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October 15, 2004
What to do 'bout us young-brarians
Marylaine Block's "The Right Hand Knoweth Not..." article in her latest edition of Ex Libris discusses the dichotomy of the Librarian profession as a whole working hard to recruit new, young people, but then treating them less than kindly when they arrive. It's an intelligent, brief piece, and one that you should go read, right now. No, no, put down the pinot grigio. Go read it :)
I do like that she points out that young-brarians have to be willing to listen to the wisdom and experience of more established librarians. That is definitely a flaw that our/my generation has in the workplace. By the by, when I hit 30, am I no longer a young-brarian? Hrm...
October 15, 2004 | Permalink
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Comments
I'm 28, finishing up my MLS, and have worked in two different public libraries over the course of 7 years (plus volunteering in one occasionally growing up). I've never been treated poorly or disregarded due to my age. I have been disregarded a few times by one or two specific people, but I discovered that was the way they treated almost everyone on staff regardless of age and other people would kind of roll their eyes about it. It wasn't personal at all.
So don't panic, Devon. In my experience, at least, the public library environment has been very supportive.
Posted by: Meg | October19, 2004
While I agree that sometimes, the poor treatment of new employees is a result of the current employees/employers feeling threatened, that is not always the case. I think that sometimes, it's a genuine feeling of "I've been here a long time. Obviously I know what's right." And sometimes they do...just not always.
And poor poor Devon. Don't get the idea that libraries are these horribly hostile places to work. They're not. I work in a lovely library where I've only experienced ageism from one person, one time. I think that the ageism factor is just much more talked about in the library profession because it's so unexpected. The Librarian profession is one that we typically think of as being extremely open, helpful, and kind. I still think it's better than all the other industries/professions I've worked in.
And I agree with Amy, that how new librarians (not necessarily young librarians) deal with change and new technology is what often sets us apart from more established librarians. But, to be truthful, I know a number of new librarians who are completely horrible about technology and change, and several more established librarians who are always on top of the latest thing and eager to make changes in the library. One can never tell, can one?
Posted by: Sarah Houghton (Librarian in Black) | October18, 2004
In my experience, employers that treat new subordinates unkindly are usually feeling threatened. I fail to understand why this would happen among a population of librarians who are a)trained to be helpful and make others feel welcome, and b)as Ms. Block says, soon to retire en masse.
I will be graduating in a couple of months, and I don't like the thought that I may be entering such a potentially hostile environment. If this is the way it is in our libraries, no wonder so few graduates want to stay in traditional library settings.
Posted by: Devon | October17, 2004
I'll be 45 by the time I graduate with my MLS degree, so I'm hardly a spring chicken...
I think that the impact of technological innovations, and how we use them in a library setting, is what sets "new-" or "young-brarians" apart from librarians who went to grad school 15 or 20 years ago (or more).
Trust me, even though I'm older than you, I'm the same kind of burr-under-the-saddle girl.
~Amy
Posted by: Amy Proni | October17, 2004
I dunno. I'm a newbrarian (graduating May '05), but not a youngbrarian (32). But I seem to tick off my elders just as effectively as y'all younguns.
Posted by: Dorothea Salo | October15, 2004
