#critlib 10/7/2014 Labor Solidarity Within and Across the Library

Hi everyone! Welcome to tonight’s #critlib on labor solidarity within/across the library.

Check out the #critlib cheat sheet w/questions and readings:  http://tinyurl.com/critlibx 

Here’s tonight's first question (part 1): What can librarians do to create greater solidarity with other workers in the library…#critlib

without weakening their already precarious positions vis-à-vis administrators, politicians & other (potentially) hostile forces? #critlib

A1 - I feel like just saying hello helps. Sometimes there is such an us vs. them mentality. #critlib

A1. If you have a reading group, as some places do, for professional reading, invite other staff. #critlib

A1 #critlib Something we're working twd in my lib is cross-training/team-based project management. PD/support for lib workers at all levels.

A1: We can start by identifying common ground & shared goals to partner on. We're stronger together #critlib

A1 Accept that we can’t build solidarity w/o some element of personal risk. Solidarity is inherently risky, terrifying #critlib

What is some of the common ground? #critlib

A1 the best thing pro's did when I was parapro was to take an interest in my career path & be available for advice when I needed it #critlib

@eiratansey So important! #critlib

A1 Build solidarity w/ other library workers by materially supporting them. Fight for raises #critlib

A1 Be a decent person & ask all staff for feedback on things that will effect their work. Don't act entitled? Say hi! #critlib

#critlib agree a lot about advocacy for parapros and finding common ground- like how does capitalism oppress us all?

.@ibeilin This will *sound* potentially neolib, but also actionable: tactical goals can be common ground if collaboratively dev'd #critlib

A1 Often depends on existing power dynamics/culture w/in library. Does union exist? Who's in it? Where r allegiances w admin? #critlib

A1. common ground=working conditions, rights to ongoing education #critlib

Also, there are plenty of issues *outside* the library on which we share common ground - that's a source for solidarity. #critlib

A1: Single service point for circ and ref. Two service points sends message (to workers) that circ < ref #critlib

A1: Learn who library coworkers are outside of work...take pride in our differences and expanding our visions of the profession. #critlib

@ibeilin In my experience, preventing the town from reducing vacation and sick days. Might be too specific though? #critlib

@sendaulas Those things are really important to fight for! #critlib

#critlib A1- I was a parapro for 5 yrs and was often supported, but still felt I was at the "kids' table" most of time. Not v. motivating.

#critlib using your power, if you feel like you have it, can be an opportunity to advocate for other's material conditions

A1 I do think that admin must support getting feedback and paying attention to the voices of all staff in the library is CRUCIAL. #critlib

A1 Librarians hold relatively privileged positions in LIS and in libraries. Acknowledge class tension & work to share power #critlib

A1 Coming from analogous exp of adjuncting, being treated as if you’re capable of quality work & asked for insight helps motivate #critlib

@ibeilin This would vary of course, but could be negative aspects like working conditions or hours, or positive non-lib interests #critlib

#critlib I think including in convo is crucial- as an intern/fellow, I am still your colleague and what I say is valuable

A1: Acknowledge job classification as a labor issue. Don't pretend it doesn't exist. #critlib

Important to remember re parapros - many of them have no interest in becoming professionals #critlib

@cat_lager very true. presumptuous and arrogant of librarians to assume otherwise #critlib

@cat_lager Agreed! This is an important distinction to make. I saw parapros w/ no interest get roped into committees, etc. #critlib

@cat_lager although some who do may have to switch libraries in order to move up I've noticed. #critlib

@cat_lager Yeah, I found that unions often reinforced divides. #critlib

a1: you're assuming staff have more precarious status than librarians. Have been at an institution where that was not the case. #critlib

@adr Agreed, some librarian contracts/arrangements are beyond contingent & then staff has more security #critlib

A1 Our union talked to the para union and learned a ton abt management's positions on healthcare. Talking to each other matters. #critlib

A1 Also, recognition that paraprofs *know* things/have skills I don't, even w/ my MLIS. Then treating each w/ respect that affords #critlib

Do we all mean the same thing when we say 'paraprofessional'? (I know, another question!!) #critlib

