Colleagues
I was in the middle of writing an e-mail to the list, when Mark's hit my inbox. Mark says exactly what I was trying to express, except he does so much more eloquently than I could do! I have therefore "ripped up" my e-mail, and instead fully endorse and support what seems to me to be the most intelligent contribution to the strand so far.
Regards
John Powles
Research Collections Manager
Glasgow Caledonian University
-----Original Message-----
From: A general Library and Information Science list for news and discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Callan, Mark
Sent: 12 June 2009 15:00
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Job cuts at King's
I think that there are two distinct strands here: job cuts and the status of librarians (for which substitute whatever term you please - though that's part of the problem, of course).
I object to such job cuts because, in general, they are ill-thought out and generally punish the workforce for what are management failures. I object to such job cuts because they have such a dreadful impact on people's lives and sense of self-worth. I object to such job cuts because they have an inevitable, but often unquantifiable, impact on the quality of provision. I object to such job cuts not because I am a staunch trade unionist but, rather, I am a staunch trade unionist because such job cuts can and do occur.
It is a huge misunderstanding to think that job cuts occur because "we have failed to spread an appreciation of the impact of our work". Blimey! Talk about blaming the victim! Job cuts occur because we do not call the shots.
I have very little time for the idea of professional standing (that just feeds smugness, to my mind) and besides, there never was a Golden Age, so the "steady course of deprofessionalisation" is an empty referent as far as I'm concerned. Isn't it truer to suggest that the functions of 'information specialist' are in ever greater demand while the ability to pay for them (in education, at least) is in decline?
Mark Callan
Tyne Metropolitan College
-----Original Message-----
From: A general Library and Information Science list for news and discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Duncan Irvine
Sent: 12 June 2009 13:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Fwd: Job cuts at King's
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Moore, Craig <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 2009/6/12
Subject: Re: Job cuts at King's
To: [log in to unmask]
** Protective Marking : NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED **
Exactly. All pretty grim stuff however I do think we need to take a moment
to look at internal rather than external causes for our decline. The fact is
that Librarianship has been on a steady course of deprofessionalisation
which I would say has done far more damage to libraries and librarianship
than budget cuts could ever do.
Craig Alexander Moore
Digital Archivist
The National Archives
+44 (0) 20 8392 5330, ext. 2593
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Library and Information Professionals [mailto:
[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ian Johnson
Sent: 12 June 2009 11:16
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Job cuts at King's
Wouldn't it be more useful to do some real soul searching about why we have
failed to spread an appreciation of the impact of our work in the so-called
'Information Society' instead of just getting hot under the collar when
confronted by evidence of our own failure such as this?
Ian M. Johnson
Professor, Department of Information Management Aberdeen Business School The
Robert Gordon University
________________________________
From: Library and Information Professionals on behalf of Chris Armstrong
Sent: Fri 12/06/2009 10:54
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: FW: Job cuts at King's
I was sufficiently incensed by this to re-post it to a second list -
apologies if you've already read it.
Chris
______________________________
Chris Armstrong
Information Automation Limited
t. (+44) 1974 251302
s. chrisatial (Skype, pre-arranged)
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w. www.i-a-l.co.uk
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Registered address: Penbryn, Bronant, Aberystwyth SY23 4TJ Registered in
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-----Original Message-----
From: A general Library and Information Science list for news and
discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin Shelley
Sent: 11 June 2009 16:15
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Job cuts at King's
Press release:
Cuts at King's College London
King's College London is proposing to make all 30 current roles of
the Information Resources team part of ISS (Information Services & Systems)
redundant and make staff re-apply for their own jobs. 15 staff will likely
loose their job over the next 3 years, and those left face applying for
downgraded roles. This was announced in mid-April after a six-month workflow
review, including a short 2 week snapshot survey involving external
consultants.
Its
stated aim was "to deliver the services customers are asking for, identify
future needs and be flexible in responding to demands for new services."
Management deny that cost-cutting is at the heart of the proposal.
Chief Information Officer and College Librarian, Karen Stanton stated :
''I
would like to make it clear that the proposed changes are in no way related
to the current financial situation or, indeed, the Principal's announcement
regarding budget cuts and possible job losses.'' However, the announcement
of the redundancy proposals occurred less than three weeks after the College
Principal, Professor Rick Trainor, informed all College staff that King's is
facing a £14 million deficit, whilst holding £185 million in cash reserves.
This is further
highlighted by the recent article in the Times Higher Education Supplement
of the 28th May 'Dissent over staff issues at King's'.
The staff are naturally shocked, many of which have served with
King's for a long time. Especially as they were initially given a proposal
consultation period of only 30 days and to come up with a counter proposal
when other King's departments in a similar position were given 90 days.
So
Unions (Unison, Unite, UCU) stepped in and were able to win a 90 day
extension. The whole college community is appalled at how badly staff have
been treated, reverting to such draconian methods that have proven to be
divisive and demoralising to colleagues who foresee both their own skillsets
being diminished in the remaining posts and an impoverishment of ISS
customer experience arising particularly from the outsourcing of metadata
creation.
To us as Library and Information Professionals the biggest threat to
our professional qualified status is yet more being eroded and unrecognised
by the issue of downgrading and deskilling staff within the proposal. There
is also a proposal to outsource cataloguing which in our view will destroy
the quality of the collection we have at King's.
Staff and students with the backing of the Unions are mounting a No
Cuts @ King's campaign involving a petition to college management to stop
cuts, and get more government funding. We urging everyone to help support
the campaign of No Cuts @ King's and sign the online petition at
http://www.petitiononline.com/openRT09
We will keep you informed of developments.
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