Atlanta, GA, September 17, 2009 — LYRASIS announces the launch of a discount program to support currently unemployed librarians and the library community during these difficult economic times. These librarians may take advantage of a 50% discount on classes and workshops offered by LYRASIS, whether or not they were formerly employed by a LYRASIS member institution. There is no limit to the number of classes they may take.
“This is LYRASIS’ own economic stimulus package,” said Heather Dray, director of educational services for LYRASIS. “It is critical for librarians to upgrade and expand their skills to stay marketable in 21st century libraries and LYRASIS is equipped to help.”
LYRASIS classes are offered in live online and self-paced online formats, enabling librarians across the country to participate without incurring the cost of travel. A wide array of topics include: Metadata & Cataloging; Digitization & Preservation; Technology Trends & Applications; Reference and Resource Sharing; Internet and Web Design; and many more.
To participate in the program, unemployed librarians may call LYRASIS Member Support at 800.999.8558 and request the promotional code for the discount.
About LYRASIS
Created in April, 2009 by the merger of PALINET and SOLINET and joined shortly thereafter by NELINET, LYRASIS is the nation’s largest regional membership organization serving libraries and information professionals – providing opportunities for networking and collaboration, offering innovative solutions, and significant cost savings through group purchasing for products and services. For more information, please visit www.lyrasis.org.

Posted on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 5:18 pm in the Educational Ops, Jobs, Nelinet/Lyrasis, News, Personnel category.

As public libraries enter the budget writing season, the Personnel Committee of the Vermont Library Association urges library directors to take a hard look at staff salaries. Here are some points to keep in mind:

* Qualified library directors should be paid at least $40,300 annually, or $19.38 per hour, as recommended by the Vermont Library Association Executive Board.
* If the library does not pay for medical insurance, offer compensatory leave or a lump sum payment instead.
* At a minimum, increase staff wages by the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) as set by the Social Security Administration annually in October. There will be no increase to social security payments in 2010. However, now is a good time to “catch up” if you have missed COLA in previous years.
* Consider whether your library has experienced increased usage this year. More visits, more items borrowed, more usage of resources, more programs — all mean more work for the staff. Even if job descriptions haven’t expanded, the workload may have.

Check the attached budget memo for more details. Share the information with library trustees as you build the annual budget. To study appropriate compensation, view the Personnel Committee’s 2009 revision of “Increasing Public Library Compensation: A How-To Guide for Vermont Libraries” at http://www.vermontlibraries.org/publibcompensation2009.pdf

For further information about or assistance with the above or any other personnel questions, please contact the committee chair:

Amy C. Grasmick
Kimball Public Library
67 North Main Street
Randolph, VT 05060
802-728-5073
kimball_acg@hotmail.com

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 5:55 pm in the Personnel, Public Libraries category.

ALA has launched MentorConnect in ALA Connect so you can find or become a mentor.

MentorConnect (”MC”) allows ALA members to create mentoring profiles that highlight their expertise and experience. After they’ve joined MC, ALA members can search for a mentor using a variety of criteria (gender, type of library, ethnicity, etc.) and request mentorship. Once created, the mentorship is tracked within MC, with a space for providing and archiving feedback. The system will prompt mentors and mentorees every few months to ensure they are staying in touch.

To learn all about this new service, see Mentoring Starter Questions and Mentoring and MentorConnect FAQ at (http://www.students.ala.org/studentmemberblog/?p=344)

Don Wood
Program Officer
Chapter Relations Office
American Libraries Association
dwood@ala.org
1-800-545-2433, ext. 2429

Posted on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 at 4:28 pm in the ALA, Advocacy, C&SL, Educational Ops, News, Personnel, Public Libraries, VCAL, Youth Librarians category.

Sometimes we just need a little help from our friends.  You may be a new librarian who feels at sea.   Or you may have a library project or issue that you would like to talk with another professional about.  The Vermont Library Association can help you connect with people who can help you out.  Over a dozen VLA members from all over the state have agreed to act as a mentor for public librarians.  Contact Lucinda Walker 802-649-1184 lucinda.walker@norwichlibrary.org if you would like to find a mentor in your area.

