Page 99 - DLIS003_LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Library Administration and Management

Notes 5.6 Staffing Programme

It is of key importance to make an adequate staffing program in order to achieve the successful
staffing function in an organization.

5.6.1 Categories of Staff

The library staff can be classified into following three categories. They are namely:
1. Professional
2. Supporting (administrative);
3. Supporting (technical)/para-professional.

Professional staff consists of those who are employed on professional jobs and possesses degrees
in library science as well as in some other disciplines. These are further classified into professional
senior, professional junior and professional assistant.

Supporting or technical staff plays important role in functioning of a library. They should
possess the optimal library qualification as per the level of library sciences. The person should
be at least matriculate. The following jobs may be carried out by supporting staff (technical):
a. Accessioning of books.
b. Typing of catalogue cards.
c. Maintenance of issue-records.
d. Registration of periodicals.

e. Shelving of books and periodicals.
f. Charging and discharging of books.
g. Inter library loan work.
Non-professional library support staf traditionally holds what are considered to be low-paying,
non-challenging positions. These negative factors make retaining creative and productive
employees difficult.

5.6.2 Classification of Library Jobs

Just as not everyone who works in a hospital is a doctor, not everyone who works in a library is
a librarian. There are wide varieties of jobs to be done, and all are important. Whether it’s
putting the books on the shelves, paying bills, answering questions, hiring staff, or preparing a
story time, they all must be done to keep the library running.
Job titles and descriptions vary from library to library, but there are some similarities. Look
through the samples below to gain a better understanding of what type of job might be right for
you:

Pages are usually responsible for putting returned books and other items in their proper
places on the shelves. They are also responsible for keeping items in the right order. Some
handle requests for retrieving materials that are in secured areas and others may be
responsible for checking items back in. Page jobs are usually part-time, with pay of roughly
$5.15 to $8 per hour.

Library Assistants or Technicians generally perform clerical duties, and are often mistaken
for librarians as they are the first face people see, since most libraries’ checkout desks are

94 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY