Cyber or Siberian

Read also the "interesting"
Cristal-Ed Listserv posts of
a group of Librarians
on the topic:
"What is a Librarian?"
A Discussion of Changing Roles in the Library. 
(read what some think of "paraprofessionals"
and "our" increasing "changing roles") 

Remember that when "changing roles"
or Merging of job descriptions,
or re-organizing & consolidating
Staff Responsibilities:
Because of Downsizing or Efforts
to Improve Your Facility(s) workflow
Try to keep in mind, with "all staff" concerned:
1) The Motivation to Merge/Consolidate
2) COMMUNICATION! (Communicate with each other!)
3) Sharing of history and values
4) Support for mutual growth
5) Trust and Commitment

Read: This Libraries Strategic Plan to Address these
"Staffing and Changing Roles Issues"

New York State's Recommendations for Library Staff Training
Recommendation 9 -  Excerpt Quoted from report
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/rcols/finalrpt.htm
Support and enhance a highly skilled library workforce to meet the information needs of New Yorkers.
Electronic technologies and an increasingly diverse society have transformed library services and the skills necessary to deliver them. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds need the help and guidance of a skilled library workforce to make full use of library resources.
To ensure that the 21st century library workforce has the appropriate skills to assist New York’s diverse population of library users and to adapt quickly to changes in technology and resources, the Commission proposes four initiatives:
Establish a certification process to promote excellence in New York’s library workforce at all stages and levels: All professional librarians and library staff need continual training to stay current with developments in information technology. Currently, graduates from accredited programs of library and information science education receive certification for practice as a professional librarian for life. No certification programs exist for paraprofessionals and library managers.
To ensure participation in training and continuing education, the Commission recommends a program of certification modeled after the certification and re-certification of school library media specialists, with financial incentives for libraries and library workers. Plans submitted by libraries to qualify for aid through the NY EXCELS Program should include certification and re-certification of staff.
The certification and re-certification process should include the following:
 Curricula to ensure that new librarians enter the workforce ready to design and manage electronic resources as well as traditional resources 
 Professional development programs to provide experienced librarians with up-to-date skills 
 Education and training for paraprofessional library workers to enhance their skills in the operation of traditional and electronic services and systems 
The Commission encourages the expansion of programs to instruct library managers, trustees, school superintendents and principals, and all policy-makers about 21st century library services and their effect on library policy and governance.
Develop, coordinate, and deliver library education programs to improve access to library education: Programs of education must be more accessible to those who are geographically isolated, live in densely populated urban areas, or have limited time and finances. A cost-effective, coordinated statewide program of quality library education will benefit libraries by attracting potential library professionals. More significantly, it will benefit users of all types of libraries in New York State.
This initiative should include incentives to stimulate collaboration among New York’s seven accredited programs of graduate library education, the New York State Library, library systems, libraries, and other educational organizations in planning and providing convenient delivery of quality library education.
The Commission proposes the following programs:
 Delivery of distance learning through currently available and emerging technologies, supported by the library resources available through NOVEL 
 Establishing appropriately equipped and staffed teaching libraries modeled after teaching hospitals 
 Community-college education programs designed for the paraprofessional and technical library workforce
 Coordinated curricula, including mini-courses, to supply education and training to the entire library workforce, including paraprofessionals, managers, and trustees 
 Formation of partnerships and advisory groups, including representatives of all types of libraries and programs of library education, to provide continuing dialog, development, and implementation of education for the library workforce 
Create a more diverse library workforce to serve New York’s diverse population: The library workforce must acquire and cultivate the skills necessary to respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse, multilingual population of New Yorkers. A study conducted by the American Library Association (ALA) shows that only 5 percent of those who receive library degrees are minorities.
The Commission proposes the following programs to recruit minorities for careers in libraries. These programs should include incentives for the libraries, high schools, and institutions of higher learning that participate:
 Create paid internships for minority college students through partnerships between colleges and all types of libraries. 
 Include library education programs among the opportunity programs sponsored by the New York State Education Department and others. 
Promote career opportunities in the library profession to all students in New York’s secondary schools, colleges, and universities. 
Provide mentoring programs, modeled after programs in New York’s urban libraries, for library pages and other employees in libraries throughout the state. 
Develop a strategy to attract and retain a well-trained, diverse workforce for urban public libraries: Urban public libraries are experiencing a tremendous shortage of staff. At the same time that demand for services is rising, the ability of urban libraries to attract and retain a well-trained and effective workforce has eroded dreadfully.
New York City's public libraries, in particular, are experiencing a crisis. Salary levels for its library workforce compare unfavorably not only with those of its suburban neighbors, but also with salaries paid in other major metropolitan areas. Staff are moving to academic and suburban libraries, to the Board of Education within the city, and to private industry, where opportunities abound and salaries are reaching record levels. During the first year of service in New York City's libraries, one out of four new librarians will leave; after three years, nearly half are gone.
Urban public libraries have tried a number of methods to retain staff. They have increased their recruitment efforts, provided scholarships for continuing education at professional conferences, and greatly expanded training in technology and electronic resources within the libraries. However, the libraries cannot overcome erosion of staff without assistance. To retain a well-educated workforce that will continue to serve the communities that value and need their services, libraries need additional resources and initiatives. The Commission recommends the following strategies:
Provide resources for scholarships and continuing education for librarians who are interested in serving in urban public libraries. 
 Offer salary incentives to librarians who will serve in urban public libraries. 
 Supply the resources for staff to attend professional conferences. 
Award entrepreneurial and innovation awards to recognize and reward talent in urban public libraries.
Read Complete Report
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/rcols/finalrpt.htm