@ibeilin I think the definition in the article @rorylitwin covers it pretty well. #critlib

@ibeilin good question- I can't help but think of all of this as a student but I know that isn't near a parapro at all #critlib

A1 Library advocates, interrogate our rhetoric. Are clerks, custodians, pages visible in our narratives? Or exclusively librarians? #critlib

awareness building initiative at previous POW whereby all unions created a flowchart to show students their impact/reach on campus #critlib

Common ground: working conditions. Healthcare. Hours. Retirement. Differences, sure, but much alignment. #critlib

A1 There’s a lot in that question; does solidarity presuppose risk of a weakened position for yourself? #critlib

@RoxanneShirazi There is risk, and I think that is implied in much of Rory's discussion. #critlib

But can we acknowledge that & work to help them learn what they need to move up, even if they leave us? #critlib @catladylib @cat_lager

A1: *Don't be a jerk* is probably too basic, but I guess worth repeating. Don't assume you know what's going on with them. #critlib

A1 I was just thinking about how to phrase via Freire, ie assuming that others have (potentially hidden) knowledge @donnarosemary #critlib

A1 In spring I had an "interesting" conversation with a director of nationally recognized pub. library Who was very anti-union #critlib 1/2

A1 She had little interest in hearing the voice of her non-MLS staff. I was surprised #critlib 2/2

@T_Swanson I have found a number of otherwise progressive library leaders who espouse thinly-veiled anti-union rhetoric #critlib

@eiratansey @T_Swanson "progressive" all too often means little in academia! #critlib

A1: common ground: empathy about often being considered less than by peers (often how we are seen by disciplinary faculty) #critlib

@adr different ways of considering "status". status=permanent or status=privileged? not the same #critlib

@nicholsonkp To me, permanent was the privilege. #critlib

@nicholsonkp @ibeilin In terms of job classification, not necessarily education or skills. #critlib

@mauraweb @cat_lager still looking. It's a hard balance though between gaining exp. and exploitation of labor! #critlib

.@aliqaesong @adr We have 2 p/t ref libs on staff;treated as p/t fac among us (libs=f/t fac) but classified prof staff for benefits #critlib

A1: Just acknowledging that we are all workers? Librarianship may be your vocation, but it is also...a job. #critlib

A1 if youre the librarian, use yr power to hold meetings w/ staff-- then shut up & listen #critlib

A1 start by asking, listening. Fight for and with each other. Librarians' existential crisis is fault of capital not coworkers #critlib

Faculty lib job can mean elision 4me btw work & pleasure. I work on the weekends all the time, it just feels like my life. #critlib

Not true 4many paras. Realized i wasn't asking abt people's weekends, now I do. And it reminds me I have one work taking too. #critlib

A1 perhaps naive, but don't believe that solidarity will weaken our positions. strength in #'s #critlib p.s. hi, lis student & ga here

A1 Acknowledge shared ground and values #critlib

A1 in my library there's key diff btw temp / perm workers. #critlib

@kellymce interestingly, recent convo w paraprofessional staff person revealed assumption that librnship=vocation id. early #notme #critlib

Late to the party. A1: When supervising grad students, I ask what they are interested in learning...what are their strengths? #critlib

OK - now to Q2: How can the status and working conditions of non-MLS library workers be improved w/o aiding & abetting neolib int? #critlib

A2 Advocate for unions or something like unions for all workers. #critlib

A2 Such a tough question- but trying to find common ground with parapros on issues that are in opposition to neolib goals? #critlib

#critlib A2: Ensure benefits to non-librarians don't come at the expense of librarians (i.e. GROW the travel budget, don't force a choice).

