This is one of my personal gripes about the whole system so I thought I'd
join in.
It seems to me (from my position working outside the Public Library system)
that the public libraries keep their employees - already on very low
salaries compared to the rest of the library world - on pathetically poor
salaries regardless of experience if they are not chartered.
They also insist on certain jobs being filled by chartered librarians. I
once queried this when I saw a local job advertised that I was sure (after
10 years in libraries) that I had the right experience for, but was told it
was due to an agreement with the unions and therefore there was no chance of
me being considered. At an interview with a different library, I was told
that as I wasn't chartered I would start on £14,000. (My previous salary -in
academia- had been £25,000).It was difficult not to laugh.
This sort of attitude immediately narrows the field of applicants and
excludes dynamic vibrant people (surely the sort public libraries could
benefit from).
As a woman returner, I also feel it discriminates against people who have
not had the opportunity to be supported through chartership due to career
breaks, part time work and family and/or geographical constraints, and when
trying to get back into the job market have to take jobs and salaries way
below their capabilities. The chartership barrier does not help them one
bit.
My solution? Find a job outside public libraries - in my experience all
other sectors - special libraries, information services, academic libraries
- look at experience first. Not a bit of paper.
Fiona Clasen
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