Librarian's Helper - Lewis & Clark Library System

Page30be posted in the library and in other locations in the community. These other locations couldinclude publication in the newspaper, local job board, high school counselors’ office, city office,etc. Remember that the library cannot discriminate on the basis of race, religion, age, gender,etc. when hiring staff. If the library is part of a municipality, the municipality’s human resourceofficer or department is available to assist with hiring issues.New Hire ReportingEffective 1 October 1997, a nationwide employer "New Hire Registry" was createdunder federal welfare reform legislation. It is used primarily to locate absent parents in order toenforce child support orders. In Illinois, the Department of Employment Security (IDES) has theresponsibility for obtaining the information for this registry. Visit their Web site athttp://www.ides.state.il.us/employer/newhire/general.asp for the New Hire Form. Allemployees hired since 1 October 1997 must be registered with the Illinois Department ofEmployment Security. Their Web site contains information on filing the necessary forms.Employment Eligibility Verification, I-9 formsSince 1986, all new employees must prove they are eligible to work in the United Stateby having a completed I-9 form. The form may be downloaded from the U.S. Citizenship andImmigration Services’ home page at http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis. Once there, clickon Employment Authorization, and scroll down to the I-9 form. The completed form must bekept for either 3 years after the date of hire or 1 year after the date employment ends,whichever is later.SalaryThe library board and librarian set the salary for employees as they develop the library’sbudget. The librarian should provide recommendations concerning raises, bonuses, and otherbenefits. The library does need to pay a wage based on similar library jobs and the localcompetitive wage. Competition for staff is strong. Library staff has left libraries for higherhourly salaries at Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, and other local competitors for staff.The librarian must remain aware of the current minimum wage and its scheduledincreases. As a public entity, the public library is required to pay minimum wage or better to itsemployees. The minimum wage increases impact the library’s budget during a fiscal year, as theminimum wage increases do not coincide with everyone’s fiscal year. The State and FederalDepartments of Labor have information on minimum wage. The Illinois Minimum Wageschedule, posted at http://www.state.il.us/agency/idol, is July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009 -$7.75 per hour; July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 - $8.00 per hour and July 1, 2010 and after -$8.25.PayrollAs employers, libraries have payroll responsibilities. Payroll issues include, but are notlimited to: preparing paychecks, W-2 forms, Social Security/Medicare payments, federal/state