Developing Information Leaders: Harnessing the Talents of Generation X [Reprint 2017 ed.] 9783110968279, 9783598115097

Table of contents :
The author
Introduction to the series
Contents
List of figures and tables
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part I. A generation of change
Part II. Managing Generation X
Part III. Developing Generation X
Part IV. A Generation of Challenges
Index

Citation preview

DEVELOPING INFORMATION LEADERS: HARNESSING THE TALENTS OF GENERATION X

Developing Information Leaders: Harnessing the Talents of Generation X

Marisa Urgo

BOWKER SAUR

London • Melbourne • Munich • New Providence, New Jersey

© 2000 Bowker-Saur, a division of Reed Business Information Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means (including photocopying and recording) without the written permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P OLP. The written permission of the copyright holder must also be obtained before any part of this publication is stored in a retrieval system of any nature. Applications for the copyright holder's written permission to reproduce, transmit or store in a retrieval system any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher. Warning: The doing of any unauthorized act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalogue record for this title is available from the Library of Congress

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

Published by Bowker-Saur, Windsor Court, East Grinstead House, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 1XA, UK Tel: +44(0) 1342 326972 Fax: +44(0) 1342 336198/190 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.bowker-saur.co.uk ISBN 1-85739-253-1 Cover design by Juan Hayward Typesetting by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon Printed on acid-free paper Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham

Other titles in this series include: Beyond Degrees: Professional Learning in the Information Environment The Information Audit: A Practical Guide Change Management For Information Services Establishing an Information Center: A Practical Guide Document Management: New Technologies for the Information Services Manager Total Quality Management in Information Services Entrepreneurial Librarianship: The Key to Effective Information Services Management Customer Service in the Information Environment Power and Influence: Enhancing Information Services within the Organization Corporate Memory: Information Management in the Electronic Age

The author

Originally from Long Island, New York, Marisa Urgo lives and works in Washington, DC. She received her BA in English in 1991 and her MSLS in 1995. She is currently the Knowledge Manager of the US Office of Minority Health Resource Center. A professional nomad since graduation, Ms Urgo set up her tent at the OMHRC in 1996 and continues to reside there. Since 1991, Ms Urgo has written articles and given presentations on a variety of library and information related issues. She has also worked with individual information leaders on special projects. A complete CV and profile can be found on her website, www.marisaurgo.com. In the near future, Ms Urgo would like to conduct more research on the current state of the library and information professions worldwide and continue to explore innovative ways of recruiting and retaining the next generation of information professionals. She would also like to travel, see more movies, write more 'fun stuff, and improve her photography skills.

For my father

We write while we are still making progress. We learn something new every day. We dictate books at the same time as we are searching for answers. We speak in sermons while we still knock at God's door for understanding. Saint Augustine

Introduction to the series

A broader management perspective for information services For several years - decades, it seems - librarians and other information services professionals have lamented the fact that there is not enough emphasis on management in their training. They learn their subjects, and librarians especially connect very early on in their training to the concepts of service and the organization of information. Management skills, however, are frequently neglected or given minimal attention, and many information services professionals find themselves working in the corporate environment, research and technology organizations, government information units, or community/public administration organizations where management skills are needed. Much of what they need they learn on the job; other approaches, such as continuing education programmes, are utilized by those who have the initiative to recognize that they must do something to educate themselves to be managers. Some of it works and some of it does not. Bowker-Saur's Information Management Series, for which I serve as Series Editor, seeks to address this need in the information services community. For this series (and indeed, since the entire field of information management is strongly predicted by many to be going in this direction), the concept of information services is being defined very broadly. The time has come, it seems to me, to recognize that the various constituent units of our society concerned with information have many of the same goals and objectives, and, not surprisingly, many of the same concerns. The practice of management is one of these, and for our purposes it does not matter if the reader is employed as an information manager, information provider, information specialist, or indeed, as an information counsellor (as these information workers have been described by one of the leaders of business and industry). In fact, it does not matter whether the reader is employed in information technology, telecommunications, traditional librarianship, specialist librarianship, records management,

