Librarians Underpaid

AS you know, I believe there is no govt service that cannot be in some way better provided by the free market.  The improvement is usually less cost, but it can also be a matter of a better match, even if at a higher cost.  We've demonstrated in addition to most commonly cited areas of poor performance by govt (education, roads and post office) the govt makes a hash of offering prostitution, slavery and

Another obvious failing is capital punishment.  Here again, when you have maybe two dozen people involved in assigning guilt, deciding punishment and then execution, the result is an extremely costly process, in which they often get the wrong person dead, and in any event make the condemned wait in line for execution.

What has this to do with librarians?  Of all of the govt workers, they are the ones who provide an actual direct immediate benefit, and are woefully underpaid.  I think most govt workers are overpaid FOR WHAT THEY DO,  and would find themselves better employed and better compensated if they were to go to private sector, and exponentially better if they were to go to self-employment.  There is a trade-off they make working for the govt, and it appears to be a good deal.  When in time their retirement is subtracted (either through degradation of the quality of their health care, or inflation, or raw cut backs) the deal will not look so good, as teamsters, pilots, and auto workers have found.

Librarians are unique in that their contribution truly is a net benefit.  Of all the government workers with which I come in contact, they are being paid less than they are worth.  The solution, as libraries experience cutbacks too, is for librarians to open "private libraries" (an odd appellation since they serve the general public by fees, like a health club.

 Find space, find subscribers to the library, and return to the days of private libraries.  I library is a great basis to form those associations that do so much good, and allows people to pool resources to buy things like books, etc

Librarians also have a sense of humor.

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