ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries J u n e 1 9 9 2 / 4 1 1 Letters L ib rarian sh ip to o a ttra c tiv e ? To th e Editor: Patricia Kreitz’s article o n recruitm ent o f n e librarians ( “R ecruitm ent & retention in y o u r ow backyard,” April 1992) re m in d e d m e o f th e situ ation h e re at Pitt-Bradford. O v er th e p a st sev eral years five library e m p lo y e e s h av e g o n e t library sch o o l. (T w o are w o rk in g librarians three are still in p rogress.) T w o m o re a re p la n ning o n going. In addition, o n e o f o u r Englis instructors a n d o n e o f this y e a r’s grad u atin seniors a re p lan n in g to start w o rk in g to w ard the MLS this y e a r o r next. This m ight n o t see unusual until o n e co n sid ers th at w e only hav six clerical a n d p a rap ro fessio n al p o sitio n s an ten w o rk /s tu d y students. T h e p ro b le m is tha w e k e e p hav in g to rep lace staff! A re w e m ak ing this lo o k to o attractive?— D en n is Frank, Uni versity o f Pittsburgh, B ra d fo r d O r to o d iffic u lt to ach ieve? To th e Editor: I re a d w ith g reat in terest P atricia K reitz’ article, since it p arallels in m an y w ay s w h a t w are trying to d o h e re in N orth D akota. In spit of having lo w crim e, lo w taxes, lo w cost o living, g reat air quality, a n d h ard ly a n y rus hours (ru sh m inutes a re m o re like it), it is h ar to recruit librarians to co m e h ere, a n d so th North D akota Library A ssociation is trying t “g ro w o u r o w n ” professionals b y p ro v id in g th m eans for p a rap ro fessio n als to e a rn th eir MLS thro u g h distance e d u catio n . T h e p ro g ra m ha g en erated a n e n o rm o u s a m o u n t o f interest over 300 positive re sp o n se s— a n d w e h o p e t get th e p ro ject g o in g in th e n e x t year. T h ree co n cern s w e re n o t a d d re s se d in th article w h ich hav e an im pact o n th e ability o p a rap ro fessio n als to e a rn th e ir g ra d u a te d e grees. All relate to the fact that most paraprofes sionals are people with lives rooted in their com munities by the ties of other family members, an cannot simply pack u p their lives for a year or tw and go off to earn a graduate degree. First, so m e are c o n c e rn e d th at th ey will e d u cate them selves o u t o f a job. If th ey are cur rently w o rk in g in a p o sitio n th at d o e s n o t re quire an MLS, th e re is n o g u a ra n te e th a t ther will b e a higher-level job available to th em i w n ­ ­ o , ­ h g s m e d t ­ ­ s e e f h d e o e s s — o e f ­ ­ ­ d o ­ ­ ­ e n th e library w h e re th ey are currently w o rk in g w h e n th ey h av e th e g rad u ate deg ree, o r that th eir job p o sitio n c o u ld b e rew ritten. In aca­ dem ic libraries w h e re som e d e g re e o f academ ic ra n k is in h e re n t in so m e positions, this can b e a real problem . S econd, if librarians are p a id badly, p a ra ­ p ro fessio n als are p a id e v e n w o rse. M any o f th e m ca n n o t afford eith er to tak e th e tim e off to e a rn a d e g re e or to p a y th e tuition involved. T h ere n e e d s to b e a com m itm ent o n th e p art o f th e institution w h e re th e p ro sp e c tiv e stu ­ d e n t w o rk s to g ran t release tim e, to pro v id e travel ex p en ses, o r to h e lp w ith tu itio n costs, in ex c h a n g e for a definite co m m itm en t o n th e p a rt o f th e stu d e n t to w o rk for th e institution fo r a set term o f years. It is certainly to th e b en efit o f th e institution to u p g ra d e th e abili­ ties o f its staff q u ite as m u c h as its faculty. Third, th e physical difficulties in acquiring a g rad u ate d e g re e m ay b e qu ite prohibitive. For instance, it is a b o u t 12 h o u rs from o u r college to the n earest ALA-accredited library program . C om m uting, in th ese circum stances, is sim ply ridiculous, esp ecially in th e w in ter. Distance education is the only possible solution, and it w ould b e a great help if ALA w ould provide more direc­ tion and practical assistance in this area. All these are difficulties which must b e addressed if w e are to do m ore than stir the desire to becom e professional, degreed librarians in the breasts of our paraprofessionals. After recruitment, one must look to the practicalities and logistics o f the matter in order to take the next logical step.— Phyllis A n n K. Bratton, director, R august Library, Jam estown College K udos fo r n e w C&RL N e w s fo r m a t T o th e Editor: C ongratulations o n th e n e w C&RL New s for­ mat! It’s lively, b o ld , a n d easy to re a d a n d the c o v e r o f th e April issue is w o n d erfu l. If pro fes­ sionals m u st b e c o n c e rn e d a b u t th e im age th ey project, th eir co m m u n icatio n s m ust also cor­ rectly reflect th eir p ro fessio n al status. I think y o u r April issue is right o n targ et a n d I a m sure this is o n ly o n e o f m an y co n g ratu lato ry letters you will receive from your readership. My compli­ ments on a job well done.