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corporate or organizational archives, the information brokerage field, publishing, consulting, or any of the myriad branches of information services (including service to the information community and the many vendors who make up that branch of the profession). These new titles on the management of information services have been chosen specifically for their value to all who are part of this community of information workers. Although much work is being done in these various disciplines, little of it concentrates on management, and that which is done generally concentrates on one or another of the specific subgroups in the field. This series seeks to unite management concepts throughout information services, and whereas some of the titles will be directed to a specificgroup, most will be broad-based and will attempt to address issues of concern to all information services employees. For example, one book in the series deals with entrepreneurial librarianship, which would seem to be limited to the library profession but in fact offers information and guidance to anyone working in the information services field who is willing to incorporate entrepreneurial thinking into his or her work. Another title looks at corporate memory from the perspective of data and records management, and would seem to be limited to those who are practising the discipline of records management. In fact, the book has been specifically structured to be of value to anyone who is working in the information services field, that 'umbrella' concept of information services described above. As we attempt to bring general management practices into the realm of information services, it will be pointed out that the practice of management is addressed within the organizations or communities that employ information workers. This is true, and certainly in the corporate world (and, arguably, in the public and academic library communities as well), there are plenty of occasions for information services employees to participate in management training as provided in-house. There is nothing wrong with that approach and in many organizations it works very well, but the training does not proceed from an information services point of view, thus forcing the information worker to adapt, as best he or she can, the management practices of the organization to the management practices needed for the best provision of information services. The titles of the Bowker-Saur Information Services Management Series will enable the information worker to relate information management to organizational management, thus putting the information workers (especially the information executive) in a position of considerable strength in the organization or community where he or she is employed. By understanding management principles (admittedly, as frequently 'borrowed' from the general practice of management) and relating them to the way the information services unit is organized, not only does the information services employee position him or herself for

Introduction to the seríes

the better provision of information services, but the entire information services unit is positioned as a respectable participant in organizational or community operations. This last point perhaps needs some elaboration, for it should be made clear that the books in the series are not intended exclusively for the corporate or specialized information services field. It is our intention to provide useful management criteria for all kinds of information services, including those connected to public, academic or other publicly supported libraries. Our basic thesis is that quality management leads to quality services, regardless of whether the information services activity is privately or publicly funded, whether it is connected with a private research or public government agency, or indeed, whether it is a temporary information unit or whether it is part of a permanently funded and staffed operation. Writing for this series will be authors who, I am sure, will challenge some of the usual barriers to effective management practices in this or that type of library or information services unit, and certainly there will be librarians, records managers, archivists and others who will be able to relate some of their management practices in such a way that CIOs and computer services managers will benefit from the telling. In other words, our attempt here is to clear away the usual preconceptions about management within the various branches of information services, to do away with the concept of 'well-that-might-work-for-you-but-it-won'twork-for-me' kind of thinking. We can no longer afford to fight turf battles about whether or not management is 'appropriate' in one or other of the various subunits of information provision. What we must do, and what the Information Services Management Series expects to do, is to bring together the best of all of us, and to share our management expertise so that we all benefit. Guy St Clair Series Editor

xi

Contents

The author

vi

Introduction to the series {Guy St. Clair, Series Editor)

Lx

List of

figures

Acknowledgements

xiv xv

Introduction

1

Part I A generation of change Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Part n

Who is Generation X? Dynamic libraries, dynamic workplaces The new workplace bargain

Managing

Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

7 17 34

Generation X

Communication unleashed Creating a culture of risk Compensation: work-life issues for libraries

55 75 89

Part m Developing Generation X Chapter 7 Chapter 8

New learning and the value of development Strategies for comprehensive training and development

105 118

Contents

Part IV A generation of challenges Chapter 9

A unique vision: Generation Xers talk about their work and their profession Chapter 10 Recruiting Generation X Chapter 11 The crisis in minority recruitment Chapter 12 Beyond Generation X

