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Working at American Library Association in Chicago, IL: 2 Employee Job Reviews by Real Employee working in Chicago, IL Area

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On average, employees in Chicago, IL at American Library Association give their company a 1.6 rating out of 5.0 based on 2, whereas overall Average Rating of American Library Association is 2.5 out of 5.0 based on 4 American Library Association Review Ratings. The happiest American Library Association employees in Chicago, IL are IT Specialists submitting an average rating of 1.5.

33%
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67%
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2.5
Average Rating
(based on 3 American Library Association Review Ratings)

Ratings by Category

Company Culture
2.7
Growth Opportunities
2.3
People You Work With
3.7
Person You Work For
2.3
Rewards You Receive
1.7
Support You Get
2.2
Way You Work
2.3
Work Setting
2.9
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Working at American Library Association in Chicago, IL: 2 Employee Reviews

IT Specialist

"I wouldn't work there again."

What do you like about working at American Library Association?

"You get lots of free books and lots of vacation time."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"It seems like any jobs that can be remotely considered technical have been among the first to be terminated in recent layoffs. Among these are web development, IT and production, as well as admin assistant job. Before accepting employment at ALA you should consider that Forbes and the Wall Street Journal have recently run articles about the bleak career outlook for librarians, who are ALA's members and who help pay their bills."

What don't you like about working at American Library Association?

"Management is a closed group of elite lifers who only lay off the worker bees, never themselves in any case that I've heard of, even though their salaries can be two to three times that of their underlings. My manager seemed to want to keep my position as small and narrow as possible, lest anyone find out that I knew a lot of stuff she didn't. In my experience, which I realize was probably not like everyone else's there, the ALA had the same backstabbing, undermining, and job insecurity that you might find in any corporation, but without the same pay. A few people that were really smart and talented didn't stay there long, choosing instead to take corporate jobs."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"You should reward competency instead of political acumen. Eventually some of the directors who are making $100K and more will have to start to be laid off as this association continues its inevitable decline. You can't balance the books forever by laying off administrative assistants and techs while leaving your own cushy jobs untouched."

Person You Work For 1 / 5 People You Work With 3 / 5 Work Setting 2 / 5
Support You Get 1 / 5 Rewards You Receive 1 / 5 Growth Opportunities 1 / 5
Company Culture 2 / 5 Way You Work 1 / 5
IT Specialist

"A declining politically-charged association with a slowly disappearing mission."

What do you like about working at American Library Association?

"Good location, and most of my coworkers were decent people."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"It seems like any jobs that can be remotely considered technical have been among the first to be terminated in recent layoffs. Among these are web development & production, as well as any admin assistant job. Before accepting employment at ALA you should consider that Forbes and the Wall Street Journal have recently run articles about the bleak career outlook for librarians, who are ALA's members and who help pay their bills."

What don't you like about working at American Library Association?

"Management is a closed group of elite lifers (plan to work there forever) who only lay off the worker bees, never themselves in any case that I've heard of in recent years, even though their salaries may be two to three times that of their underlings."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"You should reward competency instead of political accumen. Your survival depends on it."

Person You Work For 1 / 5 People You Work With 3 / 5 Work Setting 3 / 5
Support You Get 1 / 5 Rewards You Receive 1 / 5 Growth Opportunities 1 / 5
Company Culture 1 / 5 Way You Work 1 / 5

Company-Industry Rating Comparison

2.5
American Library Association (4)

4.8 Highest Rated in this Industry is National Notary Association (14)
1.5 Lowest Rated in this Industry is National Safety Council (29)
3.7 Average of All Companies in this Industry (3,545)
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