Changing the way we do business? Where do Support Staff fit in, How can we become valuable members of new library hierarchy?

A way to the future: reorganizing library work.
Author: Holt, G
Bottom-Line   v. 15 (1) 2002, p.29-32. 
IS:  0888045X
Abstract: 
Focuses on the multiplicity of tasks which make up the workload of the 
professional librarian, the changes which have resulted from the use of the 
computer and the consequent need to assess professional work and alter 
structures to make optimal use of skilled staff in delivering new and old 
services. Draws on personal experience of such reorganization to suggest 
strategies for directors, covering: consolidation of staff into larger 
units; standardizing the reporting process; reducing time in meetings; 
using work teams; specifying time to be spent on tasks; more training; and 
using support staff.

Are you keeping up with computer and systems technologies?
There are manyFREE opportunities available on the Internet to do just that on your own.
ed4you.html

Today's systems librarians have a lot to juggle
Author: Pfohl, D
Computers-in-Libraries. 21 (10) Nov/Dec 2001, p.30-3
Abstract:
Describes the many library technologies that have been introduced to 
the Randall Library, North Carolina University at Wilmington, in recent 
years and the ways in which the interlocking nature of the technologies 
have posed a serious challenge to librarians in operating such systems as a 
single, integrated whole. The technologies covered include: proxy servers; 
video editing equipment and software; filtering software; network/paid 
printing; digital security cameras; wireless networks; electronic books; 
interloans software; Web page management; electronic mail systems; 
supporting classroom instruction; electronic reserves; digitizing archival 
materials; and writing local scripts. Concludes that these complex and 
interactive technologies should alert managers, educators and participants 
in the library computing field to several key trends: the skill sets that 
computer staffs need are expanding significantly; the scope of 
responsibility is not narrowing but broadening for everyone using 
technology.

The future role of librarians in the virtual library environment
Author: Burke, L
Australian Library Journal   v. 51 (1) Feb 2002, p.31-45

Going virtual with the corporate library
Author: Stratigos, A
Online   v.25 (2) Mar/Apr 2001, p.66-68
Discusses the way in which the information model continues to shift 
from the physical/print model to the virtual/digital model revealing new 
opportunities for company libraries and their users. The issues of 
virtualization and its effect on library staff and budgets are considered 
in the light of this trend towards the continuing evolution of digital 
libraries. A useful table compares the major library functions of reference 
desk, books, periodicals, cataloguing, archives, library backrooms, stacks, 
information research, conference/meeting space, and reading room in terms 
of the physical and the virtual models. 