135 152 184 197

Index

213

xiii

List of figures and tables

Figure 1.1 Figure 1.2 Figure 2.1 Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure

3-1 3.2 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4

Figure 5.1 Figure 5.2 Figure 7.1 Figure 8.1 Figure 9.1 Figure 10.1 Figure 10.2 Figure 10.3 Figure 10.4 Figure 11.1 Figure 11.2 Table 11.1 Figure 11.3

The python and the piglet Cohorts at a glance Excerpts from The death of distance: the trendspotter's guide to new communications Challenges for a new generation Be a sceptical interviewer 12 key dimensions to great workplaces Excerpt from The nature of managerial work Nine factors for better communication Five things a manager can do to foster communication Distance covered: a public library then and now Fostering stakeholdership: tips for turning staff into stakeholders Eleven tangible and intangible learning experiences Characteristics of a learning organization Library school (US) enrolment, age distribution 1989-90, 1992-93, 1995-96 Five challenges facing library recruiters Master's degree in library science conferred, United States: 1969-96 Enrolment in institutions of higher education Excerpt from Occupational employment projections to 2006 Master's degrees in library science conferred (US), by race Master's in library science degrees conferred, by race of student Population by race, US Special Libraries Association's membership, 35 and under

11 12 19 42 45 56 58 60 71 79 83 112 124 136 153 154 156 161 185 186 189 190

Acknowledgements

I humbly thank Guy St. Clair for all his early support for my book. I would like to thank Kristin and Linda at Bowker-Saur, and most of all, I would like to thank the twenty-four very patient Generation Xers who brought my ideas down to earth and helped me make those ideas very human and real.

Introduction

We are on a Redline train heading north out of Washington, DC. It is 10:30 at night. The train reaches the Bookland/Catholic University stop and continues on. Between Brookland and the next two stops, Fort Totten and Takoma, the train rises onto elevated tracks, and if you are sitting by the window, you can look out onto a dark sea speckled with lights that stretches far away into an even darker horizon. Sometimes you catch a glimpse of roads outlined by streetlights as they stretch off into the distance like an artist's sketch of perspective lines. The middle class residential neighbourhoods of Washington, DC pass by, but you cannot see them. What you do see are the tracks below you, speeding by so fast that they are a blur. You can see the fence and the train signals whiz by, and you can even make out the cars passing below you on a road parallel to the train tracks. If you look beyond, out towards the horizon, you must strain to make out what you are about to pass. You must use your intuition, your experience, and your imagination to discern one light speckled shape from another. Most of the time your eyes struggle to focus on something. Still, you are curious, and so you continue to look out of the window. No matter how dark the horizon appears, you still want to know more. Inside the car, all is bright and familiar. There is a girl sitting at the other end, staring out of the window too. There is a man standing by the door, anxiously waiting to get off. Ahead and into the dark lies the future, demanding your intuition, your experience and your imagination in order to meet it successfully, and this is where you want to go. Information professionals like to explore change because we are affected by it everyday. But do we look at the right things? So much talk about the future seems to be about technology. Futurists like to talk about the kinds of gadgets we will be using. Indeed most authors either write about a future world destroyed by technology (bad air, spoiled seas) or a future filled with technology and almost nothing else (networked tee-shirts, cell phone earrings). And when we talk about libraries, inevitably, the subject becomes an exploration of technology.

