PRESENT: Task Force Coordinator Patricia Glass Schuman; ALA President-Elect Maurice (Mitch) J. Freedman; Member Cathy Bremer; Member Carol Brey; Member Charling (Cha) Fagan; Member Yvonne Snyder Farly; Member Norm Jacknis; Member Gene Kinnaly; Member Kathleen de la Pena McCook; Member Michele (Mike) Leber; Member Donna Mandel; Member Rosemary Mesh; Member Margaret Myers; Member Patricia Smith; Member Thomas Wilding; Intern Jill Uncyk; Staff Liaison Elizabeth (Liz) Dreazen

The Freedman Better Salaries/Pay Equity Task Force convened at 12:00pm on Friday, November 09, 2001 with Task Force Coordinator Patricia Glass Schuman chairing.

Introductions

1:10pm Mitch introduces Pat Schuman, ALA Freedman Better Salaries/Pay Equity Task Force Coordinator and explains that the Task Force has two names: "Better Salaries" and "Pay Equity"

The Campaign is the "Campaign for America's Librarians," which includes all people working in America's libraries.

Tom Wilding-Chair, Task Force on the Status of Librarians

Carol Brey-Is particularly interested in librarian pay in her region of El Paso compares to that of other regions in the Southwest

Mike Leber-Past Chair of Committee on Pay Equity, winner of ALA Equality Award

Gene Kinnaly-Special Collections Cataloger at the Library of Congress that is particularly interested in representing the Library Support Staff (Round Table)

Yvonne Farley-Introduces the condition in her state of WV where, salaries are woefully low. She is interested in salaries and library unions

Cathy Bremer-Chief Steward of Unions at San Francisco Public Library. Interested in the status of librarians everywhere

Patricia Smith-Interested in what State Associations in the ALA chapters can do to help on a state wide level. Says there are critical issues in TX with low salaries and the Task Force is a timely initiative

Patricia Glass Schuman-Coordinator for the Freedman Better Salaries/Pay Equity Task Force. Pat Schuman is a Past-President of ALA and President currently chairs @ your library, the Campaign for America's Libraries, the Core Values of Librarianship Task Force, and the Freedman Better Salaries/Pay Equity Task Force. She is also one of the original founders of the Social Responsibilities Round Table

Rosemary Mesh-Has worked on a demographic, strategic marketing plan and discovered other statistics available for library workers as well as participated on a task force for public libraries and wrote on the subject of salaries as a problem. Rosemary is interested in compensation for library workers

Joan Goddard-Participated in the Coalition for Equal Pay and helped to get legislation in her own state of California, which involved an analysis of state employees in terms of pay equity

Norm Jacknis-Sole Trustee of the Task Force. Norm is the President of the Westchester Library System and New York State Association of Library Boards

Donna Mandel-A young adult specialist from Oakland Public Library that is interested in the unionization of librarians

Liz Dreazen-Co-authored proposal and feels strongly that the certification other professions use to present their status would be very helpful to promote own own status as librarians and hopeful achieve pay equity

Status Committee Report

Tom Wilding-presents update on Status Committee Report, which Task Force member Mike Leber is invoved with as well. The Status Task Force was appointed last spring (2001). A lot of early deliberations trying to decipher what the we meant by status issues. Does status=salary? They are not always the same thing. There are status issues that affect salaries. Difficult time learning to work off-site. Working on having a web site up sometime this month to invite people to ask what people thing of status issues. http://www.ala.org/hrdr/status.html Problem quantifying value we bring as (librarians) to community. Our roles are obfuscated neatly so don't know what librarians contribute to process.

MJF Introduces Goals of the TF

Mitch Freedman-Begins by thanking the Freedman Better Salaries/Pay Equity Task Force. Everyone selected by Mitch Freedman who is counting on the committee to do something that ALA has never taken on-help America's library workers advocate for the salaries they deserve. MJF had chaired Pay Equity Committee when it had no budget and counted on volunteers. Mike Leber was also on the Pay Equity Committee at the time. MJF has also been on the Committee on the Status of Women and Librarianship. Salaries is not an area that has been taken on as an association-wide activity. MJF gives background indicative of his commitment to the issue of pay equity and quotes from his West Virginia Library Association Speech, where he was keynote speaker, "If there is a state where salaries need to be dealt with it is West Virginia." Average salaries of MLS degree holders in West Virginia is 32,000. Average salaries for professionals in the United States: Men-87,000, Women-51,000 (Highlights Pay Equity Issues) Freedman's wish is for Barbara Ehrenreich to be his presidential program speaker.

The Projected Project of the Task Force

What do we want to accomplish?

A. Practical

1. Budget
2. Timeline
3. People to work on committee

B. Product

1. Toolkit that resembles the ALA internet toolkit (anecdotes, etc)
2. Needs to be programs
3. Bring a roadshow to local institutes and coordinate with state and regional librarians
4. People on the Task Force to do the speaking and to bring in outside speakers

C. For it to work, the people of this nation need to understand the importance of libraries and that the people in them have special and important skills

1. Will push with Campaign for America's Libraries
2. Wants Task Force to come up with useful data on library workers' salaries from as many areas of the country as possible, which will help people with regional and then rural/urban/suburban
3. The TF has to put out tools and methodology that people can use to figure out 'what would be a good salary for me in Syracuse, NY'
4. Last crucial piece is that self-image needs to change-"we must overcome image that we...accept any pittance of pay...to do good service"
5. People need to organize in functional ways so that they can earn salaries appropriate to them. Unions are effective, but we don't want this to be a union vehicle for now

Absentees

6 People Absent:

Task Force Member Leslie Burger-President of the NJLA and the NJLA is doing a library study as we speak and we need this information

Task Force Member Harriet Selverstone-School Librarian in Norwalk, Ct and Past-President of AASL

Task Force Member EJ Josey-Current Chair of Pay Equity Committee

Task Force Member Derrie Perez-Well-recommended by member Kathleen de la Pena McCook

Task Force Member Anita Schiller-Completed pioneering work on salaries for librarians and pay equity in the early 1970s

Task Force Virtual Member Dan O'Connor-Worked hard to get MJF elected as 2002-2003 ALA President because of his commitment to Pay Equity

Resources for the Task Force

MJF will find the resources to support the work of the Freedman Better Salaries/Pay Equity Task Force. Currently, ALA's tax exempt status is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization; however, if we push for a 501(c)(6) tax status, then this will enable ALA members to advocate on behalf of librarian salaries. If librarians see this as something that will help their salaries, membership of ALA will double

Every division is asked to appoint a liaison to this Task Force

Internet Tool Kit

Liz Dreazen will mail the advocacy package and the Internet tool kit to the Task Force members as models for the Freedman Better Salaries/Pay Equity Task Force.

