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Teachers in Okla. & Ky. walking out over salary and funding – How does N.C. compare?
Thousands of Kentucky school teachers marched Monday, April 2, 2018 from the Kentucky Education Association's headquarters to the State Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. to protest legislative changes to their pensions and education cuts. Public schools in all 120 Kentucky counties were closed Monday, either to join in the protest or because of spring break.
(Charles Bertram/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS)
Tyler Newman, Assistant News Editor
Filed under News, News / National, News / State, Uncategorized
In Oklahoma and Kentucky, public school teachers are walking off the job following similar actions last month from West Virginia school teachers.
On Tuesday, the second day of the walkout, Oklahoma teachers stormed the State Capitol, demanding a $10,000 raise in pay as well as a $5,000 raise for support staff.
Additionally, they demanded $200 million over three years in funding for local schools and $500 million in funding for state agencies and other public employees.
In Kentucky, many teachers are on spring break, but that did not stop them from swarming their Capitol as well.
They protested education budget cuts and legislative attempts to change their pension plans into hybrid retirement plans, which blend elements from their traditional plan with 401(k) accounts utilized in the private sector.
(Alex Slitz/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS)
Thousands of Kentucky teachers rallied at the state Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. on Monday, April 2, 2018.
Other locations across America are launching grass-roots campaigns or planning to perform similar measures.
In Arizona, teacher organizers have begun a grass-roots effort to bring in school representatives from across the state and are attempting to build support in rural areas, according to The New York Times.
They seek a 20 percent raise and an increase in funding. Their end goal is a statewide walkout.
In Oklahoma, protests began immediately after the state's education budget was due on April 1. Teachers demanded their voices be heard within the new legislation.
When Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed legislation last week increasing teachers' base salaries by $6,000 and providing $18 million in in operations funding for schools, many claimed that it just was not good enough.
One group, the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA), the state's largest teachers' union, demand that the original plan for a $10,000 and additional funding be supported.
The OEA said that additional funding, for instructional materials such as textbooks, could be found through repealing a capital gains tax exemption and allowing ball and dice gambling, which is taxable.
The additional funding is the most sought after goal by the teachers, as the initial $6,000 pay raise was enough to satisfy many of them. For the children they teach to have proper funding each year is the biggest reason behind their walkout.
For years, education cuts have left 20 percent of public schools in Oklahoma on a four-day week schedule and average teacher salaries ranked 49th in the country at $45,276. Some students do not have textbooks.
"Teachers want more," Fallin told CBS correspondent Omar Villafranca on Tuesday.
"But it's kind of like having a teenage kid that wants a better car."
Fallin, a Republican, went on to state that she suspected the teacher walkouts were not fully grass-roots, but rather that Antifa – a far left anti-fascist group – had a role in the movement.
Alberto Morejon, a middle school teacher from Stillwater, Okla. who was participating at the capitol in Oklahoma City, told The Washington Post "yeah, I would say 100 percent no, I don't even know who they are. What is Antifa?"
Meanwhile in North Carolina, the N.C. Association of Educators (NCAE) is planning an advocacy day on May 16, which coincides with the day that state lawmakers are set to return to session.
NCAE President Mark Jewell said that the advocacy day will focus on teacher pay, textbook funding, classroom resources and "stopping the tax breaks for the wealthy and [corporations] and reinvesting in public schools."
Average teacher salaries in North Carolina eclipsed $50,000 for the first time ever in early March, according to recently released figures from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI).
However, North Carolina still ranks towards the bottom end of the spectrum with teacher salaries, but Arizona, Mississippi and Oklahoma all rank lower on average.
The highest paid teachers in America are in New York and Alaska, averaging from $73,000 to $82,110.
Funding for schools in North Carolina from the state totaled at $9.60 billion during the 2017-2018 school year, according to the NCDPI. This funding covered 1,552,638 students enrolled in North Carolina schools during the aforementioned school year.
$3.7 billion was recorded as being spent on teacher pay for 2016-2017, as data for 2017-2018 is not yet available.
Some advocates for pay raise, including the NCAE, want to see this number increase.
$13.7 million was spent on textbooks during the 2016-2017 school year, according to NCDPI, which was roughly 0.16 percent of the entire expenditure amount, about $8.4 billion.
For 2,557 schools across 244 districts, that $12.5 million would be split into approximately $5,384 per school for textbooks.
If split among each of the 1.5 million students?
$8.86 per student for textbooks.
An additional growing concern comes from the chronic and growing gap in public funding between the highest and lowest-wealth counties in the state.
According to the 2018 Local School Finance Study, published by the Public School Forum of North Carolina, the gap in public school funding per student between the ten highest and ten lowest-wealth counties in the state is $2,364.
Thousands of Kentucky teachers rallied at the state capital of Frankfort on Monday, April 2, 2018.
This all comes as North Carolina's public school system has come under threat of losing funding from the Republican-controlled legislature.
In May 2017, Democratic senators in the state senate attempted to push five different amendments to prioritize funding, but were turned down each time by Republican senators.
Soon after, Republicans grew irritated with the Democrats and convened amongst themselves. They returned with an amendment of their own to the "Appropriations Bill," which proposed to give $1 million in funding to the opioid crisis across the state, as reported by The News & Observer.
That $1 million however, was proposed to come from slashed education budgets in Democratic districts.
District 3 in rural northeastern North Carolina suffered the hardest, losing $316,646 in funding to two early college high schools. The district was represented by Erica Smith-Ingram, a Democrat.
According to the proposal, the state was also banned from financially supporting a $300,000 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program called Eastern North Carolina STEM, which had helped African-American and low-income families in the region.
However, on June 20, the budget cuts were restored.
While the cuts were ultimately reversed, it was not the first time the current legislative majority has pursued cuts to North Carolina's public school system.
Over the past half-decade, education spending has been slashed and many options for tenure were eliminated until recently, when multi-year contracts were introduced for public school teachers after their first year.
"Yes, teacher pay is definitely too low [in North Carolina] with little room for advancement," said a teacher from Perquimans County, N.C., speaking anonymously for employment reasons.
"The state government does need to do more in way of offering competitive pay for all teachers as well as providing funds for needed building renovations and basic supplies."
The next budget is expected to be passed in North Carolina in 2019.
Whether or not the next budget will include a pay raise for teachers is yet to be known.
Tags: education, funding, kentucky, news, North Carolina, oklahoma, teacher, walkout
Students "Give More in 24" for 2019
Sponsored Content: Project Closet Cleanout
Thank you, next: UNCW prepares for future students, wishes Class of 2019 well
New species of sea squirt named after UNCW professor
UNCW Sustainability hosts end of year celebration
UNC Wilmington's Carmen Sidbury named honorary chair of Million Women Mentors for North Carolina
David Sedaris talks diversity, Hurricane Florence, and more at Kenan Auditorium
Sponsored content: Local surfer shares the art that shapes his life
Comic book author discusses race, gender at UNC Wilmington Comic Con
'One Africa: Many Connections' event encourages cultural appreciation and aid for Africa


Potomac Theatre Company's production of Neil Simon's comedy The Last of the Red Hot Lovers featured Ken Kemp as hapless "lover" Barney Cashman, whose attempts to create a memory to last a lifetime are thwarted by each woman he plans to bed.
Each act is focused on the woman that Cashman is trying to have an affair with. The set, by John Buckley, was fairly non-descript, simply Cashman's mother's small apartment. With very basic sound (designed by David Steigerwald) and light effects (designed by Steve Demind) (although the light effect at the start of the first two acts was well done), this play relies entirely on the ability of the actors to display many different levels of emotion and goals in each act. Director Norman H. Seltzer didn't quite craft enough subtleties in the characters, so they ended up appearing mostly flat.
Carole Steel as Elaine Navaazio in the first act was the most believable and sympathetic woman for Cashman. She was very at ease on stage. Unfortunately, when the scene called for both Navazio and Cashman to get angry at one another, the emotion that was conveyed was discomfort. There's more to anger than just a slightly louder voice.
Allison Hawley as Bobbi Michele didn't quite ever give the audience a reason to know why Cashman was attracted to her in the park. Other than some bizarre and amusing stories that jumped from topic to topic, there really wasn't any reason that Cashman should have been attratced to Michele at all. The entire scene felt quite contrived, never really hitting its stride.
Wendy Katzen as Jeanette Fisher was neurotic, yet mostly believable, as she showed her concern for Cashman's wife through a series of questions and tears. Sometimes her mood changed a bit too quickly, such as when she left the room to clean herself up in the bathroom. Some lingering effects of her tears would have added verisimilitude to her performance.
Ken Kemp's Cashman was quite believeable as the lonely husband trying to have his first affair. We didn't learn too much about him in the last two scenes, although through the subtlety of his changing costumes (Tamitha Crosby, Marietta Green) we learn that he is starting to relax a bit. The closing minutes of the final scene were entirely believeable, and indeed were exactly how I was hoping the play would conclude.
Overall, this was an enjoyable production, despite weaknesses in the portrayals of the characters. Stronger, more nuanced performances would lead to a better production.
Neil Simon has been, for over 50 years, not only a prolific and successful playwright, but through his comedies has presented complex situation and vivid characters in intriguing plot situations. He has created a wide variety of entertaining and memorable characters who tell us much about the human condition and experience.
In Last of the Red Hot lovers, written over 40 years ago, Simon uses a protagonist, Barney Cashman, undergoing a middle-age crisis. Aware of the so-called, "sexual revolution" going on in this country, he wants have one romantic extramarital affair before moving on with the rest of his life.
In Barney's encounters with here different women, Simon has provided not only a good deal of humor and outright laughter but also trenchant observations about contemporary life.
So, come along for the ride and enjoy!