If you have a solid  "information" background, have taken Continuing Education classes,
kept current with news and trends, You can re-invent yourself!
Are Librarians the only ones who can leverage their skills and expertise? 
No one can aswer that question, except you.
How confident are you, how do you present yourself, how do you assess your own skills 
and potential for future growth, in a Knowledge based economy?
See my links to other job opportunities or ways you can use your skills,
become your own boss, work at home, or freelance:  4homebiz.html

Read  how one Librarian - did it her way!
How a Librarian Can Live Nine Lives in a Knowledge-Based Economy 
by Brunella Longo 
Computers in Libraries  Vol. 21, No. 10 • Nov/Dec. 2001 
Excerpt quoted from article online:
"Like cats moving through their fabled nine lives, I think that teachers 
and librarians should redefine their own roles beyond the confines of their respective traditions." 

Australian article: ALIA 2000
Building a Knowledge-based Economy and Society
Jo Bryson
 http://www.alia.org.au/conferences/alia2000/proceedings/jo.bryson.html

Canadian - Human Resources, article (not "library" focused)
Employment in the Knowledge-based Economy: A Growth Accounting Exercise for Canada.
Marie Lavoie and Richard Roy
June 1998
R-98-8E
First Internet Edition - 1998
Abstract: 
The current patterns of employment favouring a high-skilled workforce reflect some special characteristics of the knowledge base required by the economy. The labour market seems not only to require a general increase in educational attainment but also to be selective in terms of the nature of the expertise in greater demand. Five broad categories of occupations and seven sub-categories have been distinguished in order to better describe the character of the knowledge-based economy.

"Basically we want stress to go away,
but we don't want to have to work at it.
Rather than put forth the personal disipline needed
to reduce stress in our lives,
we want higher management to fix it for us.
Specifically we want them to
STOP the Constant Changes
that give rise to so much stress. 

But let's be honest with ourselves.
The tide of events is too big 
for management to turn it back.
Considering the rapid population growth,
technological gains, and increase
in INFORMATION,
Nobody is in a position
to STOP Organizational Change. 

So rather than carry on about how
others are failing to lower our stress level,
let's just make sure we're doing
what WE OURSELVES CAN DO!"
(Pritchett & Associates, Inc. c.1998) 

Great BOOK! Perfect for ALL of US dealing with Change!
Who Moved My Cheese
An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work & In Your Life
Author: Spencer Johnson
ISBN: 0399144463
Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group
Pub. Date: September 1998

Managing Change for Library Support Staff 
Anne Goulding
Format: Hardcover, 176pp.
ISBN: 1859722490
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing Company
Pub. Date: April  1996

Article from Power Pointers.com
"Survival of the Finest in the 21st Century"
by: Christine Corelli
Consider using as a basis for a Power Point Presentation.
for Staff Training and Motivation.

Please feel free to stop by my 
Stress Reduction & Relaxing Links web pages. 

Most people and businesses are capable
of far more than they realize.

Recognize the power of the team;
no one succeeds alone. 
"Never, never, never, never give up,"
to quote Winston Churchill. 
Most great Wins happen on the Last Play.

Strike a balance between
confidence and humility
enough Confidence to know that
you can make a real difference
enough Humility to ask for Help.

Love what you do. 
Success requires passion.... 

Every experience in life, 
whether humble or grand, teaches a lesson.
The question is not if the lesson is taught,
but rather if it is learned"

From "Making the best of a Mess"…
NY Times Sept. 1999, 
Carly Fiorina - CEO Hewlett Packard

"The Hollywood Librarian"
Looking for a great program for your library conference or event? 

