[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Article in Chronicle of Higher Ed



Hello everyone,

Ms Young said, "Certain aspects of the chasm separating the
administration and faculty (the suits) from the staff (the skirts -- the
vast majority of staff members are female)"  Oddly where I came from it
was the reverse the faculty (the skirts) were female and the staff
members (the suits even though we never wore any) were male.

Putting aside Ms. Young's sexism I think a lot of people are missing a
point here.  A point that many libraries/archives and
librarians/archivist like to over look.  She was a staff member.  She
was not hired as a professional.  Staff members are not hired to preform
professional work nor should they be expected to do professional work.
While I worked at Purdue University many librarians (skirts) would say,
"Jim is working on his MLS, let's have him do such and such."  My
supervisor continually had to point out to her fellow librarians that I
was staff and not a professional.  I was not being paid nor should be
expected to carry out professional work.

It is unethical to give a person staff wages and then want or expect
them to carry out professional work.  Yes we should encourage our staff
members to further their education and obtain higher degrees in Library
Science and Archival Science.  Give them projects for their classes and
teach them what we can.  We should never step over the line and exploit
our workers by giving them professional level work while not giving them
professional pay or recognition.  I appreciate my supervisor's support
as well as other librarians in the Purdue administrations that supported
and encouraged me to obtain my MLS without trying to take advantage of
the situation.



James E. Beaven
Project Coordinator/Digital Librarian
Jacksonville Public Library
122 N. Ocean Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32202-3374
e-mail: JBeaven@coj.net

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>