Disclaimer: ShowBizRadio attended a brush-up rehearsal for this review, so not ickets were involved.
This article can be linked to as: http://washingtondc.showbizradio.com/goto/5129.


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Category Archives: Volunteer libraries
Cilip, Community libraries, Librarians, Library advocacy, Library closures, Library funding, library staff, Public libraries, Volunteer libraries, Volunteers
The Positive and Negative Impact of Using Volunteers in Public Libraries
The following post is from Gina Baber a Library & Information student at UCL. Gina has produced an excellent paper looking at the positive and negative impact of volunteers in public libraries. The full article can be found on the UCL website.
I came across the article via Twitter and Ian Anstice also highlighted it from the Public Library News site. However, it's well worth publicising a widely as possible and Gina has kindly agreed to it being posted here.
Gina can be followed on Twitter @Gina_Baber and I highly recommend that you do.
Gina Baber
'Volunteers have long supported and provided highly valuable additional support, working alongside qualified and paid staff, and they should be acknowledged and valued for this role. They should also be given appropriate role descriptions, training and management. CILIP is opposed to job substitution where paid professional and support roles are directly replaced with either volunteers or untrained administrative posts to save money….If this happens services will suffer and will be unsustainable. What remains would be a library service unable to serve the community comprehensively, support people's information needs or provide everyone with the opportunity for learning and development.' (1)
The following essay is a discussion on the impact of using volunteers in Public Libraries. It will focus on the experiences of Library Professionals and Volunteers; and consider the overall effect of Volunteers on the Public Library Service.
Public Libraries are a vital resource, and according to the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, are a statutory requirement (2). Public Libraries are a centre for communities; a place for lifelong learning; and a sanctuary for the vulnerable, including the elderly, mentally disabled and homeless. Libraries improve accessibility to information; help to develop literacy and information literacy; and are a catalyst for social empowerment and social mobility:
'…A strong public library service is the foundation of a literate and inclusive society and a competitive knowledge economy.' (3)
There has been a change in the way many Public Libraries are being run. Cuts to funding have forced some Libraries to reduce their paid staff and introduce unpaid workers, resulting in a significant increase in volunteers in some areas: 'paid library staff fell by 5.3% from 18,028 to 17,064, volunteer numbers rose by 7.5% to 44,501.' (4)
The Librarian as Volunteer Manager
Managing a sizeable cohort of volunteers is a complex undertaking, and there are many aspects of management that need to be taken into consideration. These include: the challenges faced in training volunteers with little or no experience of library work; the varying reliability of volunteers (some can only commit to a few hours a week, or less, and they are often unable to commit to a regular shift pattern); and the effect volunteers have on staff morale, including staff who have seen colleagues made redundant, and who are being required to train volunteers who have replaced paid staff.
According to a 2017 review of UK Public Libraries, the top 4 challenges of using volunteers were as follows: 1. 82% The time investment that is needed to manage and support volunteers 2. 62% The time investment needed to recruit volunteers 3. 62% The level of commitment among volunteers 4. 58% The time needed to train new / casual users on systems (5)
The Government's 'Good Practice Toolkit' also reflects the need for constant and considered management of volunteers:
a volunteer policy needs to be in place
volunteer roles need to be agreed
volunteers will require training for their roles
volunteers require ongoing access to professional advice
resources are needed to manage the volunteer roles (6)
After discussions with several Librarians and Library Managers, many examples of Volunteer Management responsibilities were highlighted. These included 'coming up with volunteer opportunities; writing role descriptions; creating & managing advertising; drafting Service Level agreements; obtaining references; DBS checks for certain roles; maintaining records; training; holding regular meetings; and hosting volunteer thank you events' (7)
The Volunteer Manager role is almost always performed in addition to an existing Librarian or Library Manager role. For example, Maria Bernal, who is the part-time Librarian and Volunteer Manager at Woodberry Down Volunteer-run Library (London Borough of Hackney), is also the Librarian at Homerton Library.
Similarly, Sophia Richards, the Community Librarian for Children, Families, Learning and Outreach at North Somerset Council, also manages the Volunteer programme in North Somerset (8). Inevitably, Librarians taking on these new responsibilities and often large numbers of volunteers, are frequently overworked and under a huge amount of pressure: '…We're open 39 hours a week. I had 5 part time staff, now I have one full time member of staff and 102 volunteers…most of whom volunteer for only 2 hours once a week…It's non-stop training and very tiring teaching 3 new people with minimal IT skills how to do frontline library work in 2 hour slot…the time it takes to train, the extra hours staff are putting in (unpaid, we don't get overtime) just so we can keep on top of our admin and line management responsibilities is exhausting.' (9)
When a Library relies on volunteers, consistent availability and reliability can be an issue. As volunteers do not have a contract in the same way a paid worker does, their attendance is not an obligation. This can lead to casual and sometimes erratic attendance, which can disrupt and put pressure on the rest of the workforce; as well as leading to valuable community group activities being cancelled, the library closing early, and the integrity of the service being damaged, '…volunteers typically are less bound to follow regular schedules or to work for extended periods of time…Limited, irregular schedules are ill suited for tasks needing frequent attention.' (10)
The Positive Effects of Volunteering: Social Empowerment and Social Mobility
Many volunteers are used in Community Outreach and Engagement roles, supporting paid staff and promoting the Library Service. Examples of these volunteer roles include: assistance with the Summer Reading Challenge; IT and Digital Literacy sessions; reading groups; and the Home Library Service for users who are unable to visit the Library due to a disability or ill health (11). As well as a desire to assist the Community, there can be many other reasons people volunteer. These can include volunteering as a way to improve self-confidence or sociability; to gain experience before applying for a paid position; or as a way of gradually integrating back into the workforce. Volunteering can have a positive effect on volunteers with learning difficulties; mental health issues; those dealing with loneliness, bereavement, social isolation and social anxiety; those dealing with unemployment and the struggle to find work or return to work; and those with extended periods of illness which have impacted on their confidence, self-esteem and motivation.
Interviewer: 'Have you had any positive feedback from volunteers on the voluntary work they do?
Community Librarian: 'I suppose the most obvious is those who have gone on to secure employment. One of the volunteers with autism secured a full time position with BT and couldn't thank us enough for giving him an opportunity to have an up to date CV and a reference. A volunteer who had been a social services manager had been claiming sickness following complications after childbirth. She hadn't been in employment for over 12 years and had significant anxiety issues. I worked with her, slowly re-introducing her to the safe library environment…Eventually she became a volunteer and developed the confidence to attend a counselling course. She is now working part-time in that field. (12)
Volunteers and Motivation
'Volunteers are fearful they will lose their libraries, so rather than be faced with that, people think of volunteering…I can understand…but they should never have been in the position to have to make that decision…Volunteers have a brilliant role to play in boosting capacity and outreach but they shouldn't be compelled to take over running the service.' (13)
Volunteers come from different professional or non-professional backgrounds, frequently with little or no experience of managing a Library. The view of the Library as a cultural hub and centre of the community, motivates volunteers to keep the service running; often with limited resources, shorter opening hours and few or no professionally trained Library staff.
As mentioned previously, reliance on volunteers can be problematic for several reasons; and motivation is a particularly powerful influence on reliability and retention. The initial determination to 'save' a Library may be an 'intrinsic motivation,' built on a strong and focused desire to keep the Library open; and the idea that this is a positive and important act. Initially, volunteers may feel that they are taking control and managing change effectively. This action is also a result of an 'extrinsic motivation' and 'external pressures' upon the volunteer or voluntary group, caused by the potential closure of the Library. Volunteering must be 'a choice freely made by an individual…both the volunteer and the organisation that the volunteer works with should benefit from the relationship; and the contribution of volunteers should be recognised.' (14)
The initial motivation of the volunteer to make a difference or improve the situation may decrease, when external pressures become increasingly evident and their free choice as a volunteer becomes more of an obligation or 'social coercion.' (15)
External pressure may also come from volunteers having to take on more work than they were initially able to, and outside their capabilities. Untrained volunteers may not be able to cope with increased and unattainable expectations and workload. As a result, demotivation could occur as follows:
1. The reduction in paid professional Library staff could result in a lack of support and training for volunteers
2. This constraint on volunteer training and development could then result in volunteers feeling isolated or unable to fully assist Library Users
3. A lack of training and consequent limited understanding of information resources, could result in lower levels of self-confidence in volunteers; leading to frustration and disappointment that they are unable to fulfill the role
4. Frustration and negative feedback from library users, unable to receive the information or services they require, could result in a volunteer feeling that they are no longer in control
5. As a result of this lack of control, a volunteer may develop a negative association with the workplace and volunteer role. Volunteers may feel anxious, defiant, and demotivated; ultimately leading to amotivation and them leaving the volunteer position (16)
It is important to provide volunteers with consistent and thorough training and support, as well as a variety of tasks that suit their individual skills and experience '…having managed volunteers myself, I'm very aware that you have to make sure people are happy, stimulated, befriended and given a cup of tea and a chance to sit down and chat. Also, if they're there for the long term, they need some autonomy over a task (this has to be appropriate for their level of ability), and a chance to change up tasks and routines when they get bored (or they'll get burned out)' (17)
Paid and unpaid staff require professional and personal development, including positive and constructive feedback and staff appraisal. If a volunteer does not receive consistent feedback and encouragement, they may feel undervalued. Similarly, if a working environment is hostile, isolating, apathetic, or not stimulating for a worker or volunteer, there will be little or no incentive to achieve goals. Problems may also occur when the paid workforce feel undermined or threatened by the increased use of volunteers. With many paid professionals losing their jobs or facing redundancy, there is a definite sense of unease, and sometimes a lack of respect or understanding from both paid staff and volunteers:
'…without a doubt, many of the volunteers do not value nor respect our experience….It's obvious that most of the volunteers don't really know or understand what public library staff do. They aren't intending to start a career in libraries, they haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it in the same way an applicant for a job vacancy would.' (18)
Diversity: The Effect on Service
Interviewer: Do you think Equality and Diversity are fairly represented in Libraries that rely on volunteers?
