The "New South Wales Learning 2.0" training program is being made available to the entire NSW public library work force of over 2300 people in 2008-2009. This paper is a snapshot of the impact of the course as at September 2008, five months after it was launched. It explores how the training impacted on the staff skill levels, knowledge,…

To examine the evolving role of the Master of Library Science (MLS) degree in academic libraries, pooled cross-sectional data were collected from job advertisements in "College and Research Library News." Beginning with 1975 and continuing at 5-year intervals through 2005, pertinent information from all job advertisements in each monthly issue…

This kit is designed to help labor union members or others interested in workplace issues to make successful visits to elementary and secondary school classrooms. The slide program lasts approximately 45 minutes and does not require an expert in teaching or labor history background. Suggestions on whom to approach within the school in order to…

Six years ago, the author shared some strategies on managing a cutback ("Budget Shortfalls," "Library Journal" 5/15/03, p. 34-35). Now, people are in an even more severe economic downturn. In this article, the author offers some additional tips on how to cope with more budget shortfalls during this recession.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is committed to bringing together museums and libraries across the country for conversations dedicated to developing a better understanding of the roles of libraries and museums as providers of public service to communities. The Future of Libraries and Museums in the 21st Century Planning…

Data from the library job market and mounting anecdotal evidence show that there is cause for alarm. The number of full-time, professional positions in libraries is dwindling, salaries continue to be depressed, more entry-level positions are being liquidated or "deprofessionalized," and qualified job seekers are having trouble securing…

Offers practical approach to locating and understanding sources of current information in industrial relations from four groups: non-profit, policy research associations; professional and trade associations; advocacy and lobby organizations; and private, profit-making agencies. A method for enriching library collection development and a new…

Citation analysis of 265 Workforce Education and Development (WED) dissertations, theses, and graduate research papers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) was used to (1) determine core serials in the discipline, (2) provide Morris Library with a guide to serials acquisition and maintenance in the discipline, and (3) provide future…

As resources become more constrained in the library community, many organizations are finding that they need to have a better understanding of their costs. To this end, this article will present one approach to conducting a cost analysis (including questions to ask yourself, project team makeup, organizational support, and data organization). We…

This video provides guidelines for establishing a successful volunteer program in any library. Topics include: the benefits of volunteers to libraries; getting a volunteer program started and functioning; recruiting volunteers; interviewing volunteers; effectively training volunteers; acknowledgment of volunteers; and handling uncooperative or…

Reviews the latest contract and salary changes in collective agreements in Canadian libraries, using the provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Ontario as a sample population. The issues likely to be raised at the negotiating table in 1988 are predicted. (5 references) (Author/CLB)

Arguing that technological change often affects the organizational structure of library workplaces, this paper presents two alternative approaches to the implementation of change in organizational structures, provides several examples of each approach, and suggests related reading materials. It is noted that the configurational approach…

The third in a four-lesson continuing education course, this article discusses the legal responsibilities of libraries involving the hiring, training, evaluation, and dismissal of employees. The effects of collective bargaining are discussed, and strategies for effective employer employee relationships are suggested. (9 references) (CLB)

Discusses current problems in professional education for school library media specialists, including the closing of programs, declining enrollments, and a lack of intellectual focus. A model is proposed which defines three purposes of school library media programs and provides a template against which specific professional programs can be…

The paper traces the inability of the curricula of LIS schools in Africa to respond to the immediate job environment in Africa. The main weakness of the curricula is that they reflect essentially the curricula of LIS schools in the Western World. Thus, while most of the LIS curricula are relevant to the traditional library setting, the curricula…