Nominees Sought for $5000 Award for Improving Library Workers' Salaries and Status

For Immediate Release
October 5, 2006
Contact: Jenifer Grady, ALA-APA Director, 312-280-2424
Nominees Sought for $5000 Award for Improving Library Workers' Salaries and Status
The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) is seeking nominees, both individuals and organizations, that have made a positive change in the salaries or status of librarians and/or support staff. The Award Jury is looking forward to receiving the stories of champions that have had a local, regional or national impact. The winner will receive a $5000 award, thanks to the SirsiDynix Corporation. Each nominee must have three nominations using the electronic application form at http://www.ala-apa.org/sirsidynixnominationform.html. The deadline is Friday, December 1, 2006.

Nominations will be reviewed by the Award Jury, chaired by Barbara J. Ford of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in January 2007 in Seattle, WA, and the winner(s) will be honored at the Annual Conference in June 2007 in Washington, DC. Members of the 2005 Jury said that the nominations were "incredible experiences to share of triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds to achieve higher salaries. Their stories inspired us.”

In 2006, the winners were AFSCME Local 1526 of the Boston Public Library and James Fish, director of the Baltimore County (Md.) Public Library, and Eileen Muller, president of the Brooklyn Library Guild, Local 1482, was given an honorable mention. AFSCME Local 1526 "did an outstanding job in their last contract negotiations to win upgrades for all 76 library support staff in the 26 of the 27 branches of the city public library system." Fish campaigned for "a new pay program that resulted in a 7.34% pay adjustment to all staff, annual merit steps of 5%, and the base starting salary for librarians increased by 13.4%." In 2005, the first year, Maurice Freedman and Dorothy Morgan were chosen, Freedman, former ALA President, for raising awareness of salary inequities within librarianship and Dorothy for advocating on behalf of support staff nationwide. Morgan is the Business Manager, Liverpool Public Library (NY) and former President of the ALA Library Support Staff Interest Round Table (LSSIRT, 2000-2001).

The Award Jury encourages the library community to nominate those who are actively working on every level to secure equitable pay for people in librarianship. Please submt three strong letters of support as only the first three received will be reviewed. Self-nominations are permitted. Supporting documents may be emailed to ALA-APA, faxed to 312-280-5013 or mailed to SirsiDynix Award, ALA-APA, 50 East Huron, Chicago, IL 60611.

The recipient of the award does not have to be an ALA member or a current or past library staff member. The requirement is that the award recipient's achievement(s) has been notable. Officers of the ALA or the ALA-Allied Professional Association are not eligible for the award, nor are members of the ALA-APA Salary Awards Committee, ALA-APA Standing Committee on the Salaries and Status of Library Workers or employees of SirsiDynix.

For more information, contact jgrady@ala.org.
2006-2007 Jury

Barbara J. Ford, Chair, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Peter McDonald, Syracuse University
John Jessee, Jacksonville (FL) Public Library

The ALA-APA Dynix Award Jury and employees of the SirsiDynix Corporation are not eligible for this award. The SirsiDynix Corporation is a leading provider of information technology to libraries and consortia worldwide.
2005-2006 Jury

Peter McDonald, Chair, Syracuse University, ALA Councilor and member of Social Responsibilities Round Table
Jennifer Kutzik, Colorado State University Libraries, member of ALA Library Support Staff Interests Round Table
Ronald Stoch, Eisenhower Public Library District (IL)
2004-2005 Jury - 2005 WINNERS

Shelley Bennett, Chicago Public Library, member of the AFL-CIO Joint Committee
Jim Hill, Castlewood Public Library-Arapahoe County, President of LSSIRT
Michele Leber, member of the ALA-APA Standing Committee on the Salaries and Status of Library Workers
Copyright 2005 ALA-APA. Contact Jenifer Grady, 50 E. Huron, Chicago, IL 60611, 312-280-2424, jgrady@ala.org for more information.