A2 Fight for better pay, support library worker orgs & unions. Esp if you don’t benefit from or need it. Someone else does #critlib

.@donnarosemary @adr Also situations where staff is union, professionals are not, concept of 'risk' gets sticky #critlib

I see a lot of As focused around union convos- any thoughts for those of use without unions or in non-union friendly places? #critlib

@lisaflepore Yes! I'm wondering how many differences there are in what ppl are suggesting in union vs. non-union libraries? #critlib

A2 Tying work of lib workers at *all* levels, not just fac (in ac lib environ) to meeting tactical/strategic/learning goals #critlib

A2 pt2 ...then using resources gained from evidencing value, to further invest in lib workers, again, at all levels #critlib

A2 need to advocate for fairly compensated jobs for all in libs. in higher ed, way too many contract/temp workers w/o benefits #critlib

@oksveta Yes, solidarity doesn't mean that you have to give up any of your own hard-fought victories in the battle against mgmt. #critlib

@ibeilin @oksveta Solidarity means using the power you have to get gains for all. #critlib

@edrabinski @aliqaesong yeah -- the self-sacrificing narrative is so damning. For teachers, too. #critlib

A2: Use our clout to advocate on behalf of other lib workers' concerns, if they're not already our own #critlib

A2 Was once told abt a time when parapro union was going to strike, then suddenly all pro's were being cross-trained. #critlib

@catladylib what to do then?? Refuse to be used that way by admin but what choice exists on the ground? #critlib

@cat_lager But by giving in, are ppl inadvertently not supporting the labor rights of para-pro's by doing their jobs? #critlib

@librarybell That's the rub or maybe fantasy, the union solution and what to do when workers don't have voice. How to have voice. #critlib

@edrabinski @aliqaesong @kellymce Librarian=job, teacher=calling? #actualquestion #IstayedtwohourslatelastMondaytoteach #critlib

@edrabinski @kellymce Acknowledging variation in our work conditions helps unite as workers, librarians & lib workers alike #critlib

.@librarybell or where there's a division? (e.g. parapros unionized, librarians not) #critlib

@librarybell In the 1 lib I worked at w/o a union, the line b/w librarian and library assistant was blurred. We each did both. #critlib

#critlib A1–2. I chose my current job [outside of the library world] in part because of my exposure to these issues during my job search.

A2 feel like its important too to acknowledge all the emotional labor frontline parapros do & aren't necessarily compensated for #critlib

A2 Support minimum & #LivingWage campaigns. Support #Fightfor15 & workers centers. Low-wage worker issues are library issues. #critlib

@nicholsonkp interesting! It often is, but it can come at a cost when we make sacrifices because we feel like it is a vocation. #critlib

If you're going to ask about my (para here) weekend, I'm going to assume you're deploying some management technique. #critlib

A2 Support staff formations in ALA. Support LSSIRT, @alaapa & @lsscprogram. Seek their guidance, voice on library work issues #critlib

+1 MT @DinahHandel: A2 feel like its impt to acknowledge all the emotional labor frontline parapros do & aren't nec compensated for #critlib

even if we can afford it, refusing to do unpaid work can help level the playing field for those who can't afford to work for free #critlib

@lisaflepore @aliqaesong @kellymce And there's def variance btwn librarians in terms of passion for the gig. #critlib

Time to tackle Q3 (part 1): Does it matter if non-MLS workers perform tasks such as reference, cataloging and instruction #critlib

Q3 (II): that are traditionally the ‘jurisdiction’ of MLS-holding librarians? #critlib

hey #critlib! still absorbing Qs & As 1-2. coincidentally (?) finished pt of a paper on privatization.

Inquires to improve relationships between para/librarians have to be genuine, or prepare to fail. #critlib

A 3 I see sooo many listserv emails about unpaid/stipend internships that require SKILLS #critlib

Q3 It matters that they get paid less for it. If there's business necessity, pay them the same rate as profs #critlib

#critlib Didn’t particularly wanna be on the bottom of the library caste system, but especially if I’d be unable to pay back my MLS loans.

A3 Agree w/ @rorylitwin point that maintaining professional identity crucial to upholding ethical values in LIS+ #critlib

A3 I see reference especially as a blurry area. So many libs use intern/ student/ assist. labor for this public service #critlib

#critlib A3: as pt of internship, i'm already handling some of these areas, but ask for asst as needed

#critlib A3- I stepped on a few toes as a parapro by teaching classes and going "above and beyond," but that exp helped get a pro job later.