Library Manager, Wirral: NO! The vast majority of our volunteers are elderly, white & middleclass/ retired teachers, engineers etc. (19) Community Librarian, Conwy County Borough Council: 'My experience is that I haven't seen someone from an ethnic minority, with a disability or anybody under the age of 60 volunteering. The simple answer therefore is no! However, I don't think libraries are doing enough to attract these groups anyway and our users remain older retired and white and those with young children. That's leaves a huge part of the population!' (20)
Another issue with Volunteer recruitment, is the lack of equality and diversity amongst volunteers recruited. This lack of equality and diversity can have an impact on the relationship between the volunteer and Library user; and the quality of the service provided. The less diverse the workforce, the less diverse the range of knowledge; experience and understanding of different cultures; attitudes; beliefs; and lifestyles.
A lack of diversity, coupled with little or no understanding of information literacy, may ultimately lead to a biased or limited information service provision. Volunteers may be unaware of appropriate data protection laws and copyright, for example; and be unaware of the most efficient, accurate and ethical ways of finding information, such as using the most current databases to search for medical information.
Volunteers may also have little or no experience of how to manage the needs of a user with specific learning needs, a disability, or mental illness. It is important for a Public Library to employ professional staff to maintain as balanced and fair a service as possible, '…public librarians should provide expert assistance and advice to users as a public service without prejudice against persons and without a hidden motive of staff affecting search results…public librarians have an obligation to protect and promote the rights of every individual to have free and equal access to sources of information without discrimination.' (21)
The Librarian Identity: Deprofessionalisation
'What the profession needs to be vigilant of and something that should be challenged is appointing candidates to post as 'librarian' or equivalent without qualification or the need to pursue one. Regardless of the rights or wrongs of volunteer libraries it is the responsibility of all of us in the profession to uphold the integrity of what it means to be a qualified librarian. Anything else fundamentally undermines the concept of professional Librarianship' (22)
Library volunteer roles are sometimes given titles with a professional association, for example 'Marketing Assistant', Library Ambassador' and 'Library Events Facilitator,' which suggest a more serious position, with greater responsibility; and may result in an increased level of commitment from the volunteer. The language used can be encouraging for Volunteers, but problematic in its confusion with professional roles. Job titles used on the 'Volunteering Wales' website, for example, include 'Assistant Librarian' and Library Administrator.' The requirement for the 'Assistant Librarian' role requests that the volunteer has 'no particular skills, and training will be given.' The role involves 'talking to the public and using the computer to log books in and out.' (23) Language and role descriptions like this, are in danger of undermining the view of the Library Professional.
Many people who have worked as a Librarian or are working towards a professional role, have extensive practical experience, training, knowledge and skills – the Librarian role is far more complex and exhaustive than this simplified job description suggests. Deprofessionalisation is hugely problematic, and volunteers are rarely able to take the place of a trained information professional '…The shift towards volunteer-run libraries also promotes the misconception that being a librarian is not a profession. Working in a library isn't just about flicking a date stamp about and re-shelving a few books…' (24)
Some Public Libraries do not believe in the importance or necessity of qualified Library staff, and the retail customer service model is often favoured over the knowledge and professionalism of a Librarian '…Being a qualified librarian is desirable, but not essential for front line staff.
Also, a colleague was telling me recently that "…CILIP's own research shows than only 46% of those polled think that librarians provide trustworthy information. This does put librarians in the top 5 professional nationally, but at the same time it's not a full endorsement either"…' (25). It was interesting to hear that the Idea Store do not use volunteers, believing that '…services are lessened by the use of volunteers, so Idea Store do not take on volunteers to do the work of professional, trained staff.' (26) There appears to be an awareness of the current situation, where volunteers have been frequently replacing professional staff; but one cannot help but feel that management is missing out on valuable expertise, knowledge and service development potential by not employing qualified Librarians.
'We, as members of the public, deserve better. We deserve (and are legally entitled to) a library service that delivers not only books but is a free public access point to information. We deserve someone qualified in knowledge and information management who is best able to provide that service – and that's a real librarian.' (27)
The general view amongst Library Professionals and many users, seems to indicate that replacing paid professional staff with volunteers will result in a lower quality service provision. Volunteers should, where possible, only be used to support experienced, qualified staff. Volunteers are a positive addition to a workforce, when used to support certain activities, but should not be relied on to run a Library service '…experience would suggest that the most effective use of volunteers is to support paid staff in delivering specific activities (storytimes, job clubs, reading schemes, etc.), rather than taking on the day-to-day logistics of running a library' (28).
Personal experience of using (or attempting to use) a volunteer-run Library, has been problematic and disappointing, with the Library in question frequently closing early, or being unable to open due to lack of volunteer availability. For users reliant on accessing resources, including computers and internet access, this can be greatly inhibiting and frustrating. The impression created, is one of an inefficient Library Service – a service that is unreliable and nonfunctioning. Ultimately, the user may be forced to look elsewhere for information and resources; and the trust in the service is reduced. Reduction in paid professional staff and reliance on volunteers, also has an impact on the availability and discovery of accurate and balanced information sources; and there may be issues with volunteers' inexperience with intercultural competences and diversity. Volunteers can be used in a positive and effective way, and volunteering can have a positive impact on those who volunteer. In a Public Library context however, volunteers need to be managed carefully. Where possible, they need to support and not undermine professional paid staff; and they need to be offered regular training, support and feedback.
Volunteers should not be expected to take on the responsibility and workload of experienced, trained Information Professionals. There should be a clear distinction between the role of a volunteer in supporting the Library service, and representing it entirely. Evidence shows that volunteer-run libraries are not sustainable, and cannot run in an efficient, freely accessible and wholly ethical manner. Leadership and management from paid professionals is essential in maintaining the standard of a Public Library service. Without paid information professionals working as true representatives of the service, perception of Public Libraries will be further degraded and the public may lose an important resource capable of empowering and mobilising individuals and communities.
(1) CILIP Public Libraries use of Volunteers [online] 19 April 2017 (original date of Policy June 2012) [accessed 04/02/17] Available from: https://archive.cilip.org.uk/research/sectors/public-libraries/briefings-statements/publiclibraries-use-volunteers
(2) Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964: 7. General Duty of Library Authorities https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1964/75
(3) CILIP Public Libraries 2016 Available from: https://archive.cilip.org.uk/research/sectors/public-libraries
(4) Kean, D. UK Library Budgets Fall by £25m in a Year The Guardian Thursday 8 December 2016 [online] [accessed 19/02/2018] Available from: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/books/2016/dec/08/uk-librarybudgets-fall-by-25m-in-a-year
(5) Axiel A Review of UK Libraries in 2017: A Guide for Delivering Sustainable Communitycentric Services [online] May 2017 Axiel Ltd. [Accessed 11/04/18] Available from: http://www.axiell.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Axiell-Report-A-review-of-UKlibraries-in-2017.pdf
(6) Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Libraries shaping the future: good practice toolkit: 3.3 Volunteering [online] [accessed 05/02/16] Available from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/libraries-shaping-the-future-good-practicetoolkit/libraries-shaping-the-future-good-practice-toolkit
(7) Library Manager, Wirral Interviewed by Anon 15/04/18
(8) Meet the Volunteering Team! https://northsomersetlibraryvolunteers.wordpress.com
(9) @ALibrarian1 ; Bolton, L. (ed.) One Hundred and Two! in Leon's Library Blog [online] 20/09/2015 [accessed 25/03/2018] Available from: https://leonslibraryblog.com/2017/09/27/one-hundred-and-two/
(10) Leonard, K. B. Volunteers in Archives: Free Labor, But Not Without Cost USA: Journal of Library Administration 52 2012 p 316
(11) North Somerset Library Volunteers Available from: https://northsomersetlibraryvolunteers.wordpress.com
(12) Community Librarian and Volunteer Manager, Conwy County Borough Council Interviewed by Anon 16/04/18
(13) Powell, M. in Flood, A. Save your Local! Should Volunteers Help Keep Our Public Libraries Open? [online] The Guardian 8 August 2017 [Accessed 20/02/18] Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/aug/08/public-libraries-at-thecrossroads-should-volunteers-be-keeping-them-open
(14) Paine, A. E. ; Hill, M. ; Rochester, C. 'A Rose by Any Other Name..' : Revisiting the Question: 'What Exactly is Volunteering?' [online] 2010 UK: Institute for Volunteering Research p 9 [accessed 09/04/18] Available from: https://www.scribd.com/document/352352785/A-rose-by-any-other-name-Revisiting-thequestion-what-exactly-is-volunteering
(15) Ibid. pp 12-13
(16) Adapted from the points in: Taylor, B.M. Table 1,2, and 3 of Motivation : The Hierarchical Model of Motivation: A Lens for Viewing the Complexities of Motivation USA: Performance Improvement 2015 [online] 54 4 p 38 [accessed 04/03/18] Available from: https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.libproxy.ucl.ac.uk/doi/epdf/10.1002/pfi.21475
(17) Library Assistant and Library Volunteer, London Interviewed by Anon 11/04/18 (18) @ALibrarian1 ; Bolton, L. (ed.) One Hundred and Two! in Leon's Library Blog [online] 20/09/2015 [accessed 25/03/2018] Available from: https://leonslibraryblog.com/2017/09/27/one-hundred-and-two/
(19) Library Manager, Wirral Interviewed by Anon 15/04/18
(20) Community Librarian, Conwy County Borough Council Interviewed by Anon 16/04/18
(21) Kargbo, J. A. The Role of Public Librarians in Disseminating Information for True Democracy Public Library Quarterly 33:4 pp 362-371 [accessed 16/02/18] Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2014.937216
(22) Bolton, L. When is a Librarian Not a Librarian? in Leon's Library Blog [online] 20/09/2015 [accessed 25/03/2018] Available from: https://leonslibraryblog.com/2015/09/20/when-is-a-librarian-not-a-librarian/
(23) Volunteering Wales: Opportunities [online] [Accessed 11/04/18] Available from: https://www.volunteering-wales.net/opportunity/28652/
(24) Ash, E. in Flood, A. Save your Local! Should Volunteers Help Keep Our Public Libraries Open? [online] The Guardian 8 August 2017 [Accessed 20/02/18] Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/aug/08/public-libraries-at-thecrossroads-should-volunteers-be-keeping-them-open
(25) Dogliani, S. Deputy Head of Idea Store Interviewed by Anon 17/04/18
(26) Ibid. 22/02/18
(27) Finch, D. The Harsh Truth About Volunteers Available from: https://dawnfinch.co.uk/2015/04/05/the-truth-about-volunteers/
(28) Librarian, Adults & Communities Team, North Lincolnshire Library & Information Services Interviewed by Anon 16/04/18
Cilipcommunity librariesLibrary closureslibrary serviceslibrary staffLibrary volunteersprofessional librarianspublic librariesVolunteer libraries
Councils, library staff, Public libraries, Uncategorized, Volunteer libraries, Volunteers
One Hundred And Two!