Brainstorming, Flip Charts

Patricia Smith and Margaret Myers assist with flip charts

• Faculty Status
• Part-Timers(hourly, no benefits)
• Cooperate with ALA units involved in the same issue (like ACRL, Faculty Status Committee)li>Divisional liaisons to the Task Force
• New Skills of Librarians
• Link to Campaign for America's Libraries and build on this
• Tell our stories
• Many librarians don't realize how bad other librarians' salaries are
• Use other committees' librarians to serve on community, on campus, etc.
• Impact of low salaries on recruitment efforts
• Look at successful salary initiatives
• Need good video for training--Could Michael Moore produce one?
• Living wage issue-tie into other Low Wage campaigns
• Compare teachers (at 12 months) to librarian salaries
• On campuses, salaries of IT professionals can be compared with that of librarians
• Look at male-dominated professions
• Publish statistical information and tips in the internet toolkit
• Use the internet toolkit as a model for types of things to include in the Pay Equity toolkit
• Look within field (also for discrepencies...eg.,male-female)
1. Equal Pay for Equal Work
2. Type of Library, type of position, hierarchies
• New LIS grads are marketing their skills in non-library information arena
• Campaign for America's Librarians or Library Workers
• Other Benefits (eg., Travel, Professional Development)
• Librarians as Information Specialists
• Need to improve statistical reporting system, need to more easily disseminate full ALA salary report (as on the Web)-not just sell for $57.00
• Recognistion for other language skills (both librarians and support staff)
• Recognition of 'master children's librarians', reference librarians, catalogers, etc. as well as other non-administrative positions
• Economic downturn issue to address tough-question
• Why I became a librarian
• What a librarian does
• A librarian is still identified with books, not technology, but we are part of a digital age
• Don't want to lower the higher paid, we want to bring everyone up
• Supply and demand-salaries generally go up when supply is low
• Fewer library science (LIS) faculty indentify with the term "librarian"-young LIS faculty don't belong to ALA
• Need to engage facultyy who are encouraging students to go into different areas
• Public versus private sectors
• Demographics (eg., public libraries serving populations that need literacy help and/or literacy basics
• Prove economic value of the library
• Nonprofits asked to evaluate what they do
• Stories and statistics
• #1 Tough Question-'We Don't Have the Money to Pay You'
• Need to eliminate caps on librarians' salaries, which will lift caps on support staff salaries
• Librarians are too much associated with books still
• MJF-'we need to focus on all library workers'
• Move everyone up the pay scale
• Library budgets are low too
• Treat as a political campaign with public, mayors' conference, governors, etc.
• Media tour; magazines
• Distribute stories to mass media
• Marketing library as a blend of the traditional and the new
• Go back to the basics of why libraries are important
• Look at nonprofit evaluation models to prove case-and to back up the stories
• Package the message as comparable(paperclips)
• Book groups and festivals are just examples to show how libraries contribute to the community
• Book stores have become the spokespeople for reading in some cases
• Economic input-package this info
• Get women riled! Testimonials at program
• Get on Oprah's program
• 'National Library Strike'-a day without information
• Unions-positive examples of unionizing, good at communicating comparative data
• Supply and demand-problem of eliminating/reducing job requirements when supply is low
• Supply and demand arguments don't seem to work in female dominated groups
• ALA Washington Office should help us look to nonprofit/outcome models for funing-show economic benefit of libraries
• Economic value of libraries-study (Stieglitz, Nobel Prize winner)
• Plan for longer run!
• Many folks in ad agencies read books and can sympathize--can turn to media
• Stregnth in numbers-remember the support staff!
• Find ways to get the support staff stories-most can't attend a conference (go through state associations)
• Many people are not graduating from colleges and this will impact library school attendance
• External comparison of salaries
• Internal pay equity issues
• There is often a disconnect between jobs and salaries--support staff often do librarian jobs

Small Group Break Downs

At 3:50pm, Pat Schuman divides the Task Force into small groups

Group 1-Research

Group 2-Legislation/Pay Equity

Group 3-Stories/Reports

Group 4-Unions, ALA, Missions, Coalitions

Outcome of Small Group Break Down Discussions

Sha Fagan presents outcome for Group 1-Research

A. Need basic fact sheet

1. Comparison/fields eg., (MSW) teachers, IT, CPA

B. Additions/Suggestions for ALA O.R. Survey (clearing house for salary surveys)

1. Graph showing trends
2. More analysis
3. Statistics on support staff
4. Ratio of library staff: users
5. Gender breakdown
6. Living wage
7. % of budget spent on staff

Questions: What professions does ALA use as comparisons in survey/article?

C. MJF-Write heads of State Organizations/Associations for names of representatives/liaisons to this committee, which will serve as a clearing house for data gathering

1. Identify data that is lacking
2. Ask for successful case studies
3. What worked
4. What did not work

D. Collect information on economic value of libraries

1. Recommend enlisting economist in analysis
2. Link to Campaing for America's Libraries

Pat Smith presents outcome for Group 2-Legal Table

1. ALA Washington Office should monitor and report via ALAWON on continuing status on pay equity legislation
2. Through ALA Chapter Relations, build partnerships and coalitions with state library associations and others to focus increased attention on pay equity issues
3. ALA should proceed with plans to form a 501(C)6 with a mission broad enough to encompass lobbying and advocacy for salaries, benefits and the profession at large
4. ALA should conduct a study of the economic impact of libraries and librarians
5. ALA should also identify ways to measure the social and cultural impact of libraries and librarians on communities (all types)
6. ALA should aggressively promote certification of individual librarians and build new certification programs to match competency areas
7. While we recognize the value and tradition of the term "librarian," we should recognize the importance of defining positions in terms of their current environment
8. ALA should organize a nationwide "media watch" to identify and combat negative and stereotypical images of librarians in advertising and the media, and to promote positive portrayals

