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The WRLS wage recommendations are set annually, by the WRLS Board, to
help local library boards and municipal officials determine a fair wage
for the library director. These recommendations are updated
annually. |
WRLS Wage Recommendations |
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Introduction:
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 2009 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:
The wage recommendations that follow do not include the
other aspects of compensation. Winding Rivers also recommends
that, minimally, a library board should provide a health insurance
package with a reasonable portion of the single or family premium
covered by the library, five to twenty days of vacation per year based
on longevity, one day per month of sick leave which can be cumulated
from year to year, and a retirement package that is augmented by the
library. |
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Wage Recommendations for 2009 |
| Category A (Grade III certification, community
population up to 1,200) |
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Minimum Hourly Rate: $15.25 |
| Category B (Grade III certification, community
population 1,200 to 3,000) |
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Minimum Hourly Rate: $18.50 |
| Category C (Grade II certification, community
population 3,000 to 6,000) |
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Minimum Hourly Rate: $21.60 |
| Category D (Grade I certification, community
population 6,000 to 15,000) |
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Minimum Hourly Rate: $25.75 |
| Category E (Grade I certification, community
population 15,000 to 35,000) |
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Minimum Hourly Rate: $31.25 |
| Category F (Grade I certification, community
population above 35,000) |
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Minimum Hourly Rate: $35.55 |
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Approved by the WRLS Board on
May 28, 2008
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