The following guest post is from @ALibrarian1 on Twitter who has to remain anonymous due to censure they would incur for speaking out about their experience dealing with library volunteers. Obviously, this will not be everyone's experience and neither does it detract from some of the great work volunteers do in libraries around the country.
However, it will resonate with many library staff, especially those who have had volunteers foisted on them after losing dedicated colleagues to cutbacks. It's also an antidote to the sometime hollowness of the 'positive narrative'. Not quite 'alternative fact' but never the whole story either.
It's a serious issue told with tongue-in-cheek humour and not a certain amount of frustration. if you don't already follow @ALibrarian1 on Twitter I highly recommend you do.
Hello. I recently started tweeting as @ALibrarian1 to vent my frustration/shout into the void about what it's like working with volunteers in a public library. It's been quite a surprise to find that there are lots of library folks out there who are interested, are listening, and who have offered both support and advice. Thank you everyone. Particularly to those who have reacted with horror, surprise and horrified surprise at some of the things I've tweeted about. You are doing an excellent job of reminding me that some things just aren't acceptable, particularly when managers go out of their way to reassure me that 'everything's going so well!' I accepted the offer to write this guest post so I can expand on some of the things I've been tweeting about and offer a bit more of an insight into my situation.
In April 2017 my library authority implemented an 'efficiency based' restructure which replaced about 60% of our staff with volunteers (or at least that was the intent, as many branches hadn't and still haven't recruited the numbers of volunteers they'd need to cover their opening hours). Every single one of our branches now has volunteers delivering frontline library services. We have three tiers: core libraries, the big branch libraries which are 60% staff 40% volunteers; hybrid libraries which are 40% staff 60% volunteers, and community libraries which are fully volunteer run with staff who drop in maybe one day a week then are on call as support by phone for the rest.
I've been working in this library service for just over 10 years, and work full time (37 hours) supervising a busy hybrid branch. We're open 39 hours a week. I had 5 part time staff, now I have one full time and 102 volunteers. One hundred and two volunteers, and we still need more. One. Hundred. And. Two. I have to keep track of one hundred and two people, most of whom volunteer for only 2 hours once a week. I don't know all their names and I probably never will.
Luckily, I'm not responsible for recruiting, interviewing, checking references or arranging a rota for them. That's the job of the volunteer committee. A committee of volunteers we recruited to manage the recruitment of volunteers. Writing this, I'm well aware of how ridiculous this sounds. And it is. It is absolutely insane. The committee were formed from the small number of people who, in response to the 2015 council consultation on the future of libraries, gave their contact details and said they'd be interested in volunteering. Because they couldn't volunteer while staff were still in post, and management needed to keep hold of them, they were formed into a committee. Then they weren't given anything to do for about 6 months.
In January this year management started holding meetings with them in the branch to discuss what would happen from April. Staff weren't involved in these meetings and both staff and the committee were told that we shouldn't speak or have any interaction due to the "sensitive" situation – staff being on notice and the committee readying to replace them as volunteers. We already knew who had been granted voluntary redundancy, who was staying in post and who was being made redundant. Being pointlessly secretive about what we all knew was going to happen didn't assist good relations between staff and the council. Staff contracts ended on the last day of March, volunteers took over on April Fool's Day.
The council began a county wide recruitment drive for volunteers in earnest in late 2016 by announcing that since we no longer had enough staff (and glossing over the 'how odd that lots of staff would be leaving at the same time' problem; some library customers still don't realise there were redundancies) we'd need volunteers to help us keep the libraries open. I believe this call for help to run the libraries "because we're short of people" has been interpreted by some of the volunteers (particularly those who make up the committees) as a call for help to run the libraries "because we aren't sure what we're doing anymore". Without a doubt, many of the volunteers do not value nor respect our experience. The council devalued staff by announcing that anyone can have a bash at running a library, so why should they think otherwise! We've made it very clear that we can't run this service without them, and in doing so have given them licence to interfere with core service provision. We now need to bend over backwards to keep them onside. Should they decide to quit, we're done for and libraries will close.
What's it like each day in the library with volunteers? Short answer: bloody hard work. It's non-stop training and very tiring teaching 3 people with minimal IT skills how to do frontline library work in 2 hour slots. There are many things I find intensely frustrating, the things that drive me to vent on twitter: The repeated daily reminders not to overfill transfer boxes so they aren't too heavy to lift. Not to leave boxes stacked where they block a fire door. Not to shelve adult graphic novels with toddler's picture books. The difference between a DVD and an audio book on CD (call me naïve, but this is not a thing I'd ever expected to have to explain more than once). Not to leave name and address details visible on the computer screen when they've finished registering a new borrower and wandered away…
The volunteers all have an introductory training session before their first shift which covers the layout of the shelves, fire safety, where the loos are, the usual sort of first-day workplace induction. Then they're turned loose in the library for me to find something for them to do. That's the question my colleague and I are asked throughout the day, "what shall I do now?" I haven't a problem with them being keen, and wanting to be helpful and keep busy, but there's an impression I get that helping customers who have enquiries doesn't seem to be an option they always consider in answer to this. There's a list of routine daily tasks but they seem to want special 'volunteer' tasks to do, and as a result I've seen volunteers straight up ignore customers who are waiting for assistance. I've seen volunteers tell customers "I can't help you, I'm just a volunteer". At this point we do step in and prompt them to offer help, but it feels strange that we must keep reminding them that their 'job' is to help people.
It's obvious that most of the volunteers don't really know or understand what public library staff do. They aren't intending to start a career in libraries, they haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it in the same way an applicant for a job vacancy would. There's a deeply ingrained idea that all we do is lend out books. "I'll come and volunteer, but I just want to tidy books" is a regular comment. We have volunteers who refuse to do anything involving computers. I wouldn't have recruited them, it would be impossible to employ a member of staff who said that, but it's up to the committee to decide who is recruited. I just have to find them something to do.
All the volunteers have been surprised by the variety of services we offer. That we can recommend a book for someone aged 9 or 90, but can also help with finding crossword answers, that we can process bus pass applications, help people print boarding passes, family history searches, shotgun licences, give out town maps, that we almost never say no, sorry, we can't help you with that. It's been a challenge to communicate that this is what I need them to gain the skills to be eventually be able to do. In their defence, it is quite a daunting request, but this is what a public library service is.
The volunteers are stepping into a role which was done by paid professional staff. I've deliberately used a small-p-professional, none of my staff had library qualifications, but they were dedicated, professional, and all of them had been working in libraries for longer than I have been. We all know library work requires a massive amount of training as well as experience. It's a real difficulty now. Post restructure, we don't have enough staff left to run training sessions as well as cover frontline services so the volunteer committee are intending to take over some of the more structured training. Any training materials we give the committee, they insist on re-writing so they are more suited for volunteer's style of learning. That's just rude frankly, given that we've already purposely written them for volunteers and the committee aren't familiar with library work.
We're nearly 6 months in and it's not really getting any easier. I don't think this is sustainable indefinitely. The number of volunteers we need, the time it takes to train, the extra hours staff are putting in (unpaid, we don't get overtime) just so we can keep on top of our admin and line management responsibilities is exhausting. I get to work early and stay late just to fit everything in. I'm needed on the library floor almost all the time helping the volunteers, as it's usually too busy for my colleague to manage on their own, and the volunteers just don't yet have the experience or confidence for enquiry work.
I was working as library supervisor in this branch before the restructure. I had to reapply and be interviewed to prove my suitability to supervise volunteers instead of staff.
Many of my colleagues took voluntary redundancy rather than go through the interview process. I never even contemplated voluntary redundancy because I wanted to carry on with the job I was already doing, but I'm not getting very much satisfaction out of it. I'm learning new skills – mainly relating to crisis management, short term planning, and how to triage my to-do list. I've limited career prospects here now. The council need me to help them keep the library doors open, but they aren't offering anything inspiring in return. We're repeatedly instructed to attend resilience training, change management, team building, persuasion and influencing training… all acknowledgement that things aren't so great, but shifting of the fault onto staff. Some of my colleagues are having real trouble coping with the stress and the workload and being treated as an inconvenience by their committees who want to do things their way.
