I have worked in both academic libraries and in the private sector. While
I've been able to argue for a bigger salary in the private sector, it does
come with drawbacks. My time from now until mid-August is fully booked on
projects. Looks like no summer holiday for me! The company's standard
vacation in 20 days a year, and no possibility of working up more time off.
You are expected to work until midnight if the project requires it. The work
is demanding (and no, I'm not claiming that an academic librarians schedule
isn't demanding), and due to the fact that sales people normally tell
clients that we can achieve a task in silly timelines, we're up the walls.
What I am finding at the moment, is that the work I am doing (designing
classificiaition systems for large client companies for their
Internet/intranet and extranets sites), is a bit ahead of the marketplace
norm. There aren't many companies dealing in the skills necessary for
classification as yet. However, as my importance to the company I work for
is becoming more apparent (they are more and more aware that they can sell
my consultancy skills on to a client at consultancy rates) I've been able to
negotiate a bigger salary. I'm hoping that as more companies buy into this
idea, the salaries in the private sector will climb, and the number of
positions for librarians in the private sector will climb. Perhaps that will
have a knock on effect for public sector librarians? If there are more and
more opportunities for librarians in the private sector, surely the private
sector will have to increase salaries to keep librarians in the academic
libraries?
Am I totally deluded?
Charlotte
=============================Nua=================================
charlotte breen|classification consultant|mail:[log in to unmask]
pho + 353 61 349041 fax + 353 1 283 9988
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