Lori A. Campbell wrote:
>Ain't that the truth. Boy did I mistake getting an M.A. in library
>science. Taco Bell managers make more than I do. My husband, who
>doesn't even have a Bachelor's degree, makes more than I do. I fact, I
>think everyone makes more than I do. We are always thought of as
>clerks. The University here puts their library job listings (requiring a
>Masters degree) under the Secretarial heading and not under the
>Professional heading. I am so disgusted with it all. It seems we
>haven't come that long of a ways...
>My grandmother, a long time ago, worked for the Historical Society here
>as a Librarian. When she left they hired a man in her position for
>about twice what she made. My grandmother ran into her old boss some
>time after this and he apologized to her for paying her such a low
>salary (because she is a woman). He said she did a heck of a lot better
>job than this man does.
>Lori>
Yes, librarians and library workers are still woefully underpaid, no
matter what they call themselves. I just got back from the ALA
convention in San Francisco-- where I had the opportunity to hang out
with our webmistress Laura (another story)--this was the first ALA
convention I've been to since graduating library school in 1990.
Surprise, I'm not technically a librarian any more. I'm a
webmaster/computer specialist for an association that didn't hire me
for my librarian background, but is finding that experience helpful
enough to send me to ALA. I jumped from my profession because the
salaries didn't pay enough to live on, not to mention getting ahead.
I was never able to attend ALA when I worked in academic libraries, in
a series of acting, contractual, and para-professional jobs. Usually
it was because library departments had limited travel funds to spread
around and these scacre funds would continuously be awarded to those
with seniority. Librarians aren't paid shit and it's because the rest
of the world continues to look at it as a "female profession."
Let's compare some demographics. My association puts on a big annual
scientific meeting. The attendees are, for the most part, wealthy
white middle age scientists whose trips are funded by their
institution. My observations of ALA tell me that its attendees are
mostly women (the gender ratio is better than the science meeting) and
even though they are middle class, they still have to double up in
hotel rooms and skimp on their trips.
I guess I belabor the obvious, but that is my 2 cents.
What did folks think of Jodie Foster's character in "Contact?"
Chuck0
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu May 25 2000 - 19:06:26 PDT