Were I to hand in my notice the branch would have to close for part of the week because I know there's no-one they could spare from another branch to cover for me. I cannot change what the council have done in restructuring the service (and I've had a hard time dealing with the feeling of being complicit in 'making it work'), but I will hold things together here as best I can. Perhaps I'm overestimating my abilities, but if I can keep my little branch afloat and steer it through the wreckage then that's what I'm going to do. I do still like working in libraries, there's so much to learn, there's so much I still need to learn and I do not want to give that up just yet.
librarieslibrary serviceslibrary staffLibrary volunteersVolunteer libraries
Community libraries, Councils, Leadership for Libraries Task Force, Library closures, Public libraries, Volunteer libraries, Volunteers
The Whole Story..?
Love them or loath them 'community libraries' are an uncomfortable fact of life. I have great respect for volunteers that complement library services and paid staff, and libraries have a long history of working with volunteers, contributing as they do time, energy and additional skills. But since 2010 'volunteer led' libraries have become ubiquitous and many authorities have them in one form or another.
A recent post on the Libraries Taskforce blog: Meeting the teams in community run libraries discusses work towards the development of a good practice toolkit for such libraries.
What comes through from the post is that many of the groups prefer core support from the parent library service and being connected to the wider library network. Such support can include oversight from paid staff, buildings and maintenance costs being met, and provision of stock and IT. This version of the model centres on volunteers replacing paid staff, and the subsequent budget savings this brings, but with the running costs being met by the local authority. Volunteers also support the library by fund raising activities to a greater or lesser degree. How much this genuinely meets the overall costs will differ from library to library, even ones within relatively short distances of each other.
However, while the posts goes as far as recognising the contentious nature of the issue and states that no endorsement of the volunteer model is implied I do find it unbalanced in tone and the emphasis is very much on the strengths and successes of the volunteer model.
This would be acceptable if recognition was also given to the pitfalls inherent in the system as a counter-point. Certainly any informed advice from the Taskforce needs to balance the pro and cons in a realistic narrative, if only to avoid the accusation of bias towards the government's localism agenda.
For instance, despite all the wonderful work being done at Manchester Central Library, volunteer libraries in the area are struggling, with visitor numbers and opening hours falling dramatically. The challenges are nothing new and in both 2013 & 2014 a frustrated volunteer library manager vented her concerns to Public Library News about the reality of running a community library.
The situation is no doubt complex. Some volunteer libraries are thriving, some surviving with support from the parent service, and others barely managing to stay open. What we lack is data. Data to know how many volunteer libraries there are, what their experience is, and how we measure their success through standardised metrics. Will they be judged on visitor numbers, loans, events, or merely keeping the doors open?
So in the interest of balance and telling the whole story the Taskforce should highlight not just why community libraries succeed but also why and how they fail.
community librariesLeadership for Libraries Task ForceLibrary closuresLibrary volunteerspublic librariesVolunteer libraries
Cilip, LGA, Library campaigns, My Library By Right, Politics, Public libraries, SCL, Volunteer libraries, Volunteers
Sometimes I Get So Angry..!
There's no one theme to this post but observations about several issues. First and foremost is the lack of traction on the My Library By Right Campaign, an area I promised to explore further in my last post. The lack of signatures is very saddening and led to an outburst from Cilip ex-president Phil Bradley on his blog entitled 'Really angry…'
I share his frustration with the apparent apathy out there. At the time of Phil's blog there had only been 6,000 signatures, which has now increased to just over 9,000. This is embarrassingly low. There are 13,000 Cilip members so at the very least there should be 13,000 signatures. The fact there is not speaks volumes for the stronger together approach of Cilip representing different sectors. The number of signatures also doesn't reflect all the library campaigns and individual campaigners out there. If everyone opposing closures at a local level signed the petition it would make a huge difference.
So here's some things that everyone can do:
Sign the petition (no brainer)
Share not just once but repeatedly on social media
Ask family and friends to sign
If allowed share in the workplace and ask colleagues to sign
Some workplaces will not allow such open campaigning so talk to colleagues individually and ask to sign. At the end of the day this is a professional issue and you have every right to discuss it
Have the campaign poster or Cilip Update (Dec/jan 2015/16) prominently displayed in your office or at your workstation to help generate discussion and show your support
For the more adventurous campaign publicly and ask people to sign. Give out leaflets and engage with the public. Certainly this could be driven by Cilip groups regionally and equally by campaigners as part of local campaigners.
I'm sure there's lots more so please share suggestions on social media.
Ultimately, as it states on the Cilip website, this is about holding "…the Government to account for these legal duties, including working with the Secretary of State to provide a clear and meaningful statement of the characteristics of a 'comprehensive and efficient' service for Local Authorities to follow." And surely no campaigner or Cilip member can disagree with that?
This leads me on to the SCL and the apparent lack of support from them, with no obvious statement, or link from the SCL website, acknowledging the campaign. Phil Bradley tweeted the SCL about the matter to which I replied, only partly tongue in cheek, to give them time as they needed to ask permission from the LGA first!
SCL's status as firmly in the camp of the establishment rather than representing the best interests of the profession are surely beyond doubt. There is certainly a distinct lack of openness, transparency and accountability about the body. So here's a simple challenge to the SCL: contact all the members and ask if there should be link to the My Library By Right campaign on the SCL website. Show the profession that there is at least some inkling of democracy about the organisation.
Thinking of the SCL I am rather surprised that amongst all the Cilip groups there is not one for senior staff and heads of service. I assume historically they have relied on the SCL to represents such interests. However, perhaps now is the time for Cilip to consider establishing an alternative that is not so bound to the vested interests of the LGA and is obviously more democratic and accountable to members and the wider profession.
Lastly, I return to a number of tweets I posted recently inspired by an exchange I had with someone locally regarding libraries and book swaps. Unfortunately, there are many out there who regard book swaps and volunteer libraries as a viable alternative to properly funded and staffed library services. My argument is that it's not enough for libraries just to be open, you have to give people a reason to come through the doors in the first place.
This means providing services, activities, and facilities developed and delivered by a knowledgeable and dedicated workforce, underpinned by targeted marketing and outreach. Every successful business and organisation knows this.
Without such knowledge and dedication passive service provision will ultimately fail. Libraries need to be dynamic places delivering and evolving services for the good of the community. This requires professional knowledge and experience, a trained workforce, and adequate funding
It's also why book swaps will never be libraries and volunteers will never be librarians.
CilipLGALibrary advocacyLibrary campaignLibrary closuresLibrary volunteersMy Library By Rightpublic librariesSCLVolunteer libraries
Councils, Government, Librarians, Library advocacy, Library campaigns, Library closures, Local government, Politics, Public libraries, Volunteer libraries, Volunteers
It's Complicated!
I doubt that many people, when the coalition government came to power, could predict the precarious state that public libraries would find themselves in five years later, particularly in England. Obviously over that time local authorities have responded in unique – at least as far as libraries were concerned – and not always popular ways including establishing volunteer led libraries, reducing library networks through closures, and hollowing services out by cutting hours, budgets and staff. A few have gone down the route of commissioning out, mainly in the form of not for profit trusts.
However, the situation has become so fluid that solutions which appeared robust even a couple of years ago are looking unstable in the current climate. This is not necessarily the fault of the managers involved. I admit that my own views have changed, driven by the fact that it is one thing to develop practical alternatives to mitigate a 10%-20% reduction in funding and another to design a service around 40%-50% cuts, with more to follow. Services are being contorted by the unremitting grind of austerity into misshapen delivery models that ill-match their purpose: from a shop front of ragbag, mismatched council services to financially brittle libraries dependent on the availability and philanthropy of the local community.
That said, it's also undeniable that councils are under immense financial pressure as the setllement from central government is substantially reduced year on year. According to the LGA central government has cut the settlement to councils by 40% since 2010 with a further reduction by 2018. The current furore between David Cameron and the leader of Oxfordshire Council shows that even the most ardent tory councils have had enough.
No wonder some local authorities seek to transfer assets, co-locate services, and turn libraries into 'community hubs', whatever that phrase means.
However, such approaches do not lend themselves to genuine service development and the outcome is that library services become pale imitations of their former selves, far removed from the ideal of 'comprehensive and efficient', which is sacrificed on the altar of austerity economics.
Library staff, campaigners, and local communities are often faced with a difficult dilemma when threatened with library closures. The option of choice for most councils appears to be to off-load parts of the network individually to local community groups and volunteers. Another option is to hand over to a private company but thankfully there are few examples of this in the UK. The main one being Carillion, which appears to be an unmitigated disaster. That said, Self-service and Bibliotheca's Open+ are being used as an excuse to replace staff altogether. This is not a criticism of such technology but it is being used increasingly not to enhance service development but merely to enable staffing cuts.
A pragmatic solution? Personally I prefer my libraries with the human touch.
Another option that fewer councils have adopted is the mutual/trust approach. Many campaigners rightly point out the pitfalls in taking such a path and the pros and cons are summed up on Public Library News.
The main concern about trusts seems to be that they are viewed as a backdoor to privatisation, lack accountability in the way they operate, not least regarding FoI, remove accountability out of the hands of elected representatives, and offer lower employment terms and conditions for staff. I have great sympathy for some of these concerns particularly over withholding information under the guise of commercial confidentiality.
Data around trusts is also hard to come by so how successful they really are in comparison with a council run service is difficult to reliably quantify.
However, despite these qualms we should not just dismiss the trust approach. Now I have previously argued in favour of trusts, not because I believe they are the ideal solution, but because they offer a pragmatic option over fragmenting library networks by closure or handing over to volunteers. I've also never been entirely convinced that this undermines local accountability, mainly because it's the elected representatives that have helped to create the current crisis. Ask campaigners in Sheffield, Herefordshire, Lincolnshire, Kirklees…in fact almost anywhere in the country how well local accountability is working!
