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If Change Is So Wonderful, How Come I Am Not Having Fun Yet?
by Pat Wagner
Every workplace is changing. Whether you are looking for your first job, or counting the weeks until retirement, change is the constant in libraries of all sizes and types. And yet, there are still many professionals who think that "things will settle down some day," thus setting themselves up for frustration and worse.
As I travel around the country, working with libraries of all types, I continually see what happens when change is denied. Here are a few of the more common changes affecting library work and some ways that you can keep yourself employable in the 21st century.
Technology
The Myth: Your library degree precludes the need for computer know-
how or continuing education.
The Truth: Technological expertise is now a given in almost every
position, no matter what your professional training. And, whatever
technology you are relying on today will change in three to five
years, or sooner, guaranteed. And then, it will change again.
The Cure: To thrive, you will need to buy a computer for your home,
take classes and practice outside of your workplace. By the way, you
will probably pay for most of the training out of your own pocket.
People Skills
The Myth: Many jobs in Library Land do not require interpersonal
skills.
The Truth: 80% of the time, you will be fired because you are not
perceived as knowing how to get along with people, not because you
are not doing your job. Your abilities as a communicator and conflict
manager will often be more important to an employer than your
intelligence, experience, education, and professional accomplishments.
The Cure: Never use your credentials as an excuse to be rude to
anyone, especially staff members who do not have a college degree.
Again, workshops on management and behavior can help, as can a
workplace mentor who can give you honest and productive feedback.
Cross-training
The Myth: Your career path is pretty well fixed your first three
years in the workplace.
The Truth: Catalogers become reader's advisors. Reference librarians
become branch managers. Children's librarians become marketing
directors. Backroom technical experts become front desk circulation
specialists. Whole deparments are outsourced.
The Cure: Prepare for a zigzag career path by paying attention to
the big picture at your library. And it doesn't hurt to make friends
with colleagues in every department, not just your own.
One kind of library
The Myth: Once a special librarian, or public librarian, or academic
librarian, or school media specialist, always a... (you get the
picture.)
The Truth: The current state librarian of South Dakota
previously worked in a law library. My favorite information broker
started as a children's librarian, as did the assistant system
director of a metro area, while another system director I know is now
a media specialist in a small town middle school.
The Cure: Browse the literature of those "other" professional
associations and build a network with peers in all kinds of
libraries. And never say never.
Workplace Change
The Myth: Change is a sign of sickness in an organization; it is an
aberration, not the norm.
The Truth: Change is the only constant.
The Cure: Learn to learn. My favorite resource? Ronald A Gross's
Peak Learning (available in several editions from several publishers
over the last decade) is a classic resource on how to be a more
effective lifelong learner.
Managers know that there are three kinds of employees: the people who embrace change, the people who are indifferent to change, and the people who resist change. Guess which group is more likely to be retained and promoted? No matter what your career history, your response to change tomorrow is what will ensure your success.
Pat Wagner of Pattern Research conducts over a hundred programs each year for libraries from Alaska to Florida. She can be reached at pat@pattern.com or via her web site.