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How will technology store information? How will technology distribute information? What will happen to books? Technology-filled worlds might have their place in science fiction, but for libraries we need to look elsewhere for the future. We need to look at people. Librarianship is a people-based profession. Its core values revolve around managing and serving people. To take people out of the future of the profession is to empty it of its substance. Developing information leaders: harnessing the talents of generation X explores the next generation of information professionals. It relies on the idea that the next generation brings to the profession unique skills and expectations never seen before. It explores these differences, because it is the differences between one generation and the next that will change the profession. New skills, new perspectives on career, new ways to define relationships will be the substance of real change. If in 20 years librarianship looks different it will be because professionals will have different skills and expectations. They will be built around new types of relationships. Technology will not change librarianship, people will. Developing Generation X means developing the future and much more. When an information manager decides to explore generational issues in their library, they are exploring all facets of management: recruitment, development, communication and compensation. These strands are tightly twisted together, and to pull just one out to examine it is to destroy the fibre. Confronting these issues takes patience, astute attention to detail and the ability to tackle individual issues in the context of all the others. It is not easy. Information managers must also tread cautiously, making sure that they do not lose sight of the true force of change. It is so easy to divert your focus towards technology, because it is often an immediate expense and an immediate burden, but you must always return to people. They are what libraries are all about and without them libraries will fall into obsolescence. Who is Generation X? They are loosely defined as the cohort born between 1965 and 1980. This is not just an American cohort. Their characteristics are shared around the world, and the most important of these is the experience of growing up at the dawn of the information revolution. As they grew, an entirely new world emerged from the world their parents knew. Cable television, video games, special effects and fast film editing, personal computers and the internet, cellular phones and other hand-held devices like calculators and digital wristwatches, all made their debut between early childhood and young adulthood. This new world - the information society - continues to evolve with the generation it was born with. The same cannot be said for the preceding generation — The Baby Boomers — who were far into their unimpressionable twenties and thirties during this time. And it cannot be said for the generation succeeding Generation X who have grown up with all of the accoutrements of the information society already formed and well-

Introduction

integrated into their lives. If any group of people can say they are the children of the information revolution, it is the members of Generation X. This should always be considered as information managers and leaders consider ways of recruiting, managing and retaining them. What is the context of their emergence into the workforce? Generation Xers came into the workforce in the early and mid-1990s on the heels of monumental changes in the way work is performed, managed and defined. From the revolution in network and telecommunications technologies that is still changing how information is mediated between its source and the user to how the work environment is interpreted and managed, there are so many new social, technological and economic forces exerting themselves on the world of work that information managers cannot ignore them. These forces are also the source of and solution to generational challenges. What skills and expectations do Generation Xers bring into libraries? They came into the workforce when times were tough in the United States and elsewhere. These initial experiences have tempered their attitudes towards work and have helped shape the idea of work as a lifestyle choice. 'The significance of the world of work has changed substantially over the past 15 or so y e a r s . . . . Work, when understood as a stable job for life to provide a family wage, arguably formed a far greater part of an individual's identity than it is able to now. Short-term contracts, temporary jobs, flexible working practices and the increasing numbers of people who are self-employed or who do a number of part-time jobs or job-shares, tend to mean the 'who you are' is not necessarily reducible to 'what you do' - or if it is, the meaning is very different to the past' (Bristow, 1999). Information managers can no longer expect to recruit, manage and retain a workforce that will hold a strong loyalty and keep their jobs for life. Instead, Generation Xers want a bargain with their employers, an even exchange of expertise and skills for a good working environment and opportunities to learn and grow. Information managers now have to navigate a maze of new skills and continuous training and development. They need to create a relevant environment that will motivate their skilled Generation X professionals to stay. This is only the beginning. Information managers need to foster communication in their workplaces. They need to practise more flexibility and learn to take greater risks. They need to balance monetary and nonmonetary compensation in a manner that effectively responds to the needs of all their employees. They need to do all of these things because they need to retain their employees. Generation Xers see work as a lifestyle choice, and once a job challenges their values or demoralizes them, they will leave. Training and development are an integral part of the solutions to the challenges posed by Generation X. Through them information managers can create an environment where Generation Xers are learning and

