Interview with Mrs. Holste-Flinspach:
1. When were you born? What did you study? Where did you work after you’ve finished your studies and how long have you been teaching at Stauffenbergschule?
I was born and grew up in Bielefeld where I also attended the local school untill I got my A-level's. Afterwards I started my studies in Cologne to become a graduated librarian (with specialisation in Public Libraries). Later, alongside my work, I started a correspondence course at Humbold-University in Berlin and received a Masters degree as Academic Librarian.
My first and not only from a retrospect view best position was at the information service of the public library in Essen: in my opinion a fascinating place of work.
After being responsible for a branch in the library system in Essen I moved to the Rhein-Main region for private reasons. Since then professional education has been my dominant working area. First I was in charge for the vocational training as (former) Assistant at Libraries and future Archive Inspectors. In 2001 I completely switched to school-teaching after I had already given lessons part time at Stauffenbergschule beforehand.
2. How long have you been chairwoman of the Commission Training and Job Description of the BIB? What are your main tasks there?
Well, since the commission has existed only a couple of weeks, since then of course. But most importantly I have been a member of the previous commission education and retraining. My main tasks - and those of my colleagues - are basically accompaniment and critical as well as professional-organizational notice of all training and study courses in the library sector. That also includes the offering of further education courses.
3. Concerning “Fachwirt”: Can it be considered as a useful way of retraining or is it rather a waste of time? Is a study a better option?
A very difficult question but if retraining as here in Hesse next year would be offered from a serious and expert partner (in our case the “Hessische Verwaltungsschulverband”) it’s very useful though time-consuming as well as cost-intensive. It is also difficult to suggest starting a study when in that case a person would have to quit his or her job.
4. How do you assess the future of the “FAMI”-profession? (with open access charging, automatic return and payment, staff reduction, closing of smaller branches etc. in mind) Are “FAMIs” for example being increasingly assigned to customer service, cataloguing, acquisition, public relations in order to help users using databases etc.?
Basically good and that’s no calculated optimism even though technical improvements and so on destroy works but these are mostly works that are already being done by unskilled or semi-skilled workers. And not only works for “FAMIs” are in change for librarians as well.
5. What kind of image does the “FAMI”-profession have in the fields of archive, library and documentation?
As far as it is even known (in many OPLs [One Person Libraries] and information and documentation institutions of the private economy it’s not!) so it’s a good one. Only their actual skills are often underestimated.
6. Where are “FAMIs” who have completed the training course employed? Is their potential utilised or are they only appointed in fields like local lending/information etc.?
Unfortunately most of the time it’s not the case, especially in large libraries with distinctive hierarchisation and division of labour.
7. What advise would you give a trainee who wants to shorten the training course but is not sure yet?
Abridging is with one exception – namely an assumption after a three-year-training – always useful especially because in a curriculum vitae an abridgement signalises a specific motivation.
8. If a “FAMI” did his or her training in one particular field of specialisation (e.g. library, medical documentation etc.): Is it still possible to change into another specialisation after having finished the training course or is that rather an exception?
The change from library is rather difficult especially due to the fact the up to 90% of all employments are existent here. Nevertheless, there are examples of successful applications for other fields of specialisation again and again.
9. Keyword: extended opening hours. Does the assignment of student assistants, persons in marginal employment and 1-€-jobber take away jobs from “FAMIs”? What is your personal estimation?
Principally as mentioned in questions number five and six partly it’s definitely the case especially because unfortunately leading library personalities also prefer this for reasons of expense. It’s important that no basic skills meaning works which require training are affected. Also important here is lobbying, professional-organizational commitment, collaboration in employee representations and so on.
10. Where do you see problems of the dual vocational training?
Basically it’s a communication problem. It’s not as transparent who does what and at what time.
Thank you!