A3 I think deprofessionalization is a problem, and this is a real sticky wicket. #critlib

A3 +but issue is equally staff exploitation as it is autonomy loss for librarians. Remove financial motive 2 lessen frequency? #critlib

@aliqaesong Yes, that's a solution. Union contract rules help avoid this from happening. #critlib

@ibeilin that IS the point. We are taking the wrong tactics in fighting it. #critlib

A3: In my wrkplc, non-MLS'd ppl do almost everything MLS'd folks do. Some MLS folks unhappy about it; not sure how to address. #critlib

#critlib For the record: "librarian" and "teacher" are both jobs...which are often seen as a vocation, in ways that hide their job-ness.

#critlib MLS/not MLS seems an arbitrary line to draw for me, considering I learned 98% of how to librarian on the job

@JessicaCritten agreed. but think some things that we learn in #LIS programs advanced skills, some >skills #values #ethics #critlib

@JessicaCritten So why do we bother with the degree? #critlib

@FromtheShelves @JessicaCritten I think the degree could be awesome (but often isn't), so I'm still in favor of it... for now. #critlib

@FromtheShelves A less pithy answer is, I don't know. The MLS should be an apprenticeship program. #critlib

A3 We frame deprofessionalization issues as undercutting profession. In solidarity, highlight the exploitation of staff & students #critlib

MT @kellymce: hear the same messy thing whenever library school comes up: MLIS is often meh, but we want it to be better. #critlib // this!

I think the degree should make the work an object of analysis, equip students w critical frames. That's MLS-worthy, no? #critlib

Also, there's no way I could get the experience I have now without being a student working towards an MLS- no one would hire me #critlib

I used to rag on MLS when I was in it, but in retrospect I think it had more value than I realized WRT building ties to profession #critlib

A3 I've been staffing one reference desk or another since 1999. Only been a librarian since 2011. #critlib

Just a reminder, you can see *all* the questions at the cheatsheet:  http://tinyurl.com/critlibx  #critlib

If you're doing work covered by the union contract, you should be part of the unit. Easier to believe than to manifest. #critlib

A3: I think it's ok to consult non-MLS folks with subject/collection knowledge, but MLS professionals focus on navigating info. #critlib

A 3 I still feel like the degree is important in connecting me to other pros in my field, getting me to think about degree #critlib

A3 - Jurisdiction, as though we need to guard our territory. #critlib

A3 Matter to whom? MLS>gain ethics & hone skills. Prob not matter to patrons; shouldn’t matter to pro egos; might for profession? #critlib

A3 We frame deprofessionalization issues as undercutting profession. In solidarity, highlight the exploitation of staff & students #critlib

@kevinseeber @ibeilin I feel responsible for accurately representing what professional labor can be done during a workweek as hired #critlib

A3 I also think the definitions of terms in Q are evolving--"reference" in some ways more complex now than pre-digital info #critlib

A3: MLS and non-MLS professionals provide different, complementary, services, especially in archives & underfunded institutions. #critlib

Oh how I wish we could see more paras/non-librarians in this convo tonight. #critlib

A3: I've heard some very silly statements from lib'ns about what parapros can't do. Don't do an emperor's new clothes, guise. #critlib

A3: Where do interns/grad assistants fit into this? #critlib

#critlib A3 I’m well acquainted w/ a library where to get a prof job you either have to be a student or have MLS + lots of exp… Cool system.

A3: And #altac types? #critlib

A3 we need redefine all roles to match 21st century info needs #critlib

@oksveta @kevinseeber The skills part changes, is so dependent on the workplace where you end up. Seems an odd gradschool focus. #critlib

@edrabinski @oksveta @kevinseeber but so many jobs req sets of skills that aren't learned in school! #critlib

@kellymce even trickier! previous POW CLIR PhDs used a cheap labour to replace librarians but never integrated into library #critlib

A3 roles should balance para expertise, lib expertise, public 'home knowledges' & active participation in info creation/seeking #critlib

A3: I do think it's helpful to have MLS-y knowledge of info standards (and why we have them) when doing cataloging or finding aids. #critlib

A3 I support degrees, training, expertise, whether its LIS, electrician, lawyer. I also support more equitable salary structures. #critlib

OK, time is racing by. Q4: (1): Given that professional credentials are one of the most com. & obv. means used #critlib

Q4 (II): to reinforce and reproduce class, race and gender oppression, is it poss to defend them for lbns & fight oppression? #critlib

#critlib Almost seems the best route to getting a FT prof librarian position is to stretch your MLS out for 6+ yrs to bank lotsa experience.