Yes the ideal might be a fully funded and council run service but in the current political climate and a government ideologically opposed to properly funding public services this is a unrealistic expectation. Maybe circumstances will change in the future under a more sympathetic government but we have a long way to go before we get there. In the meantime we need to develop pragmatic interim solutions.
The latest authority to go down the trust route is Devon, with the adoption of a new identity as Libraries Unlimited South West, which Ian Anstice observed could imply ambitions beyond the Devon area. I've explored regional library trusts in previous posts comparing them to NHS trusts and surmising that perhaps similar cross boundary cooperation could work well for libraries.
Often staff are supportive of the trust model as an alternative but prevented from pursuing this by council members who, for some unfathomable reason, prefer threatening to close libraries as a way of coercing communities into running them.
So if it genuinely comes down to a choice between the option to keep the network mostly intact and run mostly by paid staff and qualified librarians or face the fragmentation of services and handing over to volunteers I know which option I'd choose. In fact where a council is intent on off-loading a large proportion of its library network then campaigners should challenge the council to adopt a trust model.
However, as I say, it's complicated, and for the foreseeable future likely to get more complicated still.
LibrarianlibrariesLibrary advocacyLibrary closuresLibrary volunteersPoliticspublic librariesVolunteer libraries
Librarians, Library closures, Public libraries, Volunteer libraries, Volunteers
Paved with good intentions
I've come across the phrase 'volunteer librarian' twice recently. Firstly from a newspaper article about a volunteer run library in Lincolnshire and secondly in a blog from a campaigner protesting cuts in Barnet and the establishment of volunteer libraries.
The sentiments from the latter post are to be admired as is the valuable work they do with their local school. I also endorse their end statement that "You wouldn't want a volunteer teacher. So why would you want a volunteer librarian?". And in fact most people don't. What they want is paid and qualified staff delivering services.
The one unfortunate element of the above post is the authors claim to be a 'volunteer librarian' themselves, which rather undermines the whole argument. Now, this is not a personal attack but we need to be clear as to what constitutes a librarian, which is a theme I explored in a recent post 'When is a librarian not a librarian?' Put simply, if an individual doe not hold a recognised qualification in librarianship then they are most definitely not a librarian.
This is not to undermine the valuable contribution such library helpers make but just as being a classroom assistant, despite the important work they do, does not make you a 'teacher', volunteering in a library does not entitle the individual to the title of librarian. So within this context there is no such thing as a volunteer librarian. Librarianship is a highly skilled and qualified profession and one way of campaigners supporting librarians is to ensure the currency of the title is not debased.
This leads me on to the question of librarian volunteers. That is, qualified librarians who help in their local volunteer library. This is a difficult and divisive issue.
One such volunteer recently commented that:
I am a retired librarian running my local library with about 70 volunteers. A library with no links to the local community is now a local hub, with talks, clubs, many kids events and displays, trained volunteers, who have just won an award for the tiptop service they supply to the community. I love it , having always worked miles away I know so many local users and volunteers. Some libraries were great but not this one – we have together made it great. I am proud of this Community Library created by the local population. And Surrey regards us as one of their own they fully support their community libraries.
The intention is again well meaning. However, the involvement of a retired librarian has wider implications than that of ordinary volunteers because they, in my opinion, also have a duty towards the wider profession.
Unfortunately, the involvement of qualified librarians in volunteer run libraries:
Undermines the integrity of librarianship and enables the deprofessionalisation of the public library sector
Limits career opportunities of those still in or newly entering the profession
Gives a façade of respectability to council cuts
Supports the erroneous notion that volunteer services are as good as those run by paid staff
I'm sure the inclination to save a much loved local library is genuine. Nevertheless, I also feel that retired librarians who have enjoyed a rewarding career and the good fortune of paid employment should not support a system that denies the same opportunities to their fellow professionals.
Rather than enabling the degradation of library services and actively supplanting paid staff retired and ex-librarians should be in the vanguard of opposing such moves.
By undermining the sector such 'librarians' should forfeit the right to be part of a professional body that is fighting hard to preserve the professional integrity of the public library network nationally.
Library closuresLibrary volunteersprofessional librarianspublic librariesVolunteer libraries

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Bangalore, 28 December, 2016 – For various reasons such as time crunch or other activities always getting in the way, some of us would have missed out on planning our New Year's Eve. Now, with just two days left, we are in that zone of total panic where all the parties we wanted to attend are sold out or the restaurant we were planning to book is full.
Fear not.There is a solution that is likely to put you out of your misery by giving you a host of ideas and options on what you can do this New Year's Eve. Frogo, the Bengaluru-based experiences and activities platform has you covered with some of the best activities and experiences that you can book even now!
Frogo's list of carefully-curated experiences exclusive for New Year's Eve allows you to pick outan activity that appeals best to you. Whichever part of the country you may be in, Frogo has you covered with more than 100experiences for you to choose from. Some of the most popular experiences include the rooftop party at The World Trade Centre Bangalore, Bollywood Blockbuster Night at Novotel Mumbai, Sea Shores Beach Party at Alibag and the Angels and Demons Party in Hyderabad. For those who want to do something a little different, activities like dining under a helipad or welcoming the New Year from the hills of Kaurava Kunda may appeal more to you.
The best part about booking from Frogo is that you don't have to worry about where to go and book your tickets or sign up for activities. The website and mobile app is a one-stop destination that allows you to view the details of the activity and book your tickets in just a few clicks. So go ahead and have a fun-filled time and welcome 2017 in grand style.


From what we know, it sounds like the initial decision to be as aggressive as possible in rolling up al Qaeda was completely justified. Recall what it was like in the weeks and months after 9/11, when the death toll was still believed to be much higher than 3,000, anthrax was buzzing through the postal system, and an unknown number of sleeper cells existed on our soil….Speed was of the essence, and the system back then was not speedy.
….There's very little an American president can't do when there's an immediate crisis. But as it became clear this war was going to be a marathon instead of a sprint, Bush should have figured out how to reinsert the rule of law into the process.
I think that's exactly right. With the caveat that we still don't know exactly what this program entails, it appears to be just the kind of thing people have in mind when they say that the executive branch should be given a lot of leeway during wartime because only the executive can act speedily enough when the country is under attack.
"Under attack" describes 9/11, and the president had every reason to suppose that those attacks might continue. If Bush had ordered the NSA to broaden its mandate immediately, and then gone to Congress a few weeks or a month later to get permanent authorization for a change in the law, I'd probably have no problem with it.
But that's not what he did. In fact, he did just the opposite. He deliberately declined to ask the FISA court to authorize his program because he knew they'd turn him down. Likewise, he declined to ask Congress to authorize the program because after consulting with congressional leaders he concluded that Congress would turn him down too. But like it or not, once the initial emergency was past he no longer had the authority to act unilaterally. He's our president, not our king, and even though he likes to style himself a "wartime president" he still has to obey the law. Somebody ought to remind him of that occasionally.


text:
Facebook Wants Your Naked Pics to 'Proactively' Fight Revenge Porn
Article by: The Wrap
Facebook wants you to send nudes — for a good reason.
The social network announced on Tuesday it is testing a new initiative to fight "revenge porn," in which it will allow its users to "proactively" upload scandalous pictures so it can block them from being posted. (If you're lucky enough to have never heard of revenge porn, it's a phenomenon in which someone posts images of a former sexual partner online without his or her consent.)
Here's how it works: Facebook users can reach out to several groups the company has partnered with, including the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative and The National Network to End Domestic Violence, and ask for a review form. Users will upload pictures to a "secure, one-time upload link," which will then be reviewed by a "handful of specially trained members of our Community Operations Safety Team," according to Facebook.
Also Read:Cambridge Analytica Files for Bankruptcy After Facebook Data Leak Scandal
The safety team will then create a digital fingerprint, or hash, of the pictures, allowing Facebook to automatically block any of the pictures if they're uploaded on the site. The pictures will also be blocked from being posted on Instagram and Messenger. The pictures users share with Facebook will be deleted from its servers after "no later than seven days."
"It's demeaning and devastating when someone's intimate images are shared without their permission, and we want to do everything we can to help victims of this abuse," Facebook Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis said in a post.
Click here to read more: https://www.thewrap.com/facebook-want-you-to-upload-naked-pics-to-proactively-fight-revenge-porn/


text:
Ongoing Funds
Some of these funds are administered by an officer, others by committee chairs. In all cases, final approval of budgets and expenses rests with the Kingdom Financial Committee (King/Queen, Seneschal, Treasurer.) Receipts must be presented for reimbursement.
For more information on spending money, please see the Purchasing Procedure.
The default for all monies not specified for another fund. Money to fund the day to day operations of the Kingdom come from this fund. This is where all the other funds (except the Endowment Fund) will end up if they are deemed unnecessary.
Archery Fund
Intended primarily to help with funding archery supplies for Kings Company of Archers. Disbursements are authorized by the Kingdom Archer General and the Kingdom Earl Marshal and approved by the Kingdom Financial Committee.
Chatelaines Fund
Examples of the use of this fund would be to provide money for the Newcomers Symposium. Disbursements are authorized by the Kingdom Chatelaine and approved by the Kingdom Financial Committee.
Endowment Fund (closed)
The Calontir Endowment Fund was set up with no secondary purpose, so it is against the current rules. The money in it cannot be returned, so it just sits, generating interest. Which is its purpose.
Equestrian Fund
Disbursements are authorized by the Kingdom Equestrian Marshal and the Kingdom Earl Marshal and approved by the Kingdom Financial Committee.
Hospitality Fund
Also known as the "party" fund, this provides the money for some of the non-alcoholic party supplies and food. Budgets are prepared by the person in charge of the party and approved by the Kingdom Financial Committee. Funds are donated by groups and individuals, they do not come from the General Fund.
