“All for libraries” A study of job satisfaction in Cape

Town’s public libraries Genevieve Hart

Department of Library & Information Science

University of the Western Cape

Background to study

• Began as senior class project – Experience of a real research project from

beginning to end – Then extended to all 6 districts

• Job satisfaction of interest– to students – & to me as library educator

• And to wider SA LIS context

Pressures on SA public libraries

• Years of neglect• Uneven distribution: the densely populated “black”

townships & former apartheid-era homelands underserved

Rural?

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Library in rural region of Mpumalanga

Pressures on SA public libraries

• Years of neglect• Uneven distribution: the densely populated “black”

townships & former apartheid-era homelands underserved • Insecure status of public libraries in their local authorities • Lack of appreciation of their value

New library in Mpumalanga closed – dispute over staffing

Library burnings in “service delivery protests”

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Pressures on SA public libraries

• Years of neglect• Uneven distribution: the densely populated “black”

townships & former apartheid-era homelands underserved • Insecure status of public libraries in their local authorities • Lack of appreciation of their value • Huge increase in under-prepared school learners’ use of

public libraries < Hardly any school libraries

Public Library Weds afternoon

Pressures on SA public libraries

• Years of neglect• Insecure status of public libraries in their local authorities • Lack of appreciation of their value • Uneven distribution: the densely populated “black”

townships & former apartheid-era homelands underserved • Huge increase in under-prepared school learners’ use of

public libraries < Hardly any school libraries• Inadequate human resources: numbers , qualifications,

competencies, professionalism.

Public library revival2007+

• Government investigations• Government grants: by 2013 (Mashatile2013):

– 44 new libraries– 241 upgradings– 1575 new staff contracts

• LIS Transformation Charter (6th draft 2009)

LIS Transformation Charter vision for SA public libraries

• “forces for social cohesion and justice”

• “within reach of all”

• “places for everyone”

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Research problem

Given the past turbulence & the promise of a new vision for public libraries, how happy are

their staff?

Job satisfaction?

“Library work is full of emotion” Matteson & Muller 2012

Study’s theoretical frameHackman & Oldham’s JCM

Research questions

What is the level of job satisfaction among the library staff? And, how do levels vary according to variables such as staff grade or district?

What are the chief satisfiers and dissatisfiers? How committed are respondents to COCTLIS? Given the links between job satisfaction and

motivation and performance, what pointers for library leadership and library educators can be found to increase motivation?

The two faces of Cape Town

COCTLIS

• 2000: Metro amalgamated 6 (?) library systems (under different authorities)

• Now 104 “branches” • 6 districts

City of Cape Town LIS (COCTLIS) study

• 141 staff members across all 6 library districts

• Semi-structured questionnaire/interview

Respondents

Type of library Total %

City-wide 11 8%

Community 94 67%

Regional 36 26%

Grand Total 141 100%

Historically advantaged /

disadvantaged

communities? Total %

Advantaged communities 51 36%

Disadvantaged 90 64%

Grand Total 141 100%

Job Title Total %

Library aide 5 4%

Assistant

librarian 61 43%

Librarian 34 24%

Senior librarian 29 21%

Principal librarian 4 3%

Chief librarian 2 1%

(blank) 6 4%

Grand Total 141

100

%

Overall levels of satisfaction with job

• 60% satisfied• 21% strongly satisfied • No significant differences

across variables found Except

• District 2 has significantly more respondents reporting satisfaction & strong satisfaction than District 4 where far more chose to be “neutral”.

Rating aspects of job satisfaction

Organisational commitment

• “I am proud to say I work for COCTLIS”

83% agree

BUT!

• 23% “might be” looking for another job • 19% don’t see themselves working in COCTLIS

in 3 years• 40% would accept a job outside COCTLIS with

same pay/benefits

Spearman Rank testing

• Correlation: job dis- satisfaction & workplace “restlessness”

• People who are less satisfied are found to be:– significantly less proud of their workplace– more likely to be looking for another job– more open to job offers!

What satisfies you?Top 6

1. Pleasure in giving good service2. Community building3. Interacting with diverse range of people4. Working with children & school pupils5. Daily variety6. Ongoing learning

• “This isn’t a job – it’s a passion!”• “Making a difference – giving courage” • “There’s always something new to learn”

What makes you dissatisfied?

• Difficult customers• Restrictive & uneven allocation of resources• Rigid bureaucracy/red tape• Unfair pay structures • Lack of recognition from City • Delinquent staff

• “Gangsters loitering in the library”

• “We’re glorified administrators – we do everything but library work”

• “Bureaucracy discourages me – I want to burn it!”

• “Children’s librarians are under stress. I find it painful to defend myself – they say you just chat”

Conclusions

• Good news for public libraries in CT– Weathered the turbulent years ?

• And for South African public librarianship? • Mixed findings on organisational commitment

– Implications for quality of service?

To conclude

“What satisfies me? It’s my work! I’m all for libraries!”

Thanks!

• COCTLIS management• 141 respondents • 4th year BBibl students 2012• Team of fieldworkers