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Re: job market



> -----Original Message-----
> From: STEVEN P. FISHER [SMTP:sfisher@DU.EDU]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 12:19 PM
> To:   ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> Subject:      Re: job market
>
>  We have had increasing problems finding ( and keeping ) staff in the past
> few years. I think several factors contribute to this. One of course is
> the "booming economy." Pizza delivery drivers in Denver make $15 an hour.
> I am also seeing many more contract processing jobs appearing. I think
> that "back in the day" folks were more willing to sacrifice salary for
> long term job satisfaction and security. That is not the case now. People
> are willing to risk being out of work when the contract runs out in a year
> if the contract salary is higher.
>
>  We are also asking employees to do more with technology. The skills
> required are increasing, while perhaps the salaries are not keeping up
> accordingly.
        [Michael Miller]
        This is perhaps one of the greatest problems in library/archive jobs
nowadays. Jobs in other fields, both private (corporate) and public,
requiring similar skills (markup languages, db management, etc.) easily pay
much more than beginning library/archive jobs (and often do not require a
Masters, either). As a profession, we cannot expect to keep asking for an
increased technical skill base without compensating accordingly.
        Now, I cannot say this is why archive jobs keep being extended, but
it is a problem in our field.

Michael C. Miller
Special Collections
Dallas Public Library, Texas/Dallas History & Archives
1515 Young St.
Dallas TX 75201
(214)670-1440
mmiller@lib.ci.dallas.tx.us

"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." Isaac Asimov, Foundation.

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