Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 You Get What You Pay For! Your Most Important Investment Is Your People If trustees are stewards, what will your legacy be? What are the issues and challenges facing trustees who are in need of excellent people to lead and staff their libraries in this new technological environment?

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 Special Thanks Mitch Freedman Michele Stricker Dale Spindel Karen Yannetta NJ State Library (& IMLS) NJ Library Trustee Association NJ Library Association

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 What are the Core Issues? What do NJ public librarians earn? How does this compare to others? How does it relate to NJ cost of living? What is the responsibility of a NJ Public Library Trustee—your responsibility—to address pay issues for all library workers in your library?

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 What Is Comparable Worth? f Librarians: $43,090 f Library technicians: $24,090 m Accountants and auditors: $47,000 n Administrative services managers: $52,500 m Architects: $56,620 m Civil engineers: $60,070 m Computer systems analysts: $62,890 n Customer service representatives: $26,240 m Database administrators: $55,480 n Paralegals: $37,950 f Social Workers: $33,150 f Teachers, post-secondary: $49,040  Source: ALA/APA website

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 What are NJ PL Salary Guidelines? “The recommended minimum salaries approved by the NJLA Executive Board for 2006 are the minimum librarian salary at $43,277 and the minimum library assistant salary at $23,607.”  Source: NJLA website

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 What Happens in my Home Town? “The Edison Board of Education approved a three-year teachers contract that provides raises ranging from 15 percent for rookies to as much as 57 percent for those with seven years of experience.”  Source: The Star-Ledger, Dec 22, 2005

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 What Does This Mean In My Home Town? In Edison, a teacher with 11 years of experience will be earning $82,450 next year—and that is with a bachelor’s degree. Compare this to NJ library director salaries where fewer than 20% earn as much as that Edison teacher—and that is with a Master’s degree and more experience and more responsibility. Implication: are teachers paid too much or are librarians paid too little? Either way, librarians know that their value does not compare with others who have similar education & experience.

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 NJ PL Salaries: the Context  Jim Hughes (Rutgers Economic Advisor to NJ) stated recently: “Companies have to pay more to compensate for the higher costs of living in New Jersey. In 2004 our median household income was 34 higher than the nation, but our median monthly housing expenses were 52 percent higher.”  Source: The Star-Ledger, 8/30/06

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 How Do Librarian Salaries Compare to Other NJ Salaries? NJ Median Family Income by Number of Earners  Family with no earner: $31,307  One earner: 51,881  Two earners: 91,705  Three or more earners: 110,383  Source: Census Bureau, 2005 data

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 How Do Salaries Relate to our Library Workforce? Who comes into our field? For example, who are new MLIS students? What are the basic costs to get an MLIS degree (from Rutgers)? What are the salary expectations of our graduates when they finish their Master’s degree? Issues: payback student loans, live in expensive NJ, support a family…

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 Approx Rutgers Tuition and Fees for an MLIS Student Tuition per semester (NJ): ~$6,000 Fees: ~$600 Dorm: ~$3,000 Meal Plan: ~$2,000 Total per semester: 11,600 Plus textbooks, clothes, etc = ~$13,000+ Cost: $13,000 x 3 semesters = ~$40,000 Implications for Salary on First Job

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 What Can YOU Do? Mitch Freedman’s 3 Step Plan:  Board adopts a policy of pay equity—it goes on the record with a written document.  Board does a comparable worth study— comparing PL salaries to other Town employees and to school librarian salaries  Board puts in place a plan to achieve comparable worth over the next 1, 3, and 5 years—the plan must be implemented to show its commitment to valuing its library workers.

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 Mitch Freedman’s caveats:  Salaries appropriate to the knowledge and technical skills of library workers will empower them.  Appropriate salaries informs the community that it values libraries because it values the people who work in them.  It really does not cost much to have a great library. Currently, NJ public libraries account for about 2.5% of a municipal budget. It would only cost about 2% of more to have a superior library with appropriately paid workers.

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 What Actions Might You Take  Have a meeting! It would only take one hour for the Board to meet with all the library staff to view and discuss the film we started with today—ALA/APA’s  library: for LOVE or MONEY?”  Have some Board members review ALA’s Advocating for Better Salaries and Pay Equity Toolkit. Report back to the Board:  Prepare written copy of your library’s pay equity policy  Develop a specific plan to raise salaries to appropriate levels

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 To Help You Get Started…  Mitch Freedman has given me permission to give you copies of the first 11 pages of the Toolkit. Use this as a guide to start your planning. Get the rest of the document from the ALA/APA website:

Dan O’Connor, Rutgers University The New Jersey Library Trustee InstituteSeptember 29, 2006 Two Final Questions  Ask yourself:  Is my legacy as a Board member to continue the status quo?  Can I help our town create an exceptional library with dedicated library workers?