Introduction:

As indicated by the title, the following wage figures are recommendations for the minimum level of support for library directors; they are meant to assist local library boards and municipal officials in determining a fair wage for the library director. The local library board has the right (and statutory authority) to use whatever criteria it wishes to set wages for library employees. Recent history has shown that it can be useful to have formally stated suggestions for wages that take into account the levels of 1) challenge and responsibility in the position and 2) pay provided in other institutions and regions. The recommendations continue to be divided into categories which roughly correspond to certification levels now in place for Wisconsin public library directors. Accordingly, they are grouped by levels of municipal population served.  Given that these are recommended minimum hourly rates of pay, a library board should consider the years of service in the position when establishing a pay level. A director who has been successfully serving in this capacity for several years has grown to be a valuable asset to the institution and should be rewarded accordingly with pay above the minimum level.  The recommendations for 2008 again offer incremental adjustments, taking into account statewide wage levels, what the WRLS Board believes are reasonable wages for someone performing the duties of the library director, and the economic climate in Wisconsin and the nation.

Fair and Adequate Hours:

WRLS reaffirms its belief that the high degree of responsibility, capability, and expectation inherent in the position of library director justifies that every director's position be full time. It is too common for smaller communities to hire library directors for twenty to thirty hours per week, classify these positions as part-time, and correspondingly provide few or no benefits because of the part-time status.  Whether paid for the time or not, every director in Wisconsin puts in a full week of work in her or his effort to fulfill the charge of the position. This being the case, the only fair way for the library board to deal with its director is to provide at least thirty-five (35) and preferably forty (40) paid hours for the director, and formally designate the director's position as full time; Winding Rivers heartily recommends this for every public library.

Beyond Wages: