sues_budgie Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 A good undergraduate degree and a postgraduate librarianship qualification, usually an MA. Some places will let you study for that while you work as a library assistant*, but librarianship is very much a professional career. Absolutely not something that can be done by unpaid volunteers. That you were not aware of this perhaps casts a light on how seriously we should take your suggestions for library reform. * Library assistants earn between 10 and 13k pa. Gotta love that public sector gravy train, eh? A degree? for a job that pays 10 - 13k per year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyproduct Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 So all the library workers in Sheffield have a degree and a MA? No, but the librarians do. There's a difference between assistants and librarians, but I'm sure you understand that libraries can't be run by assistants. That's why they're called assistants. How many library assistants are there without degrees? Probably plenty. How does that help with getting librarians to work for free? So someone working with academic journals at Central gets the same as someone stamping Jilly Cooper books in Tinsley? Seriously, the Jilly Cooper thing's just tired and ignorant. I think we have to sit down and identify which libraries need which calibre of staff in order to full discuss the plan. Easy test. Q: Is it a library? A: Yes, you need professional librarians. Volunteers are the way forward if you want the FULL service without any reductions. And the very best of luck getting people who have trained for up to 4 years to work for free. What is your alternative though? You oppose the cuts, suggest another way then. I didn't drink the "there is no alternative but to attempt to slash our way out of recession" Kool-Aid, I'm afraid. I look forward to seeing the US spend the next 2 years investing in infrastructure, services and job creation, and hearing the Coalition's doubtless cast iron excuses for why that wouldn't work here, and why Ireland's plan was a better idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyproduct Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 A degree? for a job that pays 10 - 13k per year? See above, the assistants make 10-13k. You need the MA to be a proper librarian. Still, they only make about 20k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey19 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Did you know that the average lifespan of a wasp is 40 days? What is the lifespan of a troll ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sues_budgie Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 What is the lifespan of a troll ? 70 years..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey19 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 70 years..... Did you get that from a book or the internet ? (or ask a librarian) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitch_1980 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I wonder if the cuts will actually push sheffield libraries to think outside the box in how they deliver the services across the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagel Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Can't you get all the information you need from the Internet? Got to be easier than going into town, looking for the book etc... and then... 1) finding its been lent out 2) its out of date etc.... If you type in any subject into a search engine such as "birds" you will get every bit of info about every bird in less than a second. Did you know that the average lifespan of a wasp is 40 days? No you can't. Not every reference book is available online. For instance "The Development of the ion X-ray tube with a description of the collection in the Medical Historical Museum, University of Copenhagen" by Paul Rønne and Arnold B.W. Nielsen. Published 1986. This book is unavailable online and unavailable for sale on any of the online book shops. It's ultra-rare. Yet I was able to order a copy via the inter-library book loan scheme. I had to pay a small fee of a couple of quid, then it was delivered to my local library just 200 yards from my house. The printed word and the library system beat the internet hands down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewheeldave Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Can't you get all the information you need from the Internet? Got to be easier than going into town, looking for the book etc... and then... 1) finding its been lent out 2) its out of date etc.... If you type in any subject into a search engine such as "birds" you will get every bit of info about every bird in less than a second. Did you know that the average lifespan of a wasp is 40 days? Why are so many people under the impression that the internet makes libraries obselete? The internet is a good source for information, but a lot of library users want to read novels/fiction, which is freely available from the libraries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unitedite Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 A degree? for a job that pays 10 - 13k per year? The labour market is abject. Have you no idea how many graduates are unemployed? I earn 13k a year and of the ~15 people in my team there are more with postgraduate degrees than no degree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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