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Confessions of a Millennial Librarian
by Jamie M. Ligas
The recent shifts in our student population have been astounding (or, so I'm told!). Today's students are so intrinsically linked to technology and to each other that academic librarians and faculty are forced to attend seminars on "Communicating with the Net Generation" and create profiles on Facebook, just to try and connect with their students. I hear educators (and... gasp...the occasional librarian) complain constantly about trying to keep up with these generational differences, so I am here to offer my humble insights as one of those challenging Millennials.
I confess...I am a Millennial librarian. The next generation of librarian, ready to usher our noble profession into the net century. As one who vehemently admires the traditional ways, yet is excited to help bring in the new, I have some suggestions to both help ease the transition for librarians like myself and help navigate the changing terrain for the pioneers that came before us.
For Newbies:
- Get Your Feet Wet
Seek out employment in a library setting. One of the biggest complaints I have heard is that most of us have the theory down, but have never put it into practice. Get a feel for conducting reference interviews or instruction, both in person and virtually. It will give you perspective on where we are heading and some of the challenges our mentors have faced.
- Be Mentored
This relationship is beneficial for both parties. You will gain invaluable access to a wealth of knowledge that only time on the job can teach you. In turn, you can act as a sounding board for ideas about new approaches to instruction, integrating and updating technology, and how to market library services to our ever-evolving student constituency.
- Tame the Beast
Understand the nature of change. Many of us are raring to get things started and make changes happen as quickly as possible (such as making our collections completely digital, or offering 24-hour online reference access). But, not everyone is used to being "plugged in" and connected all the time. The quicker things change, the less time there is to anticipate and troubleshoot obstacles. Learn how to tame the desire to change everything at once, and embrace the little changes at hand.
- Offer Assistance
We grew up with technology. Offer to hold a workshop on how to use Instant Messenger and highlight its practical, positive functions, or create a presentation for librarians and faculty on the efficiency of MySpace as a means of gathering student feedback. By taking some of the mystery out of these innovations and finding practical ways to apply them, we can help create function out of a form that many are still unsure of.
For Veterans:
- Create a Silver Lining
Digitizing, going virtual, navigating the web, can all be challenging in ways we never thought of. However, you have access to a new crop of younger professionals who can bridge some of those communication/access/learning gaps. Use us as advocates. We can seek out user feedback in an unobtrusive manner. Many have an edge (the student appearance factor) in decreasing student anxiety in tapping librarians as a resource, and, yes, even to convince some that there are better resources than Google Scholar.
- Attitude Counts
What we lack in experience, we make up for in enthusiasm. Many of us are born problem solvers; we just need a problem to tackle. Allow us to assist in an area where you would like us to develop, or give us a pilot project and see what inventive solutions evolve. Millennials were born multitaskers, and we can hone that skill to increase productivity on the job.
- Skin the Cat
"There is more than one way to skin a cat," the saying goes, and libraries are a prime example of that. Be flexible, and allow us to justify our method of doing something a slightly different way. Seeking the rationale behind a particular method might inspire improvements in unexpected ways. Use our signature informal technical background and creativity as an asset.
- Embrace the Elephant
Change is coming, but you have help! Even better than boasting a tech savvy, inventive, student-like librarian, you have a born team member - and, if you're lucky, a leader. We can offer current insights and a unique connection to the incoming student shift. The new librarian knows the value of the library, and can help translate its goals into this net generation.
Yes, librarianship is changing. The tools we have are evolving, the librarian's role as gatekeeper is diminishing, and our students are unlike any that came before. But take heart: the core values of our noble profession are still intact. The people doing the job define our profession, not the place or way in which we do it.
Jamie Ligas is the Assistant Library Instruction Coordinator and member of the Reference department at Coastal Carolina University's Kimbel Library in Myrtle Beach, SC. She completed her MLS from the University at Buffalo in 2005. Helping to pioneer the changing landscape of Reference and Instructional Services is one of her most revered tasks. Email: jligas@coastal.edu.