COPE III Looks at Support Staff

Paraprofessionals, who have gained attention during the recent efforts to boost salaries and status for library workers, were the subject of the American Library Association's (ALA) third Congress on Professional Education (COPE).

Titled "Focus on Library Support Staff," the common thread in COPE III was boosting respect and prominence for support staff, who comprise about two-thirds of all library workers.

Held at the College of Du Page, Glenn Ellyn, IL, May 16–17, the meeting attracted library staff and support staff, administrators, educators, and leaders, who discussed career ladders and advancement, the changing role of support staff, compensation, lack of professional development, and the role of support staff in professional associations.

The group made broad recommendations in six areas. Support staff should become more involved in ALA, and the Library Support Staff Interest Round Table (LSSIRT) should grow from a round table to a division. ALA's recruitment efforts should include all library workers, and a task force should be created to establish career ladders for support staff.

A national support staff certification program needs to be developed and administered by ALA and its Allied Professional Association. Formal education programs, from preparing library technical workers to coursework for the MLS, must be accessible to full-time library workers, and local training opportunities have to be improved. Library work environments should be mutually respectful places that value all workers. Finally, ALA's marketing materials should include all workers.

Some paraprofessionals were concerned by the disproportionate number of librarians at the meeting, but most felt that ALA was "finally acknowledging the enormous role that two-thirds of all library employees play," as one participant said. As for improving compensation, few were optimistic, especially when librarians themselves are so poorly paid.

"Certification is very important," said associate director of the Southeast Florida Library Information Network Bruce Massis. "But for it to be meaningful, there needs to be a mechanism to reward people." Massis said that southern Florida had several great programs for library technicians in community colleges, "but libraries don't recognize them. They don't lead to advancement or improved salaries."

Kent Slade, former Council on Library/Media Technicians president and a librarian at the Logan Library, UT, felt that the important message was one of respect: "The librarians didn't think it much of an issue, but they were shocked at the horror stories that people told." Slade said that COPE III had the potential to transform ALA. "If we could attract all library workers, then we would have a whole new ALA," he said.

The report was accepted unanimously by the Executive Board at the annual conference in June. Mary Ghikas, ALA's senior associate executive director, was asked to prepare an implementation recommendation report for the board by the October 2003 Executive Board meeting.

On July 22, the COPE III Steering Committee issued a memo to the ALA divisions recommending that ALA use the specific title librarian "only when such specificity is necessary, warranted, and true to an intent to limit a program or communication to those individuals with an ALA-recognized Master's degree."