In addition to the points already made, it's worth adding that CILIP and AUT have taken the first steps in actively developing a closer working relationship aimed at protecting and promoting librarians and libraries in Higher Education. In AUT, the Academic Related Committee is organizing a series of regional meetings to raise the profile of Academic Related staff in universities, which enable members to discuss issues such as these, to ensure that we are all armed with the best arguments to defend ourselves.
Cataloguers may currently be viewed as being in a particularly vulnerable position, partly because of developments in information retrieval mechanisms, and partly because they have tended to undersell their skills in the past (and perhaps be perceived as indulging in an arcane art, irrelevant to the developments to which I refer). Of course these skills are essential to library and information services, in terms of metadata in its broadest sense (not only its narrower Dublin Core manifestation). However, in order to provide the services institutions require cataloguers need to be professionals in every respect, and that includes being proactive with regard to metadata developments. In this environment particularly, cataloguers should be qualified professionals whose roles are broader and more dynamic than they have tended to be in the past.
Best wishes,
Nick
Nick James
Vice-Chair, AUT Academic Related Staff Committee
and Catalogue Database Manager, University of Leicester Library (in a personal capacity!)
0116-2522037
-----Original Message-----
From: A general Library and Information Science list for news and
discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Mel Eyeons
Sent: 24 May 2005 13:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Job description and pay grading
Dear all
I am writing to ask for advice on how to approach a problem that I am
facing regarding my job description and pay grading. I work as an Assistant
Librarian in a university and am having to update my job description. After
initial drafts, my employer argues that they need precise information about
why the job I do requires me to be professionally qualified and educated to
degree level.
I am primarily responsible for the bibliographic services (cataloguing and
classification) in our Education Library, and therefore need to describe
why I need to be qualified in order to catalogue and classify library
material. This is primarily book material but also some audio-visual
material. I also carry out user education, deal with enquiries and do some
supervision of library assistants.
I was wondering if anyone has any experience of this kind of situation or
knew of any publications (papers, guidelines etc) that I could use to
strengthen my case as I am aware that there has been some debate recently
about the employment of unqualified vs qualified cataloguers.
I would be extremely grateful for your help.
Regards
Mel Eyeons
--
Mel Eyeons
Assistant Librarian
University of Cambridge
Faculty of Education
Library & Information Service
184 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 2PQ
01223 767700
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