Carol Brey presents outcome for Group 3-Stories, Media, PR

External Concepts

A. Knowledge

1. Lifelong learning
2. Knowledge navigators
3. Information as power
4. Trained librarians/staff

B. Democracy/Freedom

1. Librarian as Guardian
2. Defender of Freedom
3. Freedom Fighter
4. Free Access
5. Uniquely American

C. Shortage

1. Valuable Guide to the Information Age who Won't Be There!
2. Library Schools
3. The 'L' word
4. If you don't pay them, they won't be there when you need them

D. Stories: About the Low End and Success Stories (Salaries)

1. Wal Mart Story
2. Recent LIS grads
3. New York Public Library Branches
4. How librarians help
5. Why I became a librarian
6. Why I like working for the library

E. Internal Concepts (Among Ourselves)

1. "Each one RECRUIT one"
2. Remember the Anger
3. Women and Anger--channeling the energy
4. Assertiveness & Action!
5. Assertiveness Training

Jenna Freedman presents outcome for Group 4-Unions&Coalitions

A. Unions/Coalitions

1. AFSCME, NEA, SEIU, AAUP, Teamsters, AFT
2. Identified Unions-how many librarians are involved?
3. Partnering
4. ALA/AFL/CIO Joint Committe
5. Form national caucus of AFL/CIO members who are librarians
6. Collect union memberships on ALA memberships form? Or quick survey in AL
7. Support staff in unions?
8. An approach to organize librarians/PR for unions
9. Librarians caucus with unions or join another caucus such as the Caucus of Labor union Women
10. Consciousness raising among librarians and library directors re: what unions can do
• "why should you join unions?" as part of touch questions (not just help with salaries)
11. Have significant programs on unions
12. Erosion of services with cutbacks
13. School librarians within unions need MLS, not just teaching degree
14. Research
• how many different libraries are in the U.S.
• differentials re: union, non-union salaries
15. Find PhD student to do dissertation re: union (check with Dan O'Connor)
16. SEIU model of approach to unions through how professionals can benefit clients/patients

End of Session One

Pat Schuman, Freedman Better Salaries/Pay Equity Task Force Coordinator closes Session One with the message there there needs to be real deliverables to come up with during Mitch Freedman's presidency. Pat Schuman adjourns meeting at 9:37pm.

Present: Task Force Coordinator, Patricia Glass Schuman; ALA President-Elect Maurice J. (Mitch) Freedman; Member Cathy Bremer, Member Yvonne Snyder Farley; Member Mike Leber; Member Gene Kinnaly; Member Carol Brey; Member Tom Wilding; Member Harriet Selverstone; Member Donna Mandel; Member Joan Goddard; Member Rosemary Mesh; Member Jenna Freedman; Member Sha Fagan; Member Kathleen de la Pena McCook; Member Patricia Smith; Member Margaret Myers; Member Norm Jacknis

Planning

A. Midwinter 2002

B. Spring Meeting 2002

C. Annual 2002

D. Midwinter 2003

E. Annual 2003

F. To Do

G. RFP for Research Studies

H. Collect stories, case studies, human interest

Small Group Break Downs

9:45am, Freedman Better Salaries/Pay Equity Task Force Coordinator, Pat Schuman breaks up small groups for an hour and fifteen minutes

Table 1-Programs

Table 2-Toolkit

Table 3-Training

Table 4-Publicity, Messages

Pat Schuman reconvenes groups for discussion at 11:34am

Jenna Freedman presents outcome for Group 1

Programs

Talks only of Midwinter and Annual

A. Midwinter 2002

B. Publicity for Midwinter

C. Annual 2002

D. Midwinter 2003

E. Annual 2003

1. Success!

Harriet Selverstone presents outcome for Group 2

Publicity

Margaret Myers presents outcome for Group 3

A. Toolkit

B. Other ALA toolkits

C. Possible Contents

D. Suggested Strategies for Sluggish Salaries

E. Resources

F. Handouts for Other Groups

G. Tough Questions and Answers