Fair enough point. However, actually preferring lower salaries to
alienating our clientele seems a dubious choice at best- DO doctors
(Crippen & Shipman aside) etc. really alienate their publics? Come to
that, do we always have a great relationship with ours? do they respect
us?- and a self-defeating one at worst. Regards, Keith.  

On Mon, 22 May 2000, Bye, Dan J wrote:

> You misunderstand my position, Keith.  I'm not being remotely self-effacing.  I'm saying we should be proud of not being like some of the
> other professions.
> 
> Dan
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Keith O'Sullivan [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: 22 May 2000 15:11
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: A profession or a vocation?, or: The doormat strikes back?
> > 
> > 
> > With reference to the debate on costs of chartership & value of
> > revalidation,  I don't think that self-effacement of the kind 
> > expressed by
> > Dan helps LIS professionals win recognition from employers either.  
> > I'm attaching a message that I sent to Lesha either which, while
> > reaffirming skepticism on revalidation, also  (I hope) 
> > counters the tenor
> > at least of Dan's contribution. This IS a legitimate profession, and
> > deserves to be recognized as such.
> > Keith.
> >  
> > Dear Lesha,
> > I do see where you're coming from , and I'm sorry to sound so 
> > negative. My
> > views are partly formed by working for an old University, 
> > which has been
> > slow, to put it diplomatically, to accord professional 
> > recognition to LIS
> > and who continue to pay librarians clerical salaries. This pattern is
> > repeated in public libraries- where most librarians are at Clerical
> > Officer grades (or below) of the Civil Service. Given the 
> > post/graduate
> > nature of our profession these days, this is pretty outrageous. The
> > Library Association leadership really owe their membership a 
> > hell of a lot
> > for never once, as far as I can, trying to combat 
> > 'deprofessionalization'
> > (see Roberts, Konn: Librarians and professional status, 1991- this has
> > been going on and getting worse for years). Some employers, are good-
> > giving credit for the Charter- but a lot are NOT. Revalidation in
> > conjunction with CPD would only be of value if organizations were
> > compelled to recognize our professionalism. At the moment, it 
> > just seems
> > as if we are being asked to give something (& spend a lot of 
> > time & money
> > doing so) for, potentially, nothing. Part of one's 
> > self-esteem stems from
> > receiving a reasonable salary which would at least give us parity with
> > comparable groups like teachers. This is a profession- not a
> > vocation. Until the LA starts behaving like the RCN
> > (which isn't a trade union either) in working to secure better living
> > standards for its members, I'll continue to be skeptical about this
> > one-sided proposal.  
> > Regards,
> > Keith.  
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 



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