Q4 Obvs, I'm in process of getting the degree. I'm learning to be a better information facilitator than I was before. #critlib

A4: No denying their role in oppression, but at same time credentials can give us necessary political leverage to create change #critlib

Q4 I first ask, what would being a librarian look like without professional credentials? #critlib

The credential is the ticket to the professional class, and part of what you learn is a prof. orientation (e.g. this discussion). #critlib

A4 "professional creds" has meaning beyond the MLS. In higher ed, a 2nd degree is often req'd. #critlib

@ibeilin Not nearly as much as I would've liked! :) Really, the MLS was more about status/respect/permanency. Which is kinda sad #critlib

If you want to fight structural oppression, pay for the MLIS. Too many marginalized folks already in edu debt. #critlib

#critlib A4 as a poc, i often feel like i need XYZ qualification to be considered for ANYTHING

A 4 Also fighting those issues WITHIN profession to begin thinking outside of it #critlib

Expertise and good info is expertise and good info, regardless of credential imo; can cons really outweigh pros I this context? #critlib

To extent MLS–>praxis, definitely! I worry when it's seen as mere credential. & even more about where it is mostly that @edrabinski #critlib

A4: @rorylitwin makes a good point in the reading--a profession's ethics rely on prof identity, which are tied to credentials #critlib

@donnarosemary @EamonTewell Yup. And in some institutions (like some unis), credentials are req'd for faculty status #critlib

A4 like how can we be anti-racist/sexist etc in our own field and translate this across hierarchy in libs and larger society #critlib

@rorylitwin But maybe you also acquire class insecurity - and might want to police the boundary; that's of the dangers. #critlib

@ibeilin Cross training trends, deprofsesionalization, feed into that class anxiety #critlib

@ibeilin @donnarosemary Agree on the exp. Shouldn't make available to anyone interested? #critlib

@DinahHandel @kellymce @edrabinski @oksveta @kevinseeber same w all jobs. alternative=vocationalization of #HE #instrumentalism #critlib

A4: Lots of the best zine librarians I know have no credentials, and don't get paid for their work. Same for community archivists. #critlib

Academic libs will never drop their credential chasing, so lobby for tuition reimbursement for MLIS. #critlib

@EamonTewell @rorylitwin This is my issue with placing #altac w/o MLIS into librarian positions. It's very Teach for America #critlib

@kevinseeber @EamonTewell @rorylitwin Read any survey on @HiringLib - managers don't want heavy theory anymore. #critlib

@galvan_as Managers don't want heavy theory because they don't want librarians to have autonomy in their institutions! #critlib

.@rorylitwin @galvan_as Does theoretical base = autonomy then? Self awareness of self as profesh w/in wider context of field? #critlib

A4: IDK, I think professional credentials can help fight structural oppression, but path to degree matters. #critlib

A4: That doesn't mean my credentials and offish librarian experience don't also have value. #critlib

A4 Hope that any clout I might have w/MLS can turn into making library the welcoming space for all otherwise left out of academia #critlib

Time for last Q! Q5 (I): In what other ways do issues of gender, race and class affect labor relations in the library #critlib

Q5(II): and how can these issues be faced pro-actively and productively? #critlib

A5 I like when pros tell me my work is valued, also I like when they refuse to hire unpaid interns! #critlib

A5 - In the libraries I've worked at, parapros have mostly been minorities and professionals, um, haven't. Built in divide. #critlib

Managers seem to want new grads to know everything because they don't want to train. Offer OTJ and I'll arrive with more theory. #critlib

A5: A lot of folks have brought up the gender dynamics: women throughout parapro and lib'n ranks, men in admin. #critlib

Fascinating discussion tonight as conflicting values arise. Normally #critlib is about removing barriers but credential seems popular 2nite.