The Non-Member Surcharge fund exists only as long as the corporation requires. The Kingdom receives transfers from groups and sends one quarterly check to the Society. The Kingdom Treasurer and the NMS Deputy oversee this fund.
This fund provides money for new regalia items, such as thrones, crowns, and feast gear or repairs to existing regalia. Items may be commissioned by the Kingdom, or offered by individuals or groups, but all purchases and commissions must go through the Regalia Deputy and be approved by the Kingdom Financial Committee (at least), and preferably by the Witan (Great Officers of Calontir.)
Money in this fund is dedicated to the purchase of materials for a new pavilion. The Kingdom Pavilions see heavy use, and have a limited life. The Chair of the Pavilion Committee presents a budget for a new pavilion to the Kingdom Financial Committee. The money in the fund was specifically donated or raised for the pavilion, the Kingdom may choose to supplement the monies in this fund.
Saker/Red Hawk Herald
These are the commenting positions of the heralds office in Calontir. Postage and Copies are the ongoing expenses. Money comes from heraldic submissions. Gold Falcon is the officer who authorizes expenditures, with final approval by the Kingdom Financial Committee for large purchases.
Waterbearers
The Gatorade, pickles and general supplies, among other things are purchased with money from this fund. The Kingdom Waterbearer authorizes expenses, with final approval by the Kingdom Financial Committee.
The Waterbearer deputy in charge of the Soup Kitchen recommends expenditures to the Kingdom Waterbearer and the Kingdom Financial Committee has the final approval of expenditures.
Non-ongoing funds (will cease to exist when the money is spent)
Kestral (MoC) – Money for the Minister of Children's use.
Non-Group Accounts held by the Kingdom
Other than Lilies War, no non-group may have a bank account in Calontir. Money may be held by the Kingdom, or by a local group. If an organization forms a financial committee (as defined by Society Branch Financial Policy) they may approve their expenses and simply send in receipts for reimbursement. If an organization has no financial committee, the Kingdom Financial Committee must approve expenditures.
Cooks Guild
Fiber Guild
Scribes Guild
Pottery Guild
Reign funds
Calontir allocates the Great Officers and a few deputies money during each reign. At the close of a reign, all remaining money is returned to the General Fund and fresh funds are allocated for the next reign. The amounts are subject to change with each reign.
Royalty receives a travel fund of $1000 when they win Crown Tournament. This money is supplemented by donations from individuals and groups. Any money remaining (up to a certain amount) after their reign is transferred to the new King and Queen (whose own travel fund started when they won Crown)
Their Majesties also have an "office fund" which can be used for non-travel expenses of their reign.
Officer funds are used at the discretion of the officer, but are primarily used for postage, copying, and supplies. Amounts vary depending on the reign. Special and extraordinary expenses are approved separately and come out of the general fund.
Chirurgeon
Chronicler For office expenses, not publishing the Mews
Minister of Arts and Sciences
Gold Falcon
Minister of Children
Falcon Signet For reimbursing scribes for materials, funding the Scribe's Symposium, purchasing supplies to be used at events (to assist in the painting of preprints, and having supplies on hand to give small samples to interested people.
Fighter Cards Deputy
There are two additional funds that are renewed every reign.
Repairs and tires, to transport the kingdom trailer are reimbursed from this fund. The Trailer Deputy (or person in charge of the trailer) would make recommendations for expenditures for the upkeep of the trailer to The Kingdom Financial Committee, which has final approval of these expenses. Gas receipts for transporting the trailor are reimbursed at 50%.
Minor repairs (ropes, stakes, patches) as well as pavilion lighting comes from this fund. The person in charge of the pavilion can approve these, or the Kingdom Financial Committee.


The fall arts season continues to unfold with fantastic shows to discover this First Friday in November. Here's another premium short list to get you started. Also, tonight Artlink will pilot a new First Friday Trolley Tour, by rolling out a new trolley route and two new park and ride trolley hubs.
In addition to the current hub at the Phoenix Art Museum, there will be a new hub at 15th and Grand Aves (in the Grand Avenue Arts District), and another at Arizona Center.
Park at any one of these locations and catch the FREE Artlink First Friday trolley that makes it easy to go from one arts area to another.
Trolleys will run in a complete circuit, stopping at each of the hubs in approximately 15-minute intervals. Maps will be available on the trolleys, which make a regular loop on the circuit from 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm. THE LAST CIRCUIT IS AT 9:30 PM, so make sure you're heading back to your car or light rail stop by that time. Get the full details on the new route and hubs on the Artlink website.
The next best thing to the trolley ride is the METRO Light Rail line that connects you with Practical Art at Central Ave. and Camelback Rd, Phoenix Art Museum, the Roosevelt/Central stop, and the arts experiences available in the downtown core. THERE IS A FEE to ride Light Rail.
Nov 1: Neitherworld exhibit opening, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Nov. 1: opening reception for Livingroom exhibition by Randal Wilson, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Nov. 1: Mad Hatter Group Show and Mad Hatter's Ball, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Nov. 1: opening reception for Pyrophoric exhibit by Susan Risi, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Nov. 1: Carl Hayden Day of the Dead show, the 12th Annual Nuevo Regreso (The New Trip Home), 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Nov. 1: Bokeh Gallery First Friday opening for Rotting the Barrel? 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Family Fridays – Drop-off center for young artists (K-6th grade). Kids create art with adult supervision, while you visit First Friday galleries. $5 per child.
Nov. 1: Opening reception for Robots and What Nots! by Jordan-Alexander Thomas , 7 to 9 p.m.; regular hours M-F 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nov. 1: opening reception for Pop and Circumstance II: Janet de Berge Lange with Peter Mars and Kristin Forbes-Mullane, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.


The Unchronicled Explorations is a multimedia project consisting of photographs, illustrations, and maps, telling the fictional story of two women explorers. This project is a collaboration between Caitlin Strom and Missy Washington.
Deep in undocumented forests, high in unverified mountains, the doctor and the professor continue their journey. Doctor Slobek is a hardscrabble physician and mountaineer. She is a gifted climber and cartographer who follows her gut and acts on instinct. Professor Vostrüm is a highly educated botanist and theorist. Her ability to follow a logical progression to an unpredictable conclusion is remarkable.
to value curiosity over the amassing of knowledge.
to investigate a more fluid and indeterminate (as opposed to linear) experience of time, especially in relation to old-growth forests.
to undermine certain dualistic paradigms including (but not limited to): gender distinctions, goal and path, past and future, right and wrong, right and left, science and art.
While their prior history has been documented, this latest journey is unchronicled. All that remains are these images, along with a scattered sampling of maps and illustrations from Dr. Slobek's journal, Herbarium specimens by Prof. Vostrüm, and some artifacts and vestiges from their tool kits.
The first series of photographs was shot in the spring of 2015 along the coast and in the redwood forests of Northern California.
The second series was created in the spring of 2016 in Wyoming through a residency with Jentel Foundation and the help of our IndieGoGo supporters.
Limited edition prints are available. Please contact us for details.
Caitlin Strom spent ten years in the film industry working in the camera department and learning to make images from people like Harris Savides, Gus Van Sant, and Matthew Barney. These days she spends her time growing vegetables, teaching meditation, and setting up wacky photographic scenes in the woods with Missy Washington. She lives in Chicago with her husband Nathan and their dog Basho.
Missy Washington studied illustration and graphics at Pratt Institute in New York. Under the name i102fly, she has gone on to work for clients such as itunes, TED Global and Autodesk. She's now based in Los Angeles. In her spare time, she is most often rock climbing in big mountains and trying to hone the skills necessary to get into mountaineering. It's either that or drinking coffee.


The information that you need for the Celtic Masters Gala can be found here.
Masters Development Squad – Closing Friday!
The link to the Masters development squad application form expired at the weekend.
The following link has been extended but applications finally close this Friday!


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Last Updated: November 7, 2018 - 12:37am
Local election night updates
11:15 P.M. UPDATE
Here's a look at our other two local races, according to the state's election returns site.
With 95 percent of the state reporting:
Last Updated: November 5, 2018 - 8:13am
No fire at Bloomsburg Middle School
BLOOMSBURG — The middle school here was evacuated before 8 a.m. due to a report of smoke in the boiler room.
Town fire volunteers traced the smoke to a transformer. They reported...
Rematch: Sanders hopes to unseat Millard
BLOOMSBURG — A two-time challenger looks to unseat a long-term incumbent for Pennsylvania's 109th legislative house when voters take to the polls on Tuesday.
Democrat Edward...
CORRECTIONS: Re-Creation ... Central Football
Two corrections of calendar items in our Friday edition:
-- The musical group Re-Creation will perform at 4:30 p.m. today (Friday) at Bloomsburg High School; the show is free. An...
Last Updated: October 30, 2018 - 8:58pm
Trick-or-treater hit by truck
BERWICK — A small child was flown to Geisinger Medical after he was hit by a vehicle while trick-or-treating downtown Tuesday night.
Mayor Tim Burke, who was handing out candy...
Man shot himself after standoff with police, officials say
BEAVER TWP. — A 20-year-old man fatally shot himself after police say he beat his girlfriend and then barricaded himself in the basement of his family home along Beaver Valley Road on...
$30G worth of equipment taken from I-80 work site
MIFFLIN TWP. — A brazen thief stole more than $30,000 worth of equipment from a construction project using the contractor's own machinery, police say.
Using a backhoe parked in...
Farm field rigged with tire chains and massive bolt
BEAVER TWP. — A farmer's field was rigged with tire chains and a massive steel bolt in what appears to be a "cowardly" act of sabotage, Bloomsburg State Police say.