3

4

Developing Information

Leaders

growing, professionally and personally. They can offer them the opportunities to apply their creativity and energy to good work and to see results. They can do this for the greater good of the library, because it is just these types of risk-taking skills, this entrepreneurial energy, that will keep libraries competitive in a world increasingly soaked in information. None of this means anything if Generation Xers and their younger counterparts are not choosing to become librarians. Without a new generation to replace the old, the profession will not grow and remain relevant; it will die out. Information managers and recruiters have to face a challenging world where there is competition among new information professions, where there are serious labour shortages, and where minorities need to be actively and aggressively recruited. Formerly, librarianship in the United States was dominated by white, middle class women who were returning to work after raising children. This is no longer the case. Generation Xers dominate enrolment in postgraduate programmes, and they are going into postgraduate programmes at younger ages. Information managers and leaders have to find new ways to attract these people to the profession and make the course work relevant to a new generation of information savvy students. Information managers and leaders have the same choice that any group of leaders has. They can recognize the challenges and confront them, or they can ignore them, retire, and leave them for someone else to deal with. But I do not believe that many current managers and leaders are that cynical. Many of the individuals I have met and know care a lot about the future of the library and information professions, and they want to do as much as they can. We should explore the profession through the eyes of the Generation X information professionals. Perhaps they can offer fresh insight and new ideas. Developing information leaders is probably the first book of its kind. Information managers and their employees are just beginning to understand how two different generations are working together in libraries, and it is an area that deserves more discussion. Differences are the source of change: friction between the old and new produces the energy needed to create change. To explore these differences, to respond to them, is to directly influence the future of the profession. People are the future; people who are alive right here and right now.

References Bristow, J. (1999) So are we equal now? Living Marxism, [www.informinc. co.uk/LM/LM123/LM123_Bristow.html]

Parti

A generation of change

Chapter One

Who is Generation X?

The term 'Generation X' has a contentious history. It was originally the title of a 1991 book by Douglas Coupland, Generation X, tales for an accelerating culture. In his book, the author tells the stories of men and women who were too young to belong to the Baby Boomers and too old to belong to the generation that followed the Baby Boomers. Without a unique identity, they straddle the lines between one generation and another but never really fitting into either of them. However, by 1992, the term had taken on a life of its own, and 'Generation X' has been the source of rancorous debate ever since. The term 'Generation X' carries the weight of both negative stereotypes and positive opinions, but it never really holds to any single definition. What began as just the title of a book has become a strong symbol of a generation gap. Baby Boomers - the wealthy, powerful, and very large US cohort that precedes Generation Xers - have seen their younger, poorer, and fewer brothers and sisters as whining, lazy, sighing, unskilled, inarticulate brats. In his 1994 book, All the trouble in the world, commentator P.J. O'Rourke wrote, 'And memo to Generation X: Pull your pants up, turn your hat around, and get a job' (O'Rourke, 1994). In a 1993 book, The 13th generation, abort, retry, ignore, fail?, the authors Neil Howe and William Strauss describe the media-driven stereotype, News clips document a young-adult wasteland of academic nonperformance, political apathy, suicide pacts, date-rape trials, wilding, and hate crimes. Who are they, and what are they up to?' (Howe and Strauss, 1992, pp. 67-69). Most Generation Xers never take these stereotypes personally; they have long since dismissed them as media hype. However, they become concerned when managers and other authority figures begin to believe them. There is the media's version and then there is reality, and in this book I try to make sense of the reality. It is only fair to admit the opposite stereotypes. Some Generation Xers tend to see Baby Boomers as self-righteous navel-gazers. They have a characteristic roll-of-the-eyes response whenever a Boomer emotes about the good ole' daze' at Kent State or wherever. After a while Boomers

8

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begin to sound like the adults in the Charlie Brown TV Shows, wah WAH wah wa-wa-wah'. However, hiding just below the surface of all of the irreverent generation satire is a genuine sense of burden. Generation Xers feel as if they are being unfairly burdened with the social missteps - such as the exponential rise in divorce and the breakdown of the family - and future problems of the ageing Boomers - such as the massive social security and public health service costs. In a moment of inspiration, irreverent and acerbic internet e-zine Suck summed up the frustration many Generation Xers feel Can anyone seriously doubt that - given the boomers' penchant for sucking up all the shrimp and steak in the buffet line of life - they are setting up the rest of us not merely to fork over ever more generous portions of our wages to fund their Social Security and Medicare (hey, why shouldn't face lifts and Viagra prescriptions be covered?) but to deny us any last crumb of joy that comes simply from being younger than them? We have, after all, spent a lifetime being castigated for following in the boomers' footsteps and being found wanting: They were idealistic, we were cynical; they did drugs to open the doors of perception, we did them just to get high; they dodged the draft out of high moral purpose, we simply forgot to register for selective service at the post office (Gillespie, 1998).

These stereotypes have a certain entertainment value but they do not tell us anything about Generation Xers (or Baby Boomers for that matter). For example, Time and Newsweek both made several attempts at defining Generation X', portraying Generation Xers as either soul searching wanderers or high-tech entrepreneurs. The naive reader would come away from these articles with the image of a generation of kids hiking to Katmandu or making their first million by thirty. In reality most Generation Xers want the same things in life that anyone from any generation has wanted: home, family, tranquillity, etc. The differences between generations do not lie in their substance but in their style. Generation Xers as information professionals might share many of the same personal and professional goals as their managers and older colleagues, but they will achieve those goals in their own way. Information managers have a responsibility to see their Generation X employees in the full context of their lives. This includes personal as well as professional attitudes and expectations. It means trying to see the world through their eyes, or at least attempting to understand the social, economic, and technological changes that have in the past and still continue to influence their lives. And, there is a simple reason for doing this: Generation Xers are the future of the library and information professions. They are the future made flesh and bone. There is no need for creativity or mathematical modelling here. If you want to know the future, then come to know Generation X, the approximately 35 million people in the United States and millions more worldwide who are between the ages of 24 and 35.

Who is Generation

X?

Defining Generation X This book is founded on the idea that Generation X is having a profound influence over libraries and information centres and that information managers should grapple with the challenges they pose. But who are Generation Xers? If they are going to tackle difficult issues and tough challenges, the information managers should have some tangible information about them: size, age and number. Unfortunately, there is much confusion and little authority over how to define Generation X. It is difficult to find a definition that most people can agree on: The Washington Post (31 January 1994): 'they're between 20 and 29'. (Morin, 1994) The Gallup Organization: 'bom between 1963 and 1977'. (Cole-Gomolsky, 1998) US Bureau of Labor Statistics: 'persons aged 18 to 29 in the 1994-95 period'. (Paulin and Riordon, 1998) The US Bureau of Labor Statistics' Monthly Labor Review described the inconsistency 'with some saying that persons born in 1961 are the cohort's oldest members, while others use a younger upper boundary. The lower boundary fluctuates as well. Most studies conducted in the 1990s consider those who were 18 years old during the study period to constitute the lower limit of Generation X, regardless of the yeaKs) the study covers. Some studies, on the other hand, consider persons who were 14 years old in 1995 to be part of Generation X, although they may in fact be the beginning of a new cohort in the population. Only in hindsight will the boundaries become clearer' (Paulin and Riordon, 1998). Confused? You are not alone. Authors will usually use whatever definition suits their arguments. They will identify Generation Xers with any number of social achievements or missteps as long as it supports their case. On and on they debate the merits and vices of the next generation. The discussion often takes on a tone similar to the medieval debates on the nature of women: Are they inherently evil or inherently good? What was God's intent in placing them on earth? Can they be redeemed? Atlantic Monthly, 'reckless bicycle messengers, hustlers, and Mcjobbers in the low wage/low benefit service economy'. (Bagby, 1998, p. 2) Psychology Today, 'not knowing how to do an honest day's work'. (Bagby, 1998, p. 2) US News and World Reports: 'flesh and blood Bart Simpsons, so poorly educated that we can't find Vietnam on a map or date the Civil War within fifty years'. (Bagby, 1998, p. 3)

