ABSTRACT
The portion of the budget devoted to personnel of most large libraries usually exceeds fifty percent. This amount is greater than those budgets allotted for collections, binding, equipment, and current expense, yet very little attention is given the personnel budget for a number of reasons. Salaries are considered an on-going expense which is generally locked into the parent organization’s salary plan and with the exception of merit increases or appointment salaries are beyond the library administration’s control. Unlike books or equipment, people have strong emotional reactions to salary issues, for one’s salary is at the very center of the contract between each individual and the employer. Belcher in his seminal work on Salary Administration points out that salaries rely on psychological, sociological, ethical, political and status differences as the basis of the reward system. 1 Therefore, any suggested change in the salary structure meets with rapid and strong opposition from all concerned. Needless to say, because of this reason, administrators are often timorous about broaching the salary issue.
