Librarians want higher salaries

ATLANTA - Tired of the stereotype that they are bifocaled matrons who do little more than shush noisy patrons, librarians say they want salaries more like the skilled information specialists they have become. <br> <br> At the American Library Association national convention in Atlanta this week, the group inaugurated a new president who ran on a platform of higher salaries and modernizing the image of librarians. <br> <br> A librarian with a master&#39;s degree starts at about $38,000 a year. Systems analysts and database managers start at about $61,000 a year with an advanced degree, and librarians said businesses are actively recruiting librarians for those types of jobs. <br> <br> The ALA recently produced a worksheet for librarians who don&#39;t know how to go about asking for more money. The pamphlet encourages librarians to be aggressive in selling their talents as ``the ultimate search engine.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Among the suggested talking points for salary negotiations: ``Everyone loves libraries, but librarians can&#39;t live on love alone. Just ask our landlords, doctors and families.&#39;&#39;