SIM alumna Alison Black and faculty member Fiona Black have been awarded this year’s research grant from the Atlantic Provinces Library Association (APLA) Memorial Trust. The title of their study is “Professional Staffing for 21st Century Public Libraries: Atlantic Canadian Perspectives.”
Public libraries are crucial players in local and regional communities, supporting the cultural, educational, economic, and social life of each province, yet there is a significant gap in the literature concerning the important individuals who work in them. APLA is helping to remedy this for Atlantic Canada, through its support of Black and Black’s qualitative, comparative study of human resources using the primary lens of hiring and retention practices. As an increasing number of experienced librarians prepare for retirement, and job descriptions are altered in response to societal and organizational changes and fiscal restraint, the topic of human resource management is of particular importance.