What: A dynamic presentation that includes film clips, humorous analysis and insightful examination of the librarian image, stereotype and profession 

Where: The Hollywood Librarian program can be presented at locations in the US &Canada

For Whom: Library associations, conferences, workshops, special events, staff days, fundraisers, and more 

Find out more - Visit: http://www1.freewebs.com/hollywoodlibrarian/

Article:
Propagating the Species
Will Librarians Go the Way of Dodo Bird?
AALNET - Spectrum V. 7 (5) Feb. 2003 / pg. 14-15
*note* PDF File
www.aallnet.org/products/pub_sp0302.pdf

Image of Libraries in Popular Culture
Uncoventional Librarians
Male Librarians
Librarians in the Movies / Summary of Group Discussions

You Don't Look Like a Librarian!
Librarians' views of public perception in the Internet age
Ruth A. Kneale, Special Library Association, June 2002
atst.nso.edu/library/perception/

Redefining a Profession
Richard A. Danner
www.law.duke.edu/fac/danner/callweb.htm

The Anti-Stereotype Stereotype
www.blisspix.net/library/image.html

Self Love and Joy and Satisfaction in Librarianship
Jennifer Cram / c. 1997
Abstract:
A review of factors affecting the image of librarians which concludes that librarians feed and support negative images of themselves. Basic to the promotion of libraries is the need to ensure that every library worker believe in his or her own worth.
www.alia.org.au/~jcram/self_love.html

Feature Article - New Breed Librarian August 2001
The Perception of Image and Status in the Library Profession
DEIRDRE DUPRÉ
www.newbreedlibrarian.org/archives/01.04.aug2001/feature2.html

FYI CNN.com
Librarians -- now 'media specialists'
From "Hamlet" to HTML, from Gogol to Google
February 3, 2002 

Washington Business Journal - March 2000
Web overturning image of book-filing librarian
Adam Katz-Stone
"A librarian couldn't get a break in this town before the Internet".
washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2000/04/03/focus4.html

IMAGE AND THE LIBRARIAN: 
An Exploration of a Changing Profession 

Librarian "Image" Resources  from IPL
http://www.ipl.org/ref/RR/static/hum45.10.50.html

Related:
Librarians & Libraries in Literature

ALA-APA Certification Task Force Certification of Library Technical Assistants
Excerpt quoted from website:
http://www.ala-apa.org/certtflta.html

The certification of library technical assistants (LTAs) has been considered during the development of the ALA-APA Certification Program. This aspect of certification needs to be more fully developed by its proponents before it can be acted upon by ALA-APA. Library technical assistants are, therefore, not eligible to apply for certification in the first phase of this program. However, it is important that ALA-APA be receptive to the education and development needs of all workers in the library industry. 
http://www.ala-apa.org/certtflta.html

Excerpt quoted from site:
The ALA Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) site. 
http://www.ala-apa.org/index.html
ALA-APA is a nonprofit professional organization established 
“to promote the mutual professional interests of librarians and other library workers.” To that end, the ALA-APA is focused on two broad areas:

Certification of individuals in specializations beyond the initial professional degree
and
Direct support of comparable worth and pay equity initiatives, and other activities designed to improve the salaries and status of librarians and other library workers.
http://www.ala-apa.org/index.html

Readings Online of Current  Interest: re: Certification for Support staff

A POSITION PAPER ON SKILL CERTIFICATION FOR LIBRARY/MEDIA SUPPORT STAFF
From the Council on Library/Media Technicians
http://library.ucr.edu/COLT/coltcert.html

Read the LSSIRT Stand on Certification

Online article/report:
CURRENT TRENDS IN LIBRARY SUPPORT STAFF CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS 
A Report for the Western Council of State Librarians Education Task Force
10/4/01
Karl Madden and Bob Grover
Excerpt quoted from site:
http://msl.state.mt.us/LDD/WesternCouncilRevisedReport.htm
Library paraprofessionals are forming sophisticated organizations designed to address their own unique needs. Educational institutions are providing increasingly varied forms of education related to Library and Information Science. This education is being delivered in increasingly sophisticated means – particularly involving technology used for various distance-learning delivery methods.

This report reviews the pertinent professional literature, summarizes trends for library staff education, describes selected certification programs, and suggests competencies and delivery methods for consideration by the Western Council Education Task Force.

Another  interesting article:
They Thought They Could…
by Elna Ann Mayo
Virginia Library Association
Digital Library & Archives Volume 46, Number 4 Winter 2001
Excerpt quoted from site:
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/VALib/v46_n4/mayo.html
The young women who met in a hotel room at the Homestead one November night in 1979 thought they could convince the Virginia Library Association to add a forum for paraprofessionals to the state library organization. They had the results of a random survey of paraprofessionals conducted in April by Lee Adams and Margaret Beattie of Central Rappahannock Library to support them. The survey indicated that paraprofessionals needed to be recognized by the library profession, and that they were concerned about job training and career development. Further, the survey pointed out that paraprofessionals wanted to be more involved in the staff decisions that affected them.
The group presented their petition to the VLA Council, and the VLA Paraprofessional Forum (VLAPF)became a reality on 13 December 1979.
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/VALib/v46_n4/mayo.html
 

Article
SSIGNALS 
Louisiana Support Staff Newletter 1997
http://www.leeric.lsu.edu/lla/newsletters/lassal018.htm#cert
Certification: Should We or Shouldn't We?
Faye Carlton, Past Chair

See:LIBRARY CERTIFICATION: A BIBLIOGRAPHY
February 2001
Compiled by: Rita Gibson
http://library.ucr.edu/COLT/bibcertification.html

Note: some of these articles cited below, may be included  in the above bibiliography
or other Rita Gibson bibs on COLT's site.

Library support staff deployment and utilization: achieving clarity in an age of change.
Oberg, Larry. 
      The Journal of Academic Librarianship. v. 23 (Jan. ‘97) p. 42-3. 

"Technology brings challenges and opportunities for support staff."
Berger, Marshall A. 
      American Libraries. v.. 28 (Mar. ‘97) p. 30-31. 

"The Changing Nature of Jobs: A Paraprofessional Time Series."
Johnson, Carol P. 
      College & Research Libraries, v. 57, n. 1 (January 1996):59-67. 

 "Keys to success for library paraprofessionals and support staff." 
Leonhardt, TW.
      Library Administration and Management. v. 10 (Fall ‘96) p. 214-19. 

"Managing Changing Roles: Professional and Paraprofessional Staff in Libraries."
Johnson, Peggy. 
      Journal of Library Administration. V. 22, n. 2/3 (1996):79.

"We are the library!" Support staff speak out.
St. Lifer, Evan. 
      Library Journal. v. 120 (Nov. 1 ‘95) p. 30-4. 

 "Plateauing and other career challenges for professionals and support staff."
Weaver-Meyers, Patricia L.
      Library Administration and Management, v. 9 (Winter ‘95) p. 12-30. 

"Librarian and support staff roles need clearer definition."
      Library Personnel News. v. 9 (Sept/Oct. ‘95) p. 3-4. 

"Reevaluating support staff positions."
Kemp, Jan H. 
      Library Administration and Management. v. 9 (Winter ‘95) p. 37-43. 

"'Professional' Is Only a Label."
      Library Journal, v. 120, n. 12 (July 1995):6 

"To Live and Die an LA: Career Paths and Professional Developments of the Library Assistant."
      Journal of Education for Library and Information, v. 36 (Winter 1995):5. 

"What's in A Name?"
Infield, Neil. 
      Library Manager, Issue 4 (Feb 1995). 

"Who's who: the changing roles of librarians and support staff."
      Library Personnel News. v. 8 (Nov/Dec. ‘94) p. 1-4. 

"Library Technician Skills Transfer."
Cherrett, Carolyn. 
      The Australian Library Journal, v. 41 (Aug 1 1992):231.

"The emergence of the paraprofessional in academic libraries."
Oberg, Larry. 
       College and Research Libraries. v. 53 (Mar. ‘92) p. 99-112. 

Public Librarian Certification Standards
http://www.slis.ua.edu/ala/cert.html

Public Library Certification
http://www.slis.indiana.edu/degrees/certification.html
School Library/Media and Information Technology Certification
http://www.slis.indiana.edu/degrees/school.html
 

Georgia Library Association
http://wwwlib.gsu.edu/gla/certification.htm
Excerpt quoted from website:
Task Force on Paraprofessional Issues 
http://www.library.gsu.edu/gla/groups/parapro/index.html
The Georgia Library Association Task Force on Paraprofessional Issues is investigating the development of a career track for paraprofessional librarians that could ultimately lead to an MLS degree. The Task Force appreciates the contributions our paraprofessional staff makes to the operation of our libraries and believes more structured growth is necessary to enable our support staff to continue to grow professionally and strengthen their ranks.
http://www.library.gsu.edu/gla/groups/parapro/index.html

Kentucky Librarian & Paraprofessional Cetification
http://www.kdla.state.ky.us/libserv/cert.htm
Certification of Public Librarians in Kentucky
http://www.kdla.net/libserv/cert.htm

Massachusetts Library & Information Network 
Certification of Library Personnel
http://www.mlin.lib.ma.us/mblc/sadac/certification_index.shtml

Michigan Public Library Personnel Certification Handbook
http://www.libofmich.lib.mi.us/publications/certification.html

Montana Library Certification: for paraprofessionals
http://www.mtlib.org/paras/paras.html

New Mexico
Excerpt quoted from website
Library certification is directed toward public librarian directors.  School library endorsement is available through the New Mexico State Department of Education http://sde.state.nm.us/divisions/ais/licensure/staff.html. 

New York State Library Assistants Association
NYSLAA.org
Excerpt quoted from website:
NYSLAA
Certificate of Achievement Program
Program History
The NYSLAA Library Assistant Certificate Program recognizes library assistants' contributions to libraries and the library profession. A Certificate of Achievement is issued to acknowledge the education and skills the library assistant has aquired. The overall purpose of the program is to acknowledge the achievements of the library assistant and provide recognition by NYSLAA for quality work performance.
http://www.nyslaa.org/certificateprog.html

Oklahoma Certification Manual for Public Librarians
http://www.odl.state.ok.us/servlibs/certman/certminm.htm

RHODE ISLAND REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIAL SUBJECTS CERTIFICATE
(LIBRARY MEDIA)
http://www.ri.net/RIEMA/certif.html

Vermont Public Library Certification Information
http://www.slis.ua.edu/ala/vermont.htm
Excerpt Quoted from site:
People with master’s degrees in library science should disregard the certification program; however, degreed individuals are encouraged to participate in continuing education opportunities, including DoL workshops.

Voluntary Plan- The voluntary plan is for public librarians who do not have a library school degree. The State Department of Libraries issues certificates upon completion of required number of workshops.

Wisconsin
Certification of Library Media and Technology Professionals
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dltcl/imt/licenspg.html
Certification Manual for Wisconsin Public Library Directors
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dltcl/pld/certtoc.html

Article Online:
"All Aboard!" for National Board Certification for Library Media Specialists! 
by Patty Sorensen • 
MultiMedia Schools  • November/December 2001 
http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/nov01/sorensen.htm

Check  FindArticles.com
and Magportal.com
they often have "full text" available
when the Online Journal does not.
Search for Articles using terms such as:
libraries, paraprofessional, library support staff, etc.
Read these articles and become
"inspired" by the possibilities!
and 
Take a look at some of the Other pages
on LibrarySupportStaff.com ~
article "citations" & "bibliographies"
of interest to all staff  in libraries.
and browse the TOC's and Check for Full text availability
of online Library/Information Science Journals

Support Staff Motto:
We have done So Much~
with So Little~for So Long~
that we Can Now Do Everything 
with Nothing~ Immediatley! 

To Contact, Me ~ Mary Niederlander
via e-mail, write to: mary@librarysupportstaff.com

THANK YOU!!