CFP: Essays on lack or loss of employment in libraries

CFP: Essays on lack or loss of employment in libraries

Call for Submissions

I Quit!  Now what? (Tentative title) is a collection of essays that will detail the multitude of issues involved with the lack or loss of employment in libraries.   The topic of job loss is something everyone talks about, when it happens to someone else.   Librarian communities in each region and state are small and tight-knit, and when job loss hits closer to home, gossip and speculation is the norm, from both librarians and the communities we serve.  I Quit!  Now what? aims to bring this topic out of the staff room and into an arena where we can shed light on tough topics and create a modicum and standard of support for our friends and colleagues.  

This collection will appeal to librarians and library workers at every level in every kind of library.  It will also appeal to library trustees and library vendors, both of whom often have their own sets of challenges as it relates to library staffing changes.

As the editor, I have been on both sides of the table.  As a library director, I have been in the unfortunate position to have to lay off staff due to severe budget cuts.   Most recently, I count myself amongst those that are seeking employment after choosing to resign a position.  As I was exploring my feelings and negotiating these uncharted waters, I looked to the literature, only to find that there’s none.  There are no books about librarians that have been fired, nor is there anything for those of us that chose to resign without a new position on the horizon.  There are tons of books, webpages and blogs on the subject in general, but nothing for librarians and library workers.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

·         The politics behind job loss, from the employer and the employee side
·         Pushed out or brought in? Following in the wake of a resigned or fired staff member
·         Temporary and permanent layoffs, workforce reductions, budget cuts, mandated furlough days
·         Resignations, forced resignations, and firings
·         Severance?  Filing for unemployment and seeing things from the patron’s side
·         Survivor’s guilt for those staff members left behind
·         Barriers to full-time library employment and how to overcome them
·         Choosing to work part-time – the whys and wherefores
·         Discussion about the myriad of legal and HR issues
·         How to tactfully answer and explain the inevitable “I see there is a gap in your resume, can you explain that?”
·         Did you leave librarianship? Successful job searches and career changes
·         Explaining missing staff to your constituency
·         Being assertive in our traditionally passive library environments
·         Dealing with not being able to terminate due to collective bargaining agreements, tenure or other reasons
·         Horror stories and lessons learned
·         Damage control and dealing with the media/social media
·         Surviving those “take this job and shove it” moments

Submission procedure

Please submit a summary of up to (2 to 3 paragraphs, max!) and a short author statement by June 15, 2013. Notification will happen by August 1, 2013.  If selected, your final manuscript of between 25 and 5000 words will be due by October 15, 2013.

All proposals should be submitted electronically only – no attachments please – to editor Kate Pohjola Andrade at kate.pohjola@gmail.com.  Questions or requests can be directed to the same email, or you can message me on Google Talk, and I can be found on Skype as katepohj.

Timeline:

Deadline for summary:  June 15, 2013

You are notified by: August 1, 2013

Final manuscript due: October 15, 2013