1. Employment Profile: What exactly does a Library Media Clerk do? |
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 What field is your job in?
Education in the Public sector at a Middle School--grades 6-8.
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What is your job title?
Library Media Clerk
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Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for
(size and general description of what type of organization it is)
I work for the Empire Union School District at Glick Middle School. EUSD is a public school in Stanislaus county. We have 2 middle schools, with Glick being the newest school in the district. Our site is 4 years old.
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How long have you been employed in this position?
4 years
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How many hours do you work a week on average?
40 hours is what I am paid for but it is not uncommon for me to work extra time without compensation. That is my choice and not condoned or requested by my employer.
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Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
I maintain the middle school library and handle textbooks for both students and staff. This includes keeping track of library media materials, i.e. books (fiction, non-fiction and paperback), videos, reference materials, maps, audio materials, and textbooks. It also requires that I assist students in logging onto the computer for internet searches, word processing, on-line testing, and general computer skills. The biggest part of this is monitoring what the students are doing. This is a 10 month position with summers and holidays coinciding with students schedules.
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What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
$ 18,738.00
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What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
19262
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Please
list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation,
sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
I have health insurance benefits that are partially paid by the district, sick leave is 1 day per month or 10 days per year. We pay into PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) and the district matches funds paid into that fund. I am off for 1 week in spring, 3 weeks at Christmas and 2 months in the summer. These days are not considered into my pay as I am paid on at total amount per year based on 182 days.
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Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
I feel that I am under paid considering the responsibility that I have and in relation to the pay that certificated staff make.
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2. Work environment! |
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Does
your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this
something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
My job is based on working well with others. I have the potential of seeing and interacting with approximately 600 students and the staff of our school on a daily basis. On an average day I think that I see about 200 students and about 15 staff members. The interaction with students is the best part of my job. I love the kids and the staff both, but the kids are what it is all about.
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Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
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Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
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Describe
your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what
you like/dislike about working in it
I take great pride in "taking care" of the needs of both teachers, administrators, and students. I work hard to make all of them feel that they are welcome and wanted in the library. I make "gourmet" coffee for my teachers every morning and they know that I have an open invitation to all policy.
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Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
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7 Income
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2 Work Environment - co-workers
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3 Work Environment - supervisors
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4 Benefits
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5 Hours
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6 Level of responsibility
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1 The actual "work" you do at your job
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8 Job Title
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3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours? |
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If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Become familiar with the current literature for children as well as have a good understanding of age appropriateness and reading levels. I would also recommend that you familiarize yourself with library media centers and the "how-to's" of managing the books/materials in any library. Another important thing to know or understand is the Dewey Decimal System and the different genres covered in the curriculum at middle school.
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What
skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a
position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social
skills, organization skills, technical skills)
Most important is patience and love of children. Organization is a must--you need to be somewhat OCD about things being in their place! I would also think that excellent communication skills are a plus in this position because if you cannot get your message across in one way, you will have to find another way of explaining yourself to a student to assure understanding. Technical skills include not only computer literacy, but the ability to set-up all types of media materials. Overhead projectors, computer over-heads, DVD/VHS players, sound systems, and nearly any other types of typical classroom or educational technology are a must. The other thing you might want to develop is the ability to be very flexible-it will help you keep your sanity on last minute requests that somehow become priority!
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Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, anytime you work in the education field you need to not only have a certain level of education but it is essential that you continue to educate yourself in the latest upcoming trends and skills.
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What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Learn patience and be aware that you cannot truly "know" your job in a library until you have been there for a couple of years. As you become more familiar with your collection, you will know what titles are available and where to find them. You also become more adept at recommending titles to students who do not know what they want to read. You will learn to listen to what they are describing as their likes and turn it into a title that will hold their interest and fit their needs in fulfilling an assignment.
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