Monday began with an ALA/APA meeting. Despite the commonly accepted concerns about the fiscal viability of ALA-APA, the good news produced at this session reflected very heavy attendance at ALA-APA programs — such as those involving “negotiating for better salaries†and “the union advantageâ€. One action item passed overwhelmingly at this session was the recommended minimum salary for a professional librarian at $41,680 and “a minimum wage for all library workers of at least $13.00 per hour….†I voted against this resolution, not because I don’t believe in a livable wage, but because the recommendation did not take into account the employment of student workers and other special cases.
The budgetary ceiling for ALA-APA was passed at about $265,000. Although I voted for this, the fiscal future of ALA-APA remains cloudy. Unlike, ALA-APA, the fiscal future of ALA appears to be very solid and well documented. The budgetary ceiling for ALA was approved at $67,984,278.
In the afternoon I attended the Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) committee meeting. I am a member of the advisory committee to this ALA office. This office runs the Emerging Leaders program and coordinates the job center at conference. The Director Lorelle Swader gave an exhausting report of all of the activities her office does each year. I enjoy being on the committee because of my human resource background and because it is purely advisory and does not require lots of time, which I don’t have with council obligations. In Chicago, June 2009 Annual, HRDR staff and committee members plan a reception to celebrate 30 years of HRDR being an office at ALA. Let me know if you will be in Chicago and I can probably get you an invitation!
I attended the PLA president’s program with Jamie Lee Curtis after the HRDR meeting and attended the reception following it.
In the evening I attended a lively discussion at council forum of several issues included a lengthy debate involving a new resolution calling for “Expanding Council Transparencyâ€.
Nancy Wilson