Kansas ALA Councilor: Proposed Resolution on Minimum Salary

The following is a proposed resolution for the ALA-APA (Allied Professional Association)_the advocate/lobby arm of ALA. As ALA Councilors we automatically serve as ALA-APA Councilors. I have included all of the background and support material because I thought it would be helpful to you as you think about this issue.

My plan is to support this resolution. I have offered to second the resolution, if needed. If you see issues that you think should be addressed, please let me know and I will be happy to work with Michael on them and get back to you.

Thanks.

Rob Banks

ALA Councilor

Background

This Resolution is intended to establish a minimum salary as a policy statement of the ALA’s Allied Professional Association. The establishment of such a policy by APA is desirable for the following reasons:

Such a policy is entirely consistent with the goals of APA. Nothing could be more appropriate than for the organization to go on record as supporting a non-binding floor for professional librarian pay.

The establishment of APA has brought about high expectations among ALA membership for effective action; the future support of APA by ALA membership depends upon the organization taking steps to maintain itself in the forefront of issues such as librarian pay.

The establishment of a minimum salary has been demonstrated to be a most important concern of library workers, and the $40,000 minimum to be their most consistent choice among several.

The minimum salary in the proposed Resolution is more than $16,000 below the national mean, and also lower than the starting salary for six of the 25 largest public systems.

The proposed Resolution would establish a non-binding minimum salary as the policy of APA. The creation of this policy would serve to draw attention to the problem of librarian pay, more firmly establish APA as an advocate for library workers, and provide a test base for evaluation of future policy initiatives in the area of salaries and working conditions.

Michael McGrorty

Councilor-at-large

November 30, 2006

Resolution Draft
ENDORSEMENT OF A NONBINDING MINIMUM SALARY FOR PROFESSIONAL LIBRARIANS
WHEREAS, The among the stated goals of the Allied Professional Association is “Direct support of comparable worth and pay equity initiatives, and other activities designed to improve the salaries and status of librarians and other library workers;”[1] and
WHEREAS, The Mean Librarian Salary in 2006 was $56,259;[2] and
WHEREAS, Over three-quarters of respondent library workers support the establishment of salary minimums for librarians, with the commonest salary figure cited being $40,000;[3] and
WHEREAS, The National Education Association has established a minimum salary of at least $40,000 for public school teachers, professionals whose qualifications closely mirror those of librarians,[4] now, be it
RESOLVED, that the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association endorses a minimum salary for professional librarians of not less than $40,000 per year.
-----------------------------
Survey Results: Librarian Salaries
Michael McGrorty
Software: QuestionPro
Updated: November 28, 2006
Address Inquiry: backwage@aol.com
Survey Statistics

Viewed
20
Started
772
Completed
702
Completion Rate
90.93%
Drop Outs (After Starting)
70
                     Average time taken to complete survey : 1 minute(s)

How many years of library work experience do you have?
Frequency Analysis
Answer
Count
Percent
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

1.
None or less than a year
63
8.79%

2.
One to five years
216
30.13%

3.
Five to ten years
160
22.32%

4.
Ten to Fifteen years
97
13.53%

5.
Fifteen to twenty years
63
8.79%

6.
More than twenty years
118
16.46%

Total
717
100%
Key Analytics
Mean
3.328
Key Facts
                     52.44% chose the following options :
                                   One to five years
                                   Five to ten years
                     Least chosen option 8.79% :
                                   None or less than a year
Confidence Interval @ 95%
[3.212 - 3.444]
n = 717
Standard Deviation
1.586
Standard Error
0.059

My current/former employment is best described as:
Frequency Analysis
Answer
Count
Percent
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

1.
Library Support Staff
75
10.49%

2.
Librarian (non-supervisory)
288
40.28%

3.
First-level Library Supervisor
70
9.79%

4.
Department Manager
78
10.91%

5.
Branch Manager
35
4.90%

6.
District Library Manager
8
1.12%

7.
Library Director or Similar Administrator
100
13.99%

8.
Professor/Instructor
13
1.82%

9.
Consultant
9
1.26%

10.
Other
35
4.90%

11.
None
4
0.56%

Total
715
100%
Key Analytics
Mean
3.741
Key Facts
                     54.27% chose the following options :
                                   Librarian (non-supervisory)
                                   Library Director or Similar Administrator
                     Least chosen option 0.56% :
                                   None
Confidence Interval @ 95%
[3.553 - 3.929]
n = 715
Standard Deviation
2.567
Standard Error
0.096

Overall Matrix Scorecard
Question
Count
Score
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree

1.
I believe that there should be a non-mandatory minimum salary standard for full-time librarians.
711
2.003

I believe that there should be a non-mandatory minimum salary standard for full-time librarians.
Frequency Analysis
Answer
Count
Percent
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

1.
Strongly Agree
249
35.02%

2.
Agree
294
41.35%

3.
Neutral
104
14.63%

4.
Disagree
45
6.33%

5.
Strongly Disagree
19
2.67%

Total
711
100%
Key Analytics
Mean
2.003
Key Facts
                     76.37% chose the following options :
                                   Agree
                                   Strongly Agree
                     Least chosen option 2.67% :
                                   Strongly Disagree
Confidence Interval @ 95%
[1.930 - 2.076]
n = 711
Standard Deviation
0.996
Standard Error
0.037

If you believe that there should be a minimum annual salary established for librarians, what should that be?
Frequency Analysis
Answer
Count
Percent
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

1.
Less than $25,000
1
0.17%

2.
$25,000
20
3.45%

3.
$30,000
83
14.34%

4.
$35,000
165
28.50%

5.
$40,000
175
30.22%

6.
$45,000
91
15.72%

7.
$50,000
31
5.35%

8.
More than $50,000
13
2.25%

Total
579
100%
Key Analytics
Mean
4.649
Key Facts
                     58.72% chose the following options :
                                   $40,000
                                   $35,000
                     Least chosen option 0.17% :
                                   Less than $25,000
Confidence Interval @ 95%
[4.545 - 4.754]
n = 579
Standard Deviation
1.285
Standard Error
0.053

List library organizations you belong to:
Frequency Analysis
Answer
Count
Percent
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

1.
American Library Association (and its divisions)
452
37.48%

2.
State or Regional Library Association
443
36.73%

3.
Other
226
18.74%

4.
None
85
7.05%

Total
1206
100%
Key Analytics
Mean
1.954
Key Facts
                     74.21% chose the following options :
                                   American Library Association (and its divisions)
                                   State or Regional Library Association
                     Least chosen option 7.05% :
                                   None
Confidence Interval @ 95%
[1.902 - 2.005]
n = 1206
Standard Deviation
0.918
Standard Error
0.026

Notes: This survey was begun in July of 2006 and advertised on various library listservs and websites. Duplicate entries have been eliminated to the degree possible through checking of participant IP addresses.

[1] See http://www.ala-apa.org/about/about.html
[2] See “Librarian Salary Survey Reports Mean Librarian Salary Up More Than 4% to $56,259 in 2006”
available at http://www.ala-apa.org/newsletter/vol3no11/salaries.htm
[3] As found in the attached Survey.
[4] See Professional Pay: about NEA’s Salary Initiative at http://www.nea.org/pay/about.html
ala-aparesolution.doc