The Liminal Librarian

Is it just me or does anyone else find this weird? I ran across this press release from ALA-APA re: looking for course providers for their library support staff certification program.

On October 1, 2009, ALA-APA will begin accepting applications from education providers interested in offering courses for candidates in the Library Support Staff Certificate Program (LSSC). The LSSC is the first national, voluntary certification program for library support staff.  Course providers may be organizations or individuals with the expertise, training, and resources to offer courses online or face-to-face.  The ten competency sets for which courses are needed are in the areas of foundations of library services, technology, communication and teamwork, access services, adult readers advisory, cataloging and classification, collection management, reference, supervision and management, and youth services.

Potential providers complete a course approval application, and submit a course syllabus, a description of the course’s teaching methods and assessment plan, and the instructor’s resume.  The course must cover all the competencies in a competency set.  The fee to be considered for approval is $100 each of the first and second courses submitted, and $50 per class for each additional course.

Candidates will have at least a high school diploma or equivalent, and have worked in a public or academic library for at least one year.  Candidates have the option of completing approved courses or submitting online portfolios that demonstrate their achievement in six of ten competency sets.

The application will be evaluated by a committee of American Library Association member volunteers using a course evaluation rubric.  Reviews will be held periodically throughout the year and ALA-APA will notify applicants of their status.  Approved courses will be publicized and available to all LSSC candidates.  Courses that are approved will maintain that status, barring major changes, for four years.

Funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the LSSC Program is in a testing phase in five library organizations across the United States.  The program will begin accepting candidates in January 2010.  Based on survey information and other expressions of interest, project staff estimates that at least 300 library support staff will participate in the LSSC program in the next three years.

The LSSC Program was approved by the American Library Association to be an official certification of ALA in July 2009.  More information about the LSSCP is available online at http://www.ala-apa.org/lsscp.  Please direct questions to Jenifer Grady at jgrady@ala.org or 312-280-2424.  The program will be managed by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association.

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and has as one of its missions supporting salary improvement initiatives for library workers.

Now, I don’t mean to be snotty, because I like a lot of what ALA-APA does. But is it strange to request a $100 fee just to be considered to teach one of these courses? Or is it just me?

This is fascinating. I’m wondering how it reconciles with the whole recruitment push, or if they’re going to lay off that for a while?

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For Immediate Release                                                                 Jenifer Grady
May 15, 2009                                                                                     jgrady@ala.org

ALA Wants Your Stories About How to Get a Job

In preparation for a new American Library Association (ALA) Web-based toolkit called Get a Job!, the association is seeking your stories and advice about what to do and what NOT to do to find employment, particularly in this economy.  ALA asks employers and consultants to share words of wisdom about what a candidate has done to impress you.  ALA wants new employees to share their best tactics in landing the job of their dreams.  ALA also invites everyone to send their best preparation, interviewing or “I wish someone had told me” anecdotes for possible inclusion on the website.

Get a Job!, will debut at the ALA Annual Conference, and in addition to the expected resume and cover letters suggestions, will also feature advice on how to use social networking tools in your job search, what to do if you’re laid off, budgeting assistance, networking techniques, and strategies for finding out about the economy and jobs in various parts of the United States.  The interactive toolkit will include information specific to those seeking their first job, mid-career staff and those changing professions.

The site will be a one-stop resource including and/or linking to information prepared by units within ALA, as well as linking to information about related best practices from other fields. As the site evolves, it will offer tips, suggested links and readings, a blog, podcasts from experts, timelines, and activities/checklists for new librarians and support staff.

Get a Job! is being developed by nine units within the American Library Association in collaboration with the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association.

Email your stories to Jenifer Grady at jgrady@ala.org by Friday, June 5, 2009.

So how many of you are willing to nominate me for this award, for LISjobs.com? I could do a lot to the site with $5k!