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Tennessee Libraries
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| Volume 56 Number 4 |
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2006
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Tennessee Library Support Staff Want Equitable
Compensation, Career Ladders, and Continuing Education:
TLA Survey Results
Chris Durman
Music Librarian for Public Services,
University of Tennessee Libraries
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This is only the appendix. For the full article, click here.
Appendix A:
The Tennessee Library Association Paraprofessional Roundtable (TLA-PPRT) is conducting a survey to identify issues of concern to the support staff in Tennessee. You do not need to be a member in order to participate in this survey. Please take a few minutes to complete the following survey.
1. What type of library do you work in?
____College/University Library (Privately Funded) ___College/University Library (Publicly Funded)
____Elementary/High School Library ___Public Library
____Other (specify) ____________________________ ___Hospital/Medical Center Library
2. How long have you worked in the library field? ___________
3. What is your exact job title? ______________________________________________
4. What are your principle job duties (check all that apply) : ___ Acquisitions ___ Cataloging/Processing ___ Reference
___ Interlibrary Loan ___ Circulation ___ Serials ___ Technology/Webmaster ___ Internet Searching ___
Other (please specify) _____________________________________
5. In addition to your regular duties are you cross trained? ___ Yes ___ No
a. If yes in what area (check all that apply): ___ Acquisitions ___ Cataloging/Processing ___ Circulation
___ Interlibrary Loan ___ Reference ___ Serials ___ Technology/Webmaster ___ Internet Searching
Other (please specify) ___________________________
6. How long have you been in this position?
___ Less than one year ___ 1-2 years ___ 3-5 years ___ 5 + years / How many? ___ years
7. What is the highest level of education you have achieved?
____High school graduate ____Some college ____ Associate’s Degree ____Bachelor’s Degree
____Some graduate school ____Master’s Degree-MLS ____Master’s Degree-Other ____Ph.D.
8. Are you currently attending school? ____ Yes ____ No If yes, what program _______________________
9. Are you: (check all that apply) ___Union ___Non-union ___City ___ State ___County ___ Federal
___ Other (please specify) _____________________________________
10. Do you supervise the work of others? ___Yes ___No If yes, how many? ______
11. Since you started working in your current position, have your responsibilities
___ Increased ___ Decreased ___ Remained about the same
12. If your responsibilities have increased which activity are you doing more of? (check all that apply)
___ Acquisitions ___ Cataloging/Processing ___ Circulation ___ Clerical ___ Interlibrary Loan
___ Reference ___ Serials ___ Technology/Webmaster ___ Internet Searching ___
Other responsibilities (please specify) _____________________________
13. What is the total population served by your library?
¬¬____ Fewer than 5,000 ____ 5,000-9,999 ____ 10,000-24,999 ____ 25,000-49,999 ____ 50,000-99,999
____ 100,000-249,999 ____ 250,000-499,999 ____ 500,000-999,999 ___ 1,000,000 or more
14. Approximately how many employees work are at your library: Full time: Professionals _____; Support Staff ____
Part time: Professionals _____; Support Staff _____
15. Is there room for advancement in your position?
____ Very likely ____Somewhat likely ____Somewhat unlikely ____ Very unlikely
16. How likely is your library to hire from within when filling higher paying staff positions?
____ Very likely ____Somewhat likely ____Somewhat unlikely ____ Very unlikely
17. How often does your library offer opportunities such as in-house training workshops for support staff to learn new skills? ____ Very frequently ____Somewhat frequently ____Somewhat infrequently ____ Very infrequently
18. Do you feel that you are being compensated fairly for the skills and knowledge you possess?
____ Very well ____ Fairly well ____ Not very well ___ Poorly
19. Does your library have a continuing education program for library assistants? ____ Yes ____ No
a. (If yes) What percentage of the tuition does the library pay for library assistants?
____ 100% ____ 75-99% ____ 50-74% ____ Under 50% ____ Unsure
20. What salary range most closely matches your annual salary? (***OPTIONAL***)
____ under $10,000 ____ $10,000-15,000 ____ $15,001-20,000 ____ $20,001-25,000
____ $25,000-30,000 ____ $30,001-35,000 ____ $35,000-50,000 ____ over $50,000
21. Below is a list of issues that have been previously identified as concerns facing the library support
staff community. Please rank what FIVE issues should receive the highest priority from TLA-PPRT in their upcoming strategic planning. (1=highest, 2=next highest, etc.)
____ a. Access to continuing education and training opportunities
____ b. Lack of support ($$, release time) from library for continuing education and training opportunities
____ c. Apathy of support staff (not wanting to get involved)
____ d. Lack of a Paraprofessional Certification Program
____ e. Career ladders (few opportunities for advancement)
____ f. No agreement on appropriate terminology
____ g. Compensation not appropriate to level of education, experience and responsibilities
____ h. Lack of recognition for contributions to libraries and librarianship
____ i. Undefined roles of support staff or librarians
____ j. Limited access to participate in decisions that affect their job
____ k. Outsourcing
____ l. No basic general education requirement for support staff positions
____ m. Lack of support staff representation on decision-making committees at library
____ n. Lack of benefits (not wages)
____ o. Keeping up with technological changes
____ p. Responsibility for library operations but no authority to shape those operations
____ q. Morale
____ r. OTHER (please specify) ______________________________________________
If not listed above, which issues would you like the TLA PPRT to address? __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
22. What would you do to change/improve the working environment for Library Support Staff?
23. Do you belong to a library organization(s), please list: _________________________________
24. Are you a member of the Tennessee Library Association? ____ Yes ____ No If not, why?
25. Other comments? (Please feel free to continue on back)
Name _________________________________________________(Optional)
Library ________________________________________________ (Optional)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!
This survey has been created using elements of: the ALA-LSSIRT Survey of 1997, a survey conducted by Sheryl Gerdwagen’s Berkeley College Library Staff, and questions proposed by members of TLA-PPRT.
Return no later than May 15, 2004 to:
Chris Durman, University of Tennessee Libraries
1015 Volunteer Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37996
cdurman@utk.edu
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