— Bobbi CiatfeUa, associ­ ate, Petty, Dean, Rogers & Partners: Architects 4 1 2 / C&RL N e w s To the Editor: Ju st w a n te d to let you k n o w h o w m uch better the publication looks. It is so m uch easier o n the eyes an d it looks m ore lively. G reat move!—M arty Goldberg, Beaver Campus, P enn State University Libraries To the Editor: The last tw o covers o f the News have just b een spectacular. At last the News has gotten som e real style. I d o h o p e you are going to continue these handsom e covers. It m akes get­ ting the m agazine a real treat. It causes m e to w an t to look inside. I h o p e others have the A nnual Conference notices SEES offers fre e w o rk s h o p s ACRL’s Slavic an d East E uropean Section will offer tw o half-day w orkshops during ALA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco. The first, aim ed at th e non-specialist, is called “Slavic an d East E uropean Collections and the Di­ lem mas of the Non-Specialist” an d will be held o n Saturday, Ju n e 27, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. T he seco n d w o rk sh o p , “N ew Chal­ le n g e s in S la v ic a n d E a s t E u r o p e a n Librarianship,” is for the more advanced Slavic librarian an d will b e held Saturday, Ju n e 27, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. For details contact: Laszlo Kovacs at (507) 645-9649 o r Susan Burke at (206) 543-5588. Research Com m ittee offers mentors ACRL’s Research Com m ittee will bring to­ gether m entees and m entors o n Sunday, June 28, 1992, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the A nnual Conference in San Francisco u n d er its year- old pilot project linking academ ic librarians o n bitnet. Beginning researchers are given the opportunity to w ork w ith experienced librarians on issues, problem s, m ethods and techniques of library an d information science research. Individuals w ishing to hear about the project a n d /o r becom e n ew m em bers are encouraged to attend. V isit Shields Lib rary T ake a self-guided to u r o f th e e x p a n d e d Shields Library at th e University o f Califor­ nia-Davis after ALA. The cam pus is an easy exit off 1-80, 75 miles east o f San Francisco. sam e reaction. My thanks for striking a blow for progress.—J a y M artin Poole, assistant d i­ rector f o r collection a n d bibliographic services, Texas A&M University R epetitive-m otion injuries To the Editor: I am pleased that the issue o f carpal tunnel an d o ther repetitive-m otion injuries w as dis­ cussed in the March 1992 C&RL News (“ Coping w ith repetitive-m otion injuries in a large aca­ dem ic library,” an d “What, exactly, is carpal tunnel syndrome?”). I have tw o comments, how ­ ever. O ne phrase from the Eissinger an d Ricks article raised m y hackles (can that becom e a repetitive-m otion injury?). They state the “staff committee was composed of professional and para­ professional librarians.” What is a “paraprofessional librarian?” Surely this is an oxymoron. Second, Ricks states the “m edian nerve p ro ­ vides sensation to the han d and fingers” w hich implies all o f the han d and fingers. T he m e­ dian nerve com es u p the inside of the wrist an d serves the thum b and first tw o fingers; the ulnar nerve com es u p the back o f the wrist, serves the last three fingers, and is the sam e o n e affected by hitting your “funny b o n e .” Yes, that m eans o n e finger has tw o nerves supply­ ing it. I w as treated for carpal tunnel myself from conservative splinting to final use o f very successful surgery over ten years ago, before it w as a fashionable disease. Since it w as my w riting h an d that w as affected, I w as out for one w eek until the stitches w ere rem oved with no long-term disability o r rehabilitation treat­ ments. The total cost even in today’s dollars w as far less than $20,000, and it then w as inpa­ tient an d now is outpatient surgery. I have also b e e n splinted for tenosynovitis in the index fin­ ger o f the sam e hand. The sensation is entirely different, but both are painful. I h o p e that by now all institutions are aware of th e problem s of repetitive-m otion injuries, and that em ployees are aw are that they should sp eak u p before the injuries require extensive treatm ent. Thanks for rem inding us.—Jea n E. Crampon, h e a d librarian, H ancock Library o f Biology a n d Oceanography, University o f South­ ern California, Los Angeles (C&RL News w elcom es y o u r signed, typed com m ents on recent content in o u r pages or on matters o f general interest to the academ ic or research library profession. Write to: The Editor, C&RL News, 5 0 E. H u ro n St., Chicago, IL 60611; f a x (312) 2 8 0 -7 6 6 3 ) ■