Posted on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 1:59 pm in the Educational Ops, News, Personnel, Public Libraries, Trustees, Youth Librarians category.

Librarians, please note:

1) 2009 Best Small Library in America Nomination postmark deadline is Nov. 3; http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA606273.html

2) 2009 Movers & Shakers Nomination submission deadline is Nov. 10; http://www.libraryjournal.com/movers2009

3) 2009 Librarian of the Year Nomination deadline has been extended to Nov. 17; http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA606276.html

The first award is only for public libraries (those serving populations of 25,000 or less). But the librarians in Movers & Shakers and Librarian of the Year are professionals working in any libraries, school, college, academic, or special.

Amy Howlett
VT Department of Libraries

Posted on Thursday, October 30th, 2008 at 10:12 am in the ALA, News, Personnel, Public Libraries, Publications category.

As public libraries enter the budget writing season, the Personnel Committee of the Vermont Library Association urges library directors to take a hard look at staff salaries. Here are three points to keep in mind:

* Qualified library directors should be making at least $40,300 annually, or $19.38 per hour, as recommended by the Vermont Library Association Executive Board.
* If the library does not pay for medical insurance, offer compensatory leave or a lump sum payment instead.
* At a minimum, increase staff wages by the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) as set by the Social Security Administration annually in October. The increase for 2009 is 5.8%.

Check the budget memo below for more details. Share the information with library trustees as you build the annual budget.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 at 9:00 pm in the Personnel, Public Libraries, Publications category.

In October 2008, the Executive Board of the Vermont Library Association approved the following recommended minimum starting salary:

For a public library director with the Vermont Department of Libraries “Certificate of Public Librarianship,” the recommended minimum starting salary is $40,300, with a complete benefits package. For directors who work less than full time, the hourly wage is $19.38, with a pro-rated benefits package.

“Increasing Public Library Compensation: A How-To Guide for Vermont Libraries” is available at http://www.vermontlibraries.org/compensation5.07.pdf.

The Personnel Committee of the Vermont Library Association can help you review and study your library salaries and job descriptions. Contact committee chair Amy C. Grasmick at kimball_acg@hotmail.com or (802) 728-5073 for more information.

Posted on Saturday, October 25th, 2008 at 11:48 am in the Personnel category.

Hello-

A reminder that the Vermont Library Association Annual Trustee Conference is scheduled for November 8th at the Rutland Free Library. The agenda for the day will be an address from our new State Librarian, Martha Reid, presentation by Gail Weymouth, Chair of the VLA Intellectual Freedom Committee, and a special presentation by library consultant Lawrence Webster. Lawrence, as some of you may know, is an independent public library consultant specializing in communications, public relations, Friends, board development and strategic planning. Lawrence’s presentation will provide trustees and librarians with practical advice on securing strong community and financial support for their libraries. Advice especially critical in these tough economic times.

Please remember that this is the one annual event that VLA sponsors for public library trustees and we encourage as many trustees and library staff to attend.

If you have any questions, please contact me. Thank you

Michael Roche
Northeast Regional Library
23 Tilton Road
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
748-3428
Michael.roche@mail.dol.state.vt.us

Posted on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 at 8:39 pm in the Events, News, Personnel, Trustees category.

In response to many inquiries and requests, the Personnel Committee of the Vermont Library Association is surveying public librarians in the state about their wages and benefits. We ask that you help us identify those individuals we need to survey.

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Posted on Friday, September 12th, 2008 at 12:57 pm in the Personnel category.

Secretary of Administration Mike Smith announced that Martha Reid of South Burlington has accepted the position of State Librarian.  A copy of the press release may be found here:
http://www.libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/misc/appt.pdf

Posted on Friday, June 13th, 2008 at 12:42 pm in the News, Personnel category.