(forwarded for a list member who wasn't able to access via their subscribed
email address yesterday)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Sorry since someone has plunged in from the university sector I am butting in
with the observation that university libraries are not very keen to "walk the
talk" - I was refused my Institute of Romance Studies fees by UCL library
(although I was one of the Romance Languages librarian) and yet, oddly, the
director doesn't see a contradiction in delivering papers on the advances of
electronic publishing (or whatever the title of the paper is) at the IRS . I
never had this problem (ie of having to haggle relevant subscriptions) as
academic staff at Roehampton Institute for example. I think the policy is to
discourage people from "improving" themselves in case, as Lesha says, they set a
"precedent" - interestingly, we had to "make do" with internal training for
e-resources as Netskills was out of bounds (as it was an outside "costly"
route). Netskills workshops count towards accreditation, whereas inside training
doesn't these days - so another reason to look outside your library for
enlightenment. No employer to date has offered me or my colleagues in university
libraries to pay anything that I recall (most of them do not care about the
Chartership and I am asked twice, in a worrying tone at interviews, "whether the
Chartership involves time away from work"). I did notice though, that at the
Health Development Agency leave for training and for doing university degrees
was very generous - I don't know if this is a pattern for the whole of the NHS
(also the degree doesn't have to be in an information field). Needless to say,
at UCL nobody got day release not even for their MA courses. The darlings at the
British Council, bless them, allow their staff to take any course they want as
part of personal development - no questions asked. So staff numbers don't always
reflect managerial policy. You can claim tax relief against the LA subscription
though - Emilce Rees
>From: Lesha Fossey >Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Paying for LA subscription
costs >Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 10:10:23 +0000
> >We had a discussion on this a couple of years ago (look in the archives for
>further info) and it seemed that the people who got financial help mainly
worked >in special libraries (perhaps more autonomy over budgets, and less
"danger" in >setting a precedent. IIRC it was justified by arguments such as
"they pay the >professional subs for my colleagues [surveyors] so they pay mine
too" etc. I'm >on the Training Working Party here (Exeter Uni), and a couple of
years ago we >drew up a policy that we'd help with LA subs for newly qualified,
unchartered >staff. If we had been able to offer them a Route A programme
(difficult as we >don't have many staff who've been chartered long enough to
supervise) we'd help >with subs for 1 year, and if they followed Route B we'd
help for 2 years. Also >we'd help towards the submission fee for the PDR. We
also give a couple of days >study leave for writing up. So bascially, we help
with LA subs for the period >you HAVE to be a member in order to be eligible for
chartering "training". After >that it's up to you. So having been qualified
several years (eek!) without yet >having Chartered, I pay my own subs. It's nice
to know that a policy I helped >write may help future new employees though :-)
> >I think if you want to argue it, you've got to make the case that it will
help >you to help your employer (i.e. THEY will get something out of you being a
>member of the LA, not just you). If they've got Investors in People then you
>can use this as an argument too ;-) >
>Lesha >
>-- >----------------------
>Lesha Fossey >Assistant Librarian, Circulation Services
>University of Exeter >Stocker Road TEL: 01392 263867
>Exeter FAX: 01392 263871 >EX4 4PT E-MAIL: [log in to unmask]
>
--
----------------------
Lesha Fossey
Assistant Librarian, Circulation Services
University of Exeter
Stocker Road TEL: 01392 263867
Exeter FAX: 01392 263871
EX4 4PT E-MAIL: [log in to unmask]
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