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Years of Experience - Library & Archives

June 7, 2002

GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSMENT OF YEARS OF NON-UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE
OUTSIDE QUEEN'S
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES

General Principles:

This document covers the assessment of experience outside Queen's University at the point of hiring librarians or archivists who will become members of the bargaining unit. The term "librarian or archivist" shall be interpreted as defined in Article 14 2.2(a) of the Collective Agreement between Queen=s University Faculty Association and Queen's University at Kingston.

Libraries and Archives administrators, supported by the Queen's University Faculty Association, have agreed that the process for assessing experience for the purpose of setting salaries for newly hired librarians and archivists shall be transparent and clear.

At the point of hire, experience will be assessed as relevant to the specific appointment for which the candidate is being assessed, and will include experience which was considered as pertinent and valuable during the selection process, as well as experience relevant to the general duties of a librarian or archivist member in a university setting.

Experience in different types of work or in non-university institutions may be assessed at lower levels of relevance. See Assessment of relevant work experience below for more details.

Years of experience as a librarian or archivist at another institution should be pro-rated, i.e. years of experience should be calculated on the basis of actual time worked. Years of experience as a librarian or archivist at a university not recognized by Queen's University (Criteria for recognition can be found in the School of Graduate Studies General Regulations www.queensu.ca/sgsr/), may be evaluated as less than directly relevant or equivalent.

Procedures:

Prior to the Principal issuing a formal offer of appointment, the successful candidate will have received in writing the details of the assessment of his/her previous experience from the University Librarian, University Archivist or designate. At the same time the successful candidate will be provided with a copy of the Guidelines for Assessment of Years of Experience Outside Queen=s, and informed how to contact QUFA.

Before an informal salary offer is made by the University Librarian or the University Archivist, the candidate may be asked for clarification and/or amplification of their previous duties which is necessary to make a fair assessment of their previous experience. The onus is on the individual librarian or archivist to provide full and accurate information at the point of hiring to allow for a fair and equitable assessment.

Credit for Degrees Possessed:

Professional age should be adjusted accordingly to give credit for degrees possessed as follows. For a Master's degree other than a Master of Library Science, Master of Archival Studies or the equivalent, one year (1); for the B.Ed. degree or its equivalent, one year (1); for the LL.B. degree or its equivalent, three years (3); for the Ph.D. degree or its equivalent three years (3). Multiple degrees justify no more than a total of 3 years added to professional age.

Assessment of relevant work experience:

According to the "Memorandum of Agreement: Years of Experience Guidelines," Queen's University recognizes four (4) degrees of relevance:
  1. Direct Relevance: counts one year for one year

    Service in academic positions as a librarian or archivist at a University or equivalent degree-granting institution. Service in academic positions other than as a librarian or archivist at a University or equivalent degree-granting institution provided the experience is directly relevant to the range of job duties of the individual. Service as a librarian or archivist accrued in a comparable non-academic institution, provided the experience is directly relevant to the range of job duties.

  2. Reasonable Relevance: counts as 0.5 year for one year

    Professional experience after an appropriate degree or recognized professional qualification in areas such as teaching, practising law, working as an information analyst or researcher, in an area related to the duties of the position. Service as a professional librarian or archivist where the experience accrued is not evaluated as directly relevant or equivalent. Service following a first degree as a non-professional in a comparable institution as a senior library / archival assistant position where there is a direct relationship to the job duties. The experience evaluated as of reasonable relevance will be capped at three years of recognized experience.

  3. Limited Relevance: counts as 0.25 year for one year

    Service following a first degree as a non-professional in a library or archival setting where the experience accrued is indirectly related to the duties of the position. Consideration may be given to other experience indirectly relevant to the position. The experience evaluated as of limited relevance will be capped at two years of recognized experience.

  4. No Relevance: no experience will be credited