ALA Recruitment Assembly Forum
Interface Volume 27 Number 1, Spring, 2005. Interface is the quarterly newsletter published by the ASCLA division of the ALA. In January 2005, the ALA Recruitment Assembly sponsored a day-long forum to share the research, products and best practices taking place in library career recruitment.
Volume 27, Number 1, Spring 2005
ALA Recruitment Assembly Forum Kicks Off Modwinter for Many!
by Cheryl Bryan, Southeastern Massachusetts Library System and Chair of the ALA Recruitment Assembly
On January 14 the ALA Recruitment Assembly sponsored a day-long forum to share the research, products, and best practices
taking place in library career recruitment today. More than 125 people participated in the Library Career Recruitment Forum
organized by ASCLA members Connie Paul (CJRLC, N.J.), ALA HRDR liaison Julie Brewer (University of Delaware), and myself.
Speakers included a panel of Simmons GLIS students moderated by Simmons Dean Michele Cloonan; ALA President Carol
Brey-Casiano; a panel featuring IMLS recruitment projects, with Keith Curry Lance, Director of Library Research Service for
Colorado and University of Denver; Veronda Pitchford, Assistant Director , Chicago Office Metropolitan Library System;
Connie Paul, Director of the Central Jersey Regional Library Co-operative; and Dr. Jennifer Arns, a Professor at University
of South Carolina. James Matarazzo, Dean Emeritus, Simmons GLIS, and Joe Mika ,Wayne State University, presented their data
on library salaries; with a wrap-up by former Spectrum scholar Allison Sutton. Connie Paul previewed CJRLC’s draft of the
new Make a Difference at an Urban Public Library DVD.
The day provided recruiters with a wealth of information and resources. Display tables featuring recruitment materials and
videos from ALA, its divisions, affiliates and members ringed the room. The afternoon included one of the most popular
features of the forum, a series of moderated talk tables. During this period Recruitment Assembly PLA Representative Larry
Neal, (Clinton-Macomb PL, MI) held focus groups to evaluate two projects of the Recruitment Assembly. They are developing a
glitzy new Web site intending to attract high quality people from diverse backgrounds to library careers. The Web site will
present positive, appealing, and jargon-free impressions of library work and assist visitors in connecting with people
already working in libraries. It will replace the existing “Careers in Libraries” area on the ALA Web site, as well as be
directly accessible from Librarycareers.org which has been purchased by the American Library Association for this purpose.
The Recruitment Assembly is also developing an Internet recruitment resource area for library recruiters. The ALA
Recruitment Clearinghouse currently lists more than 90 resources and sample recruitment initiatives to assist with local,
grassroots recruitment efforts. Larry Neal has taken the lead in developing LibraryCareers.org, intended for the general
public. Julie Brewer, HRDR liaison, developed the content for the Recruitment Clearinghouse Web page which will be mounted
on the ALA Web site. Please notify Julie Brewer, University of Delaware Library, via e-mail
at of other recruitment resources or sample programs that can be added. Other talk tables were led by representatives of
ALA divisions, chapters, roundtables, affiliates, and members. Some of the day’s presentations and talk tables’ results
are linked to www.becomealibrarian.org.
For further information, contact Cheryl Bryan at (508) 923-3531.
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ALA Recruitment Assembly Forum