Randy Rhoads...
Scam calls hit Benton
BENTON — Scam artists have been posing as PPL staffers, calling local numbers here and demanding payment for what they claim are overdue accounts.
At least two places have...
Bullying probe continuing, but needs help, cops say
By LEON BOGDAN
Press Enterprise Writer
CATAWISSA TWP. -- Police continue to investigate whether the death by suicide of a 14-year-old girl here was caused by bullying, but so...
Head-on wreck in Orangeville injures woman
ORANGEVILLE — A woman from Hunlock Creek was in critical condition after a head-on crash here Thursday morning that happened when her vehicle drifted into the path of a full-size pickup...
Updates from Day 4 of the Anthony Rocco Franklin murder trial
BLOOMSBURG — After being advised by the judge of his right to testify in his own defense, murder defendant Anthony Rocco Franklin chose not to...
Updates from day 3 of Anthony Rocco Franklin's murder trial
BLOOMSBURG — A convicted thief and drug dealer, testifying via video from Florida, said he and...
UPDATE: Search finds missing boy safe
CATAWISSA - Wyatt Yohey was found by State Police in Shickshinny this afternoon at about 1 p.m. The 16-year-old, who has autism, had been missing since failing to get on a school bus on...


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When the news broke that Katie Couric was going to end her contract with ABC News and become "global anchor" for Yahoo beginning next year, the immediate reaction focused on whether it was a good move — for Couric. Yeah, it was not exactly the career trajectory one might have imagined for her in the '90s: from the Today Show to CBS Evening News to daytime talk to a search engine's home page. But far be it from me to get overly snarky about a journalist's career moves in this day and age. I write for a print magazine! For all I know, we may well all be working for Yelp someday.
We do know Yahoo, like some other online outlets, has been stocking up on high-profile journalists. But while Couric is the biggest of these names, that doesn't make her the best fit for building an online presence. The pattern lately has been to hire journalists with passionate followings in a specific field. Stats wizard Nate Silver, whom ESPN snatched away from the New York Times, is someone an audience goes to for analysis, number crunching, and predictions in politics and elections (with a side of sports). Glenn Greenwald, around whom eBay billionaire Pierre Omidyar is building a new news site from scratch, became famous for his national-security and civil-liberties reporting on the leaks of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. David Pogue, who left the New York Times for Yahoo, is synonymous with tech reviews (and musical comedy).
And Couric? Couric is a broadcaster: an accomplished one and a talented one, even if she hasn't succeeded at everything she's tried. As Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer said in a Tumblr post welcoming her, she's done "pivotal coverage of natural disasters and historic elections to the royal wedding and the Olympic Games, groundbreaking interviews with heads of state and leading tastemakers." She's grilled Sarah Palin, advocated for cancer screenings and done cooking segments. She isn't about a subject so much as about an affect: friendliness and empathy, with a little class-president earnestness.
That's the stuff of a great career — on TV. A morning-show host or an evening-news anchor is kind of like an aggregator, able to bring you something of everything. But successful Web followings are usually built on specificity. TV watchers have learned to turn on a show, lean back, and wait for it to bring you the world; that's a different behavior than people use online, where the rest of the world is another link or app away. Maybe Couric will do something at Yahoo unlike anything she ever did on TV. (Or, conversely, through set-top boxes like Roku and Apple TV, outlets like Yahoo may ultimately aim to make more "TV.") But if not, does a broadcasting personality translate to a narrowcast medium?
If Couric's TV career was rocketing upward — instead of having washed out at CBS and seeing soft ratings for her talk show — her deal with Yahoo might be a stunning sign that new media was overtaking the old. Instead, right now it seems more like parity: two big, middle-of-the-road brands, trying to get back to their peak, are making a partnership that may be a little risky for both (or not risky enough). Whether it works may depend on whether the future of the Web looks, more than we expected, like the past of TV.


The DeGroote Accounting Association is seeking a First Year Associate to join the executive team. Please click here for more information about the recruitment process.
If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us at info@degrooteaccounting.com.


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itbusinessedge > Blogs > Integration > CEO: Cloud Integration Appeals to Those Disillusioned over EAI
CEO: Cloud Integration Appeals to Those Disillusioned over EAI
By Loraine Lawson, Posted November 11, 2010
Bob Renner, CEO of Liaison, makes a case for a convergence trend between those that provide B2B integration and application-to-application integration infrastructures in a recent on-demand webinar
The State of Cloud Computing Adoption
End users and IT services companies are closely aligned on what they hope to get from the cloud.
Bob Renner, CEO of Liaison, makes a case for a convergence trend between those that provide B2B integration and application-to-application integration infrastructures in a recent on-demand webinar sponsored by Liaison. That's mildly interesting, but when you consider two other trends at play-cloud computing and a frustration with the cost of enterprise application integration-well, that's when things get interesting.
Renner says that companies are continuing to invest in software and hardware upgrades for EAI-but they're starting to question whether those investments are delivering. And many suspect the answer is no. In fact, he argues that most companies are going through the seven stages of grief with EAI, and that they're currently in the bargaining or depression stages. They're trying to justify the on-going investment, he contends:
You have a lot of EAI infrastructures where there's a justification phase going on that says we just need to put more traffic through it. So architecturally, we've seen situations where large volumes, up to 50-60 percent of the traffic that's being routed to an EAI infrastructure, is destined for a B2B provider and so these messages are being double-handed really when they can go directly from an ERP system in a native format to a more capable B2B provider and the real reason why it's routing through an EAI infrastructure is in part to justify the use of that EAI infrastructure.
Companies also say they need EAI and ESBs for business process management metrics, but he thinks that's more justification, since many of those metrics could be drawn from enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
Meanwhile, it turns out, many B2B integration providers have beefed up their infrastructures, and are capable of handling more application-to-application integration-a convergence Renner says analysts are starting to notice. In fact, last year, a Liaison press release quoted Gartner on this very trend:
The primary focus of this Magic Quadrant is on integration services applied to B2B integration projects. However, as the barriers between internal application-to-application (A2A) and B2B integration projects quickly fade, we are seeing more interest from IT users in - and more service offerings from IT providers that address - both A2A and B2B integration projects these developments are harbingers of a future in which service providers more regularly address IT projects that combine A2A and B2B integration.
So you've got EAI/ESB investments that are underused, plus more robust capabilities from B2B providers. Now add in the appeal of a low-cost cloud solution and more acceptance of external systems and data-what do you get? A situation where companies may consider ditching EAI for a cloud-based solution, often provided by B2B vendors, argues Renner.
"We're in an era where I think lean EAI infrastructures are going to get a close look," he said.
Keep in mind that Liaison sells both managed services, including B2B integration, in the cloud and on premise. So, there's a vested interested in convincing you that this is a trend-but, that also puts Renner in a position to know the market.
The webinar also includes a testimony from Paul Stamas, who is the CIO and VP of information technology at Mohawk Fine Paper. Stamas shares his experience with moving to the cloud-you can also read some of that discussion in this October article. He also discusses how service-oriented architecture plays into this, which will no doubt appeal more to the techies out there.
Cloud-based integration is an appealing proposition for a lot of reasons, including cost-but I must say, I'd never read or considered how it might create savings on EAI and possibly even ESB investments.
In a similar vein, David Linthicum recently wrote a piece for Pervasive Software-which also offers integration via the cloud and B2B services-about some other under-discussed value propositions for cloud-based integration. Specifically, he looks at how cloud integration can help with:
Self-provisioning, which he calls a "core benefit of leveraging the cloud."
Elasticity, by which he means the ability to scale your integration solution up or down as business needs change.
Self-healing, an unusual value proposition. He points out this means you don't have to worry about upgrades, updates and fixes and their impact on your operations.
Agility, which of course goes back, again, to responding quickly to business requirements. "The value of agility far surpasses any tactical value of integration technology in the cloud, which I'm finding consistently as I'm doing analysis after analysis for clients," Linthicum contends.
Linthicum's piece includes a look at Pervasive's Data Integrator version 10, Cloud Edition. Since it's on Pervasive's site, you probably won't be surprised that the first half of the article focuses on Pervasive's cloud solution, while the second part covers the driving forces behind cloud integration.
SEE ALL INTEGRATION ARTICLES


Carnival Triumph category 4H is an interior stateroom category. Staterooms in this class include 2 smaller-sized mattresses that may be changed into a king bed type. The cabin features amenities like a television, clock-radio, temperature control, makeup area, closet hangers, and night-stand. The cabin lavatory space is not extensive but features amenities like vanity area, hand washing area, bathing essential, and item shelves.
Carnival Triumph category 4J is an interior stateroom category. Staterooms in this class include 2 smaller-sized mattresses that may be changed into a large king bed. The cabin features amenities like a television, bedding, temperature control, makeup area, closet hangers, and night stand area. The cabin lavatory space is not extensive but has amenities such as vanity area, hand washing area, bathing essential, and hand towels.
Carnival Triumph Balcony (category 8E) is a stateroom with a balcony allowing you access to fresh air and amazing vistas. Staterooms in this class include 2 smaller-sized mattresses that may be turned into a single king bed . The cabin features amenities like a television set, clock-radio, temperature control, makeup area, clothes hangers, and night-stand space. The cabin lavatory space is not sizable but has amenities including vanity area, hand washing area, personal care essentials, and face towels.
Carnival Triumph Balcony (category 8F) is a stateroom with a balcony allowing you access to fresh air and amazing vistas. Staterooms in this class include 2 smaller-sized mattresses that may be turned into one king bed. The cabin features amenities like a television set, bedding, temperature control, makeup area, clothes hangers, and nightstand space. The cabin lavatory space is not sizable but has great amenities like vanity area, hand washing area, personal care essentials, and shower towels.