9

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American Enterprise. 'Millions of other Americans in their twenties and early thirties are . . . ditching safe corporate jobs, putting their faith in themselves and in technology, and charging into the wildcatting world of capitalism'. (Miniter, 1998, p. 38) American Demographics. 'They are more interested in the visual arts, less active in sport or sex, more scarred by divorce, and more likely to live with parents. Their lives defined by education, insecurity, and a slow transition to adulthood'. (Zill and Robinson, 1995) The San Diego Union Tribune. 'This generation is underrated and misunderstood. It ought to be renamed Generation Xpectations'. (Louv, 1996) The Washington Post 'The first generation to live so well and complain so bitterly about it'. (Morin, 1994) Generation X is usually defined in the context of American social history, specifically in its relationship with the generation that immediately preceded it: the Baby Boomers. If we are going to define Generation X, then we should first define the Baby Boomers. The US Census Bureau defines them as the group of people who were between the ages of 26 and 44 during the 1990 census (US Census Bureau, 1996). Apply some basic math to numbers and the date range comes out to be 1946 to 1964. This is the almost universally accepted definition of the Baby Boom - anyone born in the US between 1946 and 1964. At first glance, it might not seem like much, but the Baby Boom represents 76 542 735 people, or one-third of the total US population (US Census Bureau, 1996). (This enormous bulge of humanity pushes through life's stages, swelling each stage as they pass through it, and forever changing it.) In a recent article in Monthly Labour Review, one demographer puts it this way: Because the baby-boom generation is so large relative to the generations directly before and after it, as its members progress through the various life stages, demographers often compare it to watching a python eating a piglet - the bulge moves slowly through the system' (Schrammel, 1998, p. 3). When demographers recognized the dramatically increasing birth rate that followed after World War II, it quickly became apparent that this massive group would collectively influence the course of social and economic changes over the span of their lives. This influence has been felt all over the world, and for the most part it has been an American influence. Currently, the films of Steven Spielberg and James Cameron reach across the globe and find international recognition (and money). American television shows, most written and marketed by Baby Boomers are wildly popular. American social, economic and foreign policy is influenced by Baby Boomers with the most obvious example being the current President of the United States, Bill Clinton, and more to come.

Who is Generation

X?

Per cent d i s t r i b u t i o n of t h e U.S Population by A g e , 1 9 9 0

A g e distribution

In 1990, place

US Baby

is represented

Boomers

represented

by the range

between

about

30 per

the tallest

cent

of the total

US population.

Their

spikes.

Day, Jennifer C. (1996) Population Projections of the United States by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1995 to 2050. Washington, DC: US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Current Population Reports, P25-1130. Table G

Figure 1.1 The python and the piglet

Regardless of all this money, power, and influence, Baby Boomers are not technically a 'generation.' Neither are Generation Xers for that matter. According to American Demographics, 'A generation is usually 20 to 25 years in length, or roughly the time it takes a person to grow up and have children'. Instead, Baby Boomers and Generation Xers are cohorts. Webster's Dictionary defines it as 'a group of people united in an effort or difficulty,' or as 'companions or associates'. In demographic terms, a birth cohort is a group of people born during a given time period who share the same historic environment and many of the same life experiences, including tastes and preferences . . . But a cohort can be as long or as short as the events that define it (Meredith and Schewe, 1994). In a 1994 article, American Demographics describes the cohorts this way, 'In 1994, American adults can be divided into six distinct cohorts, ranging in age from the Depression Cohort (aged 73 to 82) to what many people are calling Generation X (aged 18 to 29). The roughly 4 million people who are aged 83 and older are not included for two reasons. First, this group is much smaller than other cohorts. Also, much of their consumer behaviour is controlled by physical need. There are also over 68 million persons under age 18. No one knows yet how many of them

11

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Developing Information Leaders

Cohorts at a Glance

80+ years in the life of the US population World War II Era Cohort

Depression-Era Cohort •They were born between 1912 & 1921

•They were bom between 1922 & 1927

• They came of age between 1930 & 1939

• They came of age between 1940 & 1945

• They were between 78 & 87 in 1999 •They were 7% of the population in 1994

•They were between 72 & 77 in 1999

Post-War II Era Cohort

• They were 6% of the population in 1994

Baby Boomers Cohort

• They were born between 1928 & 1945 • They came of age between 1946 4 1963 • They were between 54 & 71 in 1999

