To anyone who may be interested:
I Chartered in November 2001 and I did so primarily for the reason
that this was highly recognized at work and thus I was given a
£2,000 a year pay rise.
I have to say that I find this debate very intersting and agree with
both parties, to some extent. After studying for a BA, PGDip and
an MA I will confess I found the PDR very easy. I think it is the
thought of it and lead up to it which people find the hardest, not the
academic level at which it is pitched.
I do believe that it is hard enough to get recognised in a
professional capacity as a librarian already and I feel that if you
have achieved Chartered stauts through submitting an
assignment/thesis then it is quite depressing to have your
certificate and postnominal letters withdrawn and thus your 6,000
word thesis withdrawn. Especially if you are unable to meet the
cost of membership, or have taken a break to raise a family.
I know that some professions appoint Chartered members due to
length of service (as the LA once did - my manager became
chartered 'automatically') and although they have to remain a
member they have not had to submit a thesis of their own work to
achieve the status in the first place.
I will have to pay membership to the LA to stay in my current job
now - as I am at a Chartered grade. I do feel too much importance
is placed on whether or not you are a Chartered librarian
(particularly in the academic sector) considering it is something
like a 97% pass rate.
But, at the end of the day, you know what you are getting into
when you join the LA and it was a great feeling to receive my ALA.
I think it would all be much easier to swallow if librarians (like
teachers) were paid a salary more befitting our qualifications and
achievements by employers in the first place and then membership
costs woudn't be as difficult to meet...but that is a whole new story
altogether!
Sarah Pink
Assistant Librarian
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