I think that the advertisement or not of low-paid jobs is something that
CILIP could easily address without becoming a trade union. CILIP can
surely publish what it wants in its own circulations and on its own
website. If CILIP were to at least investigate the possibilities of not
publishing or not kitemarking advertisements for low-paid jobs and
widely publicise its findings, then they could be seen to be doing
something to raise the pay and therefore status of library and
information professionals and could therefore satisfy a large number of
its currently disaffected members.
An issue like this is surely an opportunity for CILIP to engage the
members who have not been contributing to its various groups and
committees and feel that they are not getting anything from their
membership. I do believe that we can get more out of CILIP if we are
prepared to put more in, but we do already put money in, and even though
this is not active involvement and may not entitle us to much, it should
be enough to ensure that CILIP has the resources to fight for our core
interests. And if our core interest is pay, and CILIP can do something
about this without acting as a trade union, then surely CILIP should do
something. A proper investigation and research would be a starting point
at least.
If members are not engaging in committees and groups in the traditional
way, then is it not time that CILIP revised the way it engages its
members? Most of us work in the electronic environment and many of us
have proved ourselves willing to contribute to debates on e-mail lists.
CILIP would be wise to monitor library and information related lists -
including those that are outside CILIP itself, as that's where potential
and lapsed members may be found - and use intelligence gathered in this
way to drive their priorities and prove their value to current and
potential members.
I commented on similar issues on LIS_LINK in August when there was a
debate about the value of CILIP to our profession. I asked what was the
appropriate forum for commenting on matters relating to CILIP. I was
contacted by a member of staff at CILIP who told me that this list was
the appropriate place. So posting to this list is not sending a message
into the void. CILIP is listening and I'm sure they are taking our
issues on board, but they need to tell us that they are...
CILIP does need to shout about what it does and not just to its own
members, so whilst an article in Update would be worthwhile, postings to
the many library and information lists to advertise their work would
also be of great value. I know that much has already been said in this
debate about what CILIP does do for its members, but I believe that
CILIP should post regular briefings about its work to these lists and
not wait for criticism, when any reponse just appears defensive. Come on
CILIP, you're always telling us to be proactive in advertising our worth!
kind regards
Jen
Kevin Symonds wrote:
> If your main issue you want to bring up is getting wage levels and
> salaries
> set at reasonable levels and some form of support for such schemes,
> and you
> are basically told CILIP doesn't do this, go to a trade union then what
> further steps can you actually take? Within CILIP that is?
> If you were to approach a councilor to discuss this then surely they'd
> just
> tell you the same thing. It's just a dead end.
>
> Obviously for a lot of people this wouldn't be the only issue but I'm
> guessing it's a rather major one and if they cannot get an answer (as
> it's
> not under CILIP's purview) then what is the next step then? For the
> reasons
> already mentioned it's been said CILIP couldn't become anything like a
> trade union. Fair enough but having one section of concern having to be
> left alone can make people wonder what they are (up front) getting from
> being a member. This is especially true if you're not partaking of
> chartership or the courses. In any organisation you get some people
> who use
> everything and others who use nothing (through choice or otherwise). But
> it's a matter of giving the later groups reason to stay that can be a
> problem. And it sounds like, to be fair, the financial side of life is at
> the forefront of most peoples minds.
>
> Kevin
>
>
>
> Kevin Symonds
> Librarian
> MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
> 15 Chaucer Road
> Cambridge
> CB2 2EF
>
> Tel: 01223 355294 ext 110
> Fax: 01223 359062
|