Recently in Libraries & Museums Category

Source: Tina Keresztury, The Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances, Vol. 22 no. 4, 2009
(subscription required)

From the abstract:
The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how statewide advocacy and advocacy planning can effectively ward off major threats to library funding. The paper presents a case study of New Jersey advocacy efforts when faced with proposed legislation to halve the minimum mandated funding for public libraries in the state. The paper describes various advocacy strategies. The advocacy process has had encouraging results, although the threat of funding cuts remains. The case study demonstrates that creating a statewide task force to focus on advocacy and other advocacy strategies can be effective in thwarting legislative efforts to reduce library funding.

Source: Martha Kyrillidou, Les Bland, Association of Research Libraries, 2009

From the press release:
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has published the ARL Statistics 2007-2008, the latest in a series of annual publications that describe the collections, staffing, expenditures, and service activities of ARL's 123 member libraries. Of these member libraries, 113 are university libraries (14 in Canada, 99 in the US); the remaining 10 are public, governmental, and private research libraries (2 in Canada, 8 in the US).

Source: Les Bland, Research Library Issues: A Bimonthly Report from ARL, CNI, and SPARC, no. 266, October 2009

The ARL Annual Salary Survey 2008-2009 shows that current ARL librarian's salaries have failed to keep pace with inflation. This is in contrast to 2007-08 when the increase in median salaries exceeded the rise of inflation as judged by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The median salary of ARL academic librarians in the United States for 2008-09 was $63,673; an increase of 3.8% from the previous reporting period of 2007-08. However, during this same period, the U.S. CPI rose 5.6%. In Canada, the experience of ARL academic librarians was similar (but not as extreme): Canadian ARL academic librarians earned a median salary of $78,742 (Canadian Dollars) an increase of 3.3% from the previous year, which also failed to match a 3.4% rise in inflation as reported by the Canadian CPI. The salaries of ARL non-academic librarians experienced larger growth, as their median salaries increased 6%, from $80,261 (2007-08) to $85,320 (thereby exceeding inflation). Moreover, non-academic librarian's median salaries were 25.4% higher than that of academic librarians.

Source: Library Journal, 10/15/2009

Even before the bloodletting of 2009, 2008 graduates were hit hard. Job searches averaged almost five months, and unemployment postgraduation rose to 5.9% in 2008, compared to 4.7% in 2007. Average starting salaries dipped slightly overall, dropping 1.8% to $41,579, after 18 years of increases, while placements in part-time and nonprofessional positions rose. Part-time placements increased from 16.3% of the placements in 2007 to 18.3% of 1,817 grads reporting jobs in 2008, after holding steady for two years. Likewise, 13.5% of the 2008 graduates either remained in or found non-professional positions compared to 11.3% in 2007.

Source: John N. Berry III, Library Journal, September 15, 2009

Threatened cuts and partial restorations point out the ambiguous politics of library funding.

Hard times bring out the ambiguity in politics. Except for fiscal extremists, most politicians in North America want to support their libraries. When LJ planned to name the heroes and villains in the politics of library funding, we rediscovered that politics just isn't that simple.

We learned that it is a bad idea for library advocates and political strategists to label even what seem to be the most offensive politicians as villains. Library advocates are understandably constrained from getting angry. Attacking a politician rarely changes his or her mind, and after you have done it, negotiating with that person for library support is nearly impossible.

Source: Denise M. Davis, John Carlo Bertot, Charles R. McClure, American Library Association, 2009

From the press release:
With national unemployment topping 9 percent and many Americans seeking online information and new technology skills that can help keep them and their families afloat in hard times, U.S. public libraries are first responders in a time of economic uncertainty.

Libraries Connect Communities 3: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2008-2009, a new report released today by the American Library Association (ALA), says libraries are serving as crucial technology hubs for people in need of free Web access, computer training, and assistance finding and using E-Government and job resources.

Source: American Libraries, Vol. 40 nos. 8 & 9, August/September 2009
(subscription required)

The financial woes that are constricting state budgets coast to coast - and beyond - loom large over local library systems as they face the threat of devastating reductions in services. While in most cases the cuts, which would include closures and mass layoffs, have yet to be implemented, the final resolutions of the budgeting processes are likely to unfold in unexpected ways over the fiscal year.

Source: Eleanor Jo Rodger, American Libraries, Vol. 40 nos. 8 & 9, August/September 2009
(subscription required)

When there isn't enough money to go around, public library advocates and staff must compete effectively for our share.

Source: Rachel Applegate, The Library Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 4, October 2009
(subscription required)

From the abstract:
Advocates of unions frequently argue that unionization results in benefits for libraries in general and for librarians. Previous data to support this position have been scattered, incomplete, and inconclusive. This study analyzes data on 1,904 academic libraries, 334 unionized, to explore whether there is a relationship between a librarian‐union presence and several quantitative values: student‐librarian ratios, percentage of institutional budget devoted to libraries, average spending on salaries per librarian, percentage of library budget devoted to librarians, percentage of library staff who are librarians, and percentage of library budget devoted to staff salaries. Across institution degree levels (associates, baccalaureate, masters, doctoral, and Association of Research Libraries members), results show that compared to librarians at either private or nonunionized public colleges and universities, librarians at unionized public institutions are somewhat better off. Librarians at public institutions are generally better paid but have worse working conditions--higher student‐to‐librarian ratios and fewer resources for collections. All institutions except associates‐level institutions receive roughly the same percentage of institutional budgets.

Source: Marie Kaddell, LexisNexis, 2009

From a summary:
Best Practices for Government Libraries, 2009: Change: Managing It, Surviving It, and Thriving On It, is a LexisNexis-produced 181 page compilation of 60 articles and other submissions provided by more than 50 contributors from librarians in government agencies, courts, and the military, as well as from professional association leaders and LexisNexis Consultants.