Comments on: Pay us and we’ll think about letting you teach http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:31:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Paul Birchall http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828&cpage=1#comment-6985 Paul Birchall Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:43:41 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828#comment-6985 It doesn't bother me that much, because one can only assume that most of the people applying for the teaching positions are going to be flogging their own books or videos or what not, as they do at Learning Annex Programs here in LA. Why shouldn't those teachers have to pay to play? They stand to make a lot more money from their students when they plump their products. It doesn’t bother me that much, because one can only assume that most of the people applying for the teaching positions are going to be flogging their own books or videos or what not, as they do at Learning Annex Programs here in LA. Why shouldn’t those teachers have to pay to play? They stand to make a lot more money from their students when they plump their products.

]]> By: Nancy Bolt http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828&cpage=1#comment-6919 Nancy Bolt Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:43:39 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828#comment-6919 I'm the co-Project Director of LSSC and would like to follow up on Michael's comments. The course provider process needs to be in the context of the whole program. Library support staff have been asking for recognition of their accomplishments through a national certification program for, literally, decades. With the help of an IMLS grant this is finally going to be in place, starting in January of 2010. To make it work we need courses in the 10 competency sets for the LSSC candidates. We want those courses to be of a high quality so we are asking those provding the courses to send us the curriculum, vita of the teacher, how they will assess achievement, etc. Once approved, we will help the providers publicize their course to the LSSC candidates. ALA-APA has to support its own costs. It is charging $100 for the first two courses and $50 for all the rest -- one of the lowest you will find. ALA preconferences cost more than that. It's up to the provider how much they charge the students. We don't think the fee is large even if the provider doesn't charge the students at all. If the provider does charge, they can easily recover $100 or $50 in the tuition. Actually, we hope you will encourage organizations you work with to apply to be a course provider. We want the learning experience of the library support staff to be of a very high quality. You can get more information on our new website: www.ala-apa.org/lsscp Nancy I’m the co-Project Director of LSSC and would like to follow up on Michael’s comments. The course provider process needs to be in the context of the whole program. Library support staff have been asking for recognition of their accomplishments through a national certification program for, literally, decades. With the help of an IMLS grant this is finally going to be in place, starting in January of 2010. To make it work we need courses in the 10 competency sets for the LSSC candidates. We want those courses to be of a high quality so we are asking those provding the courses to send us the curriculum, vita of the teacher, how they will assess achievement, etc. Once approved, we will help the providers publicize their course to the LSSC candidates.
ALA-APA has to support its own costs. It is charging $100 for the first two courses and $50 for all the rest — one of the lowest you will find. ALA preconferences cost more than that. It’s up to the provider how much they charge the students. We don’t think the fee is large even if the provider doesn’t charge the students at all. If the provider does charge, they can easily recover $100 or $50 in the tuition.
Actually, we hope you will encourage organizations you work with to apply to be a course provider. We want the learning experience of the library support staff to be of a very high quality. You can get more information on our new website: http://www.ala-apa.org/lsscp

Nancy

]]> By: rachel http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828&cpage=1#comment-6915 rachel Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:40:00 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828#comment-6915 Thanks, Michael, for the more detailed explanation -- it's useful. Thanks, Michael, for the more detailed explanation — it’s useful.

]]> By: Michael Golrick http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828&cpage=1#comment-6912 Michael Golrick Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:12:36 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828#comment-6912 I find it fascinating that this is raising comments now. A few years ago, the ALA-APA followed exactly the same process to recruit course providers for the Certified Public Library Administrator (CPLA) Program. I do not remember a single comment. It is not the "racket" that Angel suggests, since ALA-APA gets no money for the courses, that fee (if any) goes to the course provider. In addition, the experience level Angel cites is for the intended audience of the courses, not the course providers. I will note that the paragraph about candidates may well be misplaced, and helps to lead to that confusion. I have just finished teaching, as part of a team, the first field test course under this program. Let me note that in the course approval process, there was a great deal of work done by ALA-APA in reviewing the detail of the syllabus to ensure that the course covered all of the material required by the competencies in that area. I am glad that March B noted that this is similar to the way that the Medical Library Association works -- I think that technically it is the Academy of Health Information Professionals. And I would note that $100 is cheap for the support provided. I just think that there is some fundamental mis-understanding, and hope that I have been able to clarify some of the issues. I find it fascinating that this is raising comments now. A few years ago, the ALA-APA followed exactly the same process to recruit course providers for the Certified Public Library Administrator (CPLA) Program. I do not remember a single comment.

It is not the “racket” that Angel suggests, since ALA-APA gets no money for the courses, that fee (if any) goes to the course provider. In addition, the experience level Angel cites is for the intended audience of the courses, not the course providers. I will note that the paragraph about candidates may well be misplaced, and helps to lead to that confusion.

I have just finished teaching, as part of a team, the first field test course under this program. Let me note that in the course approval process, there was a great deal of work done by ALA-APA in reviewing the detail of the syllabus to ensure that the course covered all of the material required by the competencies in that area.

I am glad that March B noted that this is similar to the way that the Medical Library Association works — I think that technically it is the Academy of Health Information Professionals.

And I would note that $100 is cheap for the support provided.

I just think that there is some fundamental mis-understanding, and hope that I have been able to clarify some of the issues.

]]> By: Marcy B http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828&cpage=1#comment-6911 Marcy B Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:46:13 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828#comment-6911 This is the way that the Medical Library Association runs its "MLA-approved CE" program, as well. I don't know that I like it, but it seems to be the way things work. I do understand that there is a certain amount of overhead involved with 1) reviewing courses, 2) approving courses, and 3) maintaining the clearinghouse of all MLA-approved activities. But the fees always seem too high to me to support that kind of overhead. This is the way that the Medical Library Association runs its “MLA-approved CE” program, as well. I don’t know that I like it, but it seems to be the way things work. I do understand that there is a certain amount of overhead involved with 1) reviewing courses, 2) approving courses, and 3) maintaining the clearinghouse of all MLA-approved activities. But the fees always seem too high to me to support that kind of overhead.

]]> By: Angel http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828&cpage=1#comment-6908 Angel Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:16:44 +0000 http://www.lisjobs.com/blog/?p=828#comment-6908 I don't think you are being snotty at all. That sounds like some racket basically since I am sure they (ALA-APA) are also going to be charging the students for the courses offered. I am already not convinced by the "high school graduate or equivalent or having worked a year in a library" experience requirement. I will be snotty and say janitors will likely have that experience. Can they apply to have a course approved? It just does not pass the smell test for me. Best, and keep on blogging. I don’t think you are being snotty at all. That sounds like some racket basically since I am sure they (ALA-APA) are also going to be charging the students for the courses offered. I am already not convinced by the “high school graduate or equivalent or having worked a year in a library” experience requirement. I will be snotty and say janitors will likely have that experience. Can they apply to have a course approved? It just does not pass the smell test for me.

Best, and keep on blogging.

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