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The Association of Part-Time Librarians was founded in 1988 by Marianne Eimer. As a part-time librarian, she felt a need to communicate with other part-time colleagues in the Western New York area. She wanted to provide interesting programs for a group that is often excluded from other opportunities for professional development, and she hoped to offer part-time librarians a chance to share experiences and offer each other support. For a while, the group met about twice a year, once in the fall to plan a program, and once in the spring for the program. We had a membership list of about forty part-time librarians in the Western New York area.
Inspiration To Design A Website:
Members of APTL soon found it harder and harder to get together for meetings. Because part-time librarians often cover night and weekend hours, it is almost impossible to find a time when everyone can attend a meeting. Part-timers may have pieced together two or more part-time jobs and/or may be juggling work and family responsibilities. Phone surveys show that members would like to keep the organization going, but they don't have much time to commit to it. At our last meeting, we decided that we might be more successful as a virtual group. We can all make contact on the Web, and we can expand our opportunities for communication by connecting with librarians from all over the world.
After ten years with a very basic website designed by Anne Huberman, APTL has joined the modern world (in May, 2006) with a redesigned website. For the new design, and for additional links and bibliography, we thank Lori Moseley, who did this work as a class assignment in a web design class taught by Diane Kovacs. We hope she received an excellent grade!
The following are the ideas which sparked our enthusiasm in forming the Association of Part-Time Librarians. The organization members will strive to:
We must begin a campaign to heighten the awareness of our full-time colleagues of our abilities, our needs and our expectations as librarians.
- Provide a support group to share our work experiences, seeking similarities and differences without limitations as to type of library where experience is gained.
- Identify and prioritize our common concerns and provide an open forum for these concerns.
- Provide speakers to address these issues for the members.
- Establish a communications network with our full-time colleagues which emphasizes that our intellectual commitment to professionalism in librarianship still exists and grows stronger.
- Investigate other existing library and professional organizations which currently share our concerns and might address our needs.
- Act as a clearinghouse for up-to-date information on library workshops and conferences for both national and local associations; obtain member information.
- Promote the development of a statewide network of librarians interested in part-time librarianship..
