" 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"