ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

CLS directions

By Jean Pelletiere Chair, ACBL College Libraries Section

Real income, comparable worth, and other activities of the College Libraries Section.

How much would you be willing to pay for a professional with a master’s degree, who was familiar with a variety of information retrieval systems—including computer-based data banks…who could supervise a large staff, develop and implement a budget, and actively market the service—and handle building maintenance problems? Sound like a high five-figure job? How about $15,000?” The Christian Science Monitor asked this question last year in an article about librarians’ new skills.

The $15,000 figure hurts. It is typical for college librarians. Even if each entering librarian were independently wealthy it still would hurt. The comparably low pay still would devalue our work in relation to others.

An instructor with me at Berkeley, Lois Harz- feld, pointed out the Library Journal interviews in which most librarians would not have minded leaving the field, and the New Republic article on real income for different occupations (librarians were second from the bottom, just above welfare recipients). “Why doesn’t any library organization address that problem?” she asked.

My first chance to address that problem is now. The question of real income is close to comparable worth, in that some occupations generate more real income for doing less work. Also, the status of librarians as faculty members is close to that of comparable worth, in that librarians and classroom professors are of comparable worth in the college setting, and thus should be comparably treated.

Comparably, not equally. When librarians are treated equally with classroom faculty, the things we do as they do them are judged by their standards, while the things we do as we do them are judged by their standards. The result is that, as one letter in American Libraries recently pointed out, most things we do in a 40-hour work week they do not consider up to their standards, nor up for their rewards.

Thus I have proposed, and the CLS Executive Committee has approved, an ad hoc CLS Real Income Committee for a three-year term with the following charge: to gather income studies from states, systems, and companies, and spell out what these might mean for college librarians; and to work closely with the ALA Commission on Pay Equity in drafting national programs to be translated into a campaign for use in higher education associations and in colleges themselves—with the strength of ALA behind them.

If you are interested in working on this committee, contact: Susan Stussy (chair), Director of the Library, Marian College, 3200 Cold Spring Road, Indianapolis, IN 46222. William Delzell and Wendell Rarbour are also members.

A second ad hoc committee I proposed, and the Executive Committee approved, is the CLS Historical Commission (a name selected by its members) with Susan Campbell as chair. Its charge is to prepare a history of the College Libraries Section, to collect and suggest procedures, and to assemble them into a section manual. The Commission, also with a three-year life, includes Betty Corbett, Michael Haeuser, and Michael La Croix.

Arising out of the idea of the CLS Historical Commission is the new CLS Bylaws Committee. The bylaws were revised in 1981 and 1982 but were never made official; thus the 1974 version is still in use. We need to bring them into line with new ALA and ACRL bylaws, as well as smooth the sometimes awkward procedures with which we are now operating. I welcome volunteers and nominations for this committee.

The increase in vitality of CLS portends expansion of its services to members. It offers a chance for librarians who want to influence the section’s direction. These committees embody several interests evidenced by the CLS Advisory Council.

Action Item 1.Contact me if you would like to start another committee, and give me the reasons why. I can propose committees to the Executive Committee at ALA Annual Conference.

Action Item2. Contact me if you would like to be on the agenda with any matter concerning college librarians at the CLS annual membership meeting.—Jean C. Pelletiere, Rockefeller Research Scholar, College of Public Affairs and Policy, SUNY Albany, 135 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12222; (518) 370-4124. ■■