Am I in a different profession? Who are these employers? They're certainly
not the colleagues I work with and who have been debating leadership in
public libraries and really taking the agenda forward. In the Society of
Chief Librarians we are very concerned about leadership and growing the next
generation, so much so that the Society has developed a Leadership Seminar
for aspiring leaders. Following the first one, no less than 5 of the
delegates, to date, have been promoted to senior posts. The second seminar
is to be held very shortly and we have equally high expectations.
In my own authority, librarians on the basic librarian grade receive 2
further increments for chartering - OK not a lot, but at least its
recognition. 'Employers' - Damian, who do you mean here - senior
librarians, public authorities? - cannot afford to ignore career progression
and any authority, for instance, with IIP has to prove that it is developing
its staff.
I would love to know where this impression has come from so that it can be
countered. In the meantime I'll certainly continue to do what I can to make
the profession attractive to graduates.
By the way a plug for next year's PLG Spring Conference to be held near
Milton Keynes, 2-4 April - topic - what else but LEADERSHIP.
Shelagh Levett
Bournemouth
-----Original Message-----
From: DAMIAN CULLEN [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 13 June 2003 11:11
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: wanted - good managers
Yes, I must say that the general feeling amongst post-graduates on my course
is that the attitude of employers in both the academic and public library
sectors is that they are doing you a favour by employing you and that you
can jolly well start at the bottom and do as you are told. The idea of
structured career progression etc...for those who are really ambitious just
does not seem to figure.
I know there are more enlightened organisations out there because I have met
them (a recent visit to Edge Hill College in Ormskirk was a rewarding
experience).
If this is the impression people who are actually enthusiatic about the
service have of it, then there seems genuine cause for alarm.
>From: Frances Hendrix <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Chartered Library and Information Professionals
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: wanted - good managers
>Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2003 10:00:04 +0100
>
>This is an excellent point, and addresses, or rather raises some of the
>issues we are facing.
>
>We do need a wider debate (Cilip, are you listening), on some of this,
>which
>has been a problem for a very long time. We need to retain and develop new
>young professional such as Damian and keep them in the sector. Such schemes
>as Damian mentions, used to exist, and I knew Geoffrey Hare, when he ran
>Essex wanted to kick start something to attract the best to public
>libraries. It used to be that working in 'x' public library was like having
>another qualification, and many of these were London Boroughs. Sadly this
>is
>not the case now, with a couple of exceptions.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Chartered Library and Information Professionals
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of DAMIAN CULLEN
>Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 9:34 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: wanted - good managers
>
>
>My experience of public sector employment is that there are plenty of
>people
>willing to work very hard indeed for salaries much less than £20k. However
>there efforts are often thwarted by incompetent and unprofessional middle
>management. This appears to be a major stumbling block to improving the
>public servcies.
>
>I am as suspicious as the next man of the smug policy types with their
>facile solutions, but if the sector won't change from the inside what can
>you expect ?
>
>For example, why does the public library sector not offer graduate
>management trainee positions in the way the private sector and indeed many
>other public sector employers do ? Or is the libray/information sector not
>interested in attracting these people ? Setting up such schemes would be an
>excellent way of helping with the image change and getting some innovative
>thinking and enthusiasm into the sector.
>
>
>
> >From: Mike Morris <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: Chartered Library and Information Professionals
> ><[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: Libraries and devolution
> >Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2003 09:12:07 +0100
> >
> >My own vague belief would be that any organisation associated with this
> >government would be tainted by association. Since we know *they* have a
>lot
> >of trouble differentiating truth from convenient fiction....
> >This is no doubt unjust to Demos, and not terribly relevant to this
> >particular report. Although Leadbitter did sound on the radio like one of
> >those sharp-suited policy wonks who can't imagine why people on £20k
>aren't
> >prepared to flog their guts out.
> >
> >Mike Morris, Librarian, ISCA
> >51 Banbury Rd., Oxford OX2 6PE 01865 274671
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Frances Hendrix" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 11:22 PM
> >Subject: Re: Libraries and devolution
> >
> >
> > > I have been trying to think why this thread has been so absorbed by
>who
> >and
> > > what Demos is?
>
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