I have literally just registered (only 2 weeks ago) for Route A training. I feel quite excited about becoming chartered and entering what I consider to be a very important stage in my career. Although I have only just started the chartership process from what I have read and heard I can see the value of it. Nevertheless, I think it is very healthy to question it and very natural to have some doubts. I also think that it is essential that we all feel free to voice our concerns and share our thoughts with our colleagues. Only through an open and healthy debate can we guarantee the continued usefulness and relevance of the chartership process.
Dunia Garcia-Ontiveros
Assistant Librarian
The College of Law
>>> "andy.barker1" <[log in to unmask]> 01/16/02 09:00pm >>>
I was pleased to see the volume of response to my posting questioning the value of Chartership and the LA's weird and wonderful policy of taking away ones ALA if we stop paying them. It is reassuring to know that list members care enough about our profession to respond with some rigour when the value of Chartering and the LA is questioned; 'though I note the LA has not put its point of view yet. It was interesting that the only person to agree with my point of view e-mailed me privately...
Some people said they thought it was unhelpful and/ or depressing to question the value of Chartering. I disagree: it represents a significant outlay both in terms of our time and money. If you don't question its value, how can you be sure it is worthwhile and therefore worth starting/ continuing/ finishing?
I am in favour of renewing the Charter on a regular basis, maybe once every five years. It would make it more valuable, give us all extra incentive to keep our skills up to date and help us focus on our career directions. However, a recapturing process would be complex and time consuming, and therefore expensive to set up. There would, I imagine, have to be a rise in fees to pay for it. And what happens if you fail or decline to take part? If your job requires you to be an ALA, and you then stop being an ALA, would that mean you were no longer qualified to do the job?
Overall, I think that it is not the Charter that is worth while, but the process of Chartering itself and what we learn about ourselves in the process.
Andrew
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