A5: I'd be curious to see stats about racial breakdown between parapros and MLIS'ed library workers. #critlib

A5 Race/class divide bet libs & staff. Library staff more diverse than librarians as whole. Why aren't we recruiting directly? #critlib

a5 seems to be a race/class divide between prof & paraprof library workforces. mls programs need better recruitment across divides #critlib

@oksveta And better funding! Not everyone can deal with high student loans and unpaid labor build into training #critlib

Q1 and Q5 have a lot of similarity in the importance of talking about class #critlib

@LaurenMWallis @kevinseeber been having some amazing convos about info ethics in my non-lis class... why aren't more libs there! #critlib

A5: Also, going to grad school is *expensive*. Especially if you can't get funding, which is true in lots of library schools. #critlib

if we work together and acknowledge that there is class issue, maybe we can come up with solutions together too #critlib

A5 I'd like to see that breakdown, too, @kellymce. I think overall we need to do a better job of recruiting minorities into LIS. #critlib

.@DinahHandel Same with recognizing the gender, race, and sexuality issues in libraries & profession #critlib

@DinahHandel @kellymce Out of 10 MLS'd folks in my system, 2 are men; one is Director. #critlib

@aliqaesong Like growing your own info pros out of your current support staff? #critlib

sadly i have no idea for #critlib A5 - well-meaning but how to engage? ppl deal internally, locally.

I guess I am left with thinking that MLS degree guides me in WHY I do the work, and OTJ experience guides me as to how #critlib

@kellymce Yes, that's why it's mostly white, upper-middle class in grad school; and the class reproduces itself...#critlib

@librarybell That's the real issue, IMO. Only those who can afford the cost of librarianship will pursue. @oksveta #critlib

A5 last night we talked about white privilege in my literacy &instruction class, and weeks before, intersectionality- more of this! #critlib

Many parapro jobs still req a BA/BS- does this job track adequately support this level of education? #critlib

@T_Swanson Perhaps residual defensiveness from having to explain time and again why we need a master's to do what we do? #critlib

We're careening toward the end of the hour. Please make your plugs now. But of course continue the #critlib

Oh my. We're done! Please chat on. We need another #critlib in the future on this topic.

My #critlib pitch is, once again, to volunteer for @GLBTRT's awards and bibliography committees:  http://www.glbtrt.ala.org/news/archives/1202 … #gaybooks!

The last time I'll be able to #critlib pitch Gender & Sexuality in Info Studies, Toronto, 10/18, be there! #gsisc14  http://litwinbooks.com/2014colloquium.php …

my #critlib pitch is MOAR #critlib! I'm leading the next, 10/21 on critical info lit and liberalism! Fun and pitchforks for all!

broken record #critlib pitch - you should propose an article to @libraryleadpipe  http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/submission-guidelines/ …

I dunno if this counts as a plug, but this data on unionized librarians should be in everyone's to-read list #critlib  http://dpeaflcio.org/programs-publications/issue-fact-sheets/library-workers-facts-figures/ …

I have no pitch but thanks for being welcoming and engaging- i love library folks! #critlib

@ibeilin @JessicaCritten Seconding. Great discussion. I learned a lot from everyone. #critlib

Anyone else worried that the #critlib unconference is just going to be 80 of us talking over each other?

My #critlib pitches: Check out the Better Salaries Toolkit  http://bit.ly/1CTlGAo  and my MLS Debt Survey  http://aliqaegeraci.com/mlsdebtsurvey/  #critlib

Also I think it's important for #critlib to know that I'll be running the NYC marathon on Nov 1, and am in my last training week b4 taper.

last #critlib thought -- has anyone read "Defending Professionalism"? I have been meaning to go through it  http://www.ala.org/nmrt/sites/ala.org.nmrt/files/content/oversightgroups/comm/schres/endnotesvol4no1/review2-defendingprofessionalism.pdf …

Really enjoyed this article from tonight's #critlib:  http://viewpointmag.com/2013/09/25/notes-of-a-library-worker/ …