• They were born between 1946 & 1965

• They were 21% of the population in 1994

•They were 42% of the population in 1994

• They came of age between 1963 & 1983 • They were between 34 & 53 in 1999

Generation X Cohort •They were bom between 1966 &1976 • They came of age between 1984 & 1994 • They were between 23 & 33 in 1999 • They were 21% of the population in 1994

Some of the information for this chart was derived from Information published in Meredith and Schewe (1994) The power of cohorts. American Demographics, www.demographics.com

Figure 1.2 Cohorts at a glance

will belong to the Generation X Cohort and how many will create new cohorts in the next two decades' (Meredith and Schewe, 1994). And so within the context of American demographic trends, a picture of the cohort Generation X takes form. In the year 2000, Generation Xers will range from 34 to 24. Generation X is a smaller group, only about 41 million in the United States, but it is also the most diverse cohort in US history, 'Minority growth is . . . separating the young from the old. About 6 million legal immigrants came to the U.S, during the 1980s, mostly from Asia and Latin America, and more than 6 million will probably come in the 1990s. Immigrants are usually younger adults w h o have higher birth rates than native-born Americans. As a result, almost onethird of Americans under the age of 35 are minorities compared with one fifth of those aged 35 or older. Thirty years from now, minorities

Wbo is Generation X?

will approach a majority of young adults, while older adults will remain mostly all-white' (Edmondson, 1994). Demographic research has shown that Generation Xers were disproportionately affected by such social ills as divorce and single parent households. It knew more years of economic recession than of growth. It was the first cohort to grow up with computers as a part of their daily lives. And their future looks just as striking as their brief past, 'We have come of age in what appears to be a time of peace and prosperity. We are a generation that had not known wars, the hunger of depression, the fear of atomic destruction. But behind what the Czech president, Vaclav Havel, calls "civilization's thin veneer" there are the stirrings of future conflicts. Social, demographic, and economic whirlwinds are gathering force . . . The overextension of our government, growing economic inequality, increasing ethnic rumblings, deteriorating education systems, apathy from our citizenry . . . ' (Bagby, 1998, p. 4). No one knows what the future has in store; however, one of the wonderful characteristics of Generation Xers is our fearlessness. I interviewed twenty-four Generation X information professionals for this book, and none of them feared the future, even though all of them acknowledged that their futures were uncertain. This uncertainty was not a burden. On the contrary, most welcomed constant change. 'I seem to be attracted to chaos', one of them said. For these Generation Xers change, even constant dramatic change, is better than no change at all. They seem almost impatient for it, criticizing their managers for not responding to change fast enough, and seeking it out whenever possible. As you will see, some of these social trends have had a strong influence on Generation Xers' work ethic, career expectations, and their perceptions of library and information work as patrons and professionals. It's easy to overlook some of these trends, especially if you were not directly affected by them, or were affected in different ways, but information managers should consider the most important of these trends for example, the break down of social institutions and the information revolution - from the point of view of Generation Xers. After all, they were young children in the 1970s and teenagers in the 1980s. The changes of those two decades were filtered through the unsophisticated eyes of youth and profoundly affected psyches in the way Cold War images and Vietnam affected Baby Boomers. A caveat Of course all of this talk of Baby Boomers and Generation Xers leaves out one important reality. Cohorts and generations are not people, they are enormous groups of people. The study of demographics is not the study of individuals. When we discuss cohorts we are essentially discussing the 'Big Picture'. Small groups and individuals get lost in the

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Developing Information Leaders

tens of thousands, even millions. Information managers have to distinguish between the theories about Generation X and their own Generation X employees. They must avoid placing a single human's face on the trends of millions. Consider them as two different but equally important perspectives. This book looks at Generation X's impact on library management, policy, recruitment, training and development. It looks at the Big Picture. If you want a better look at the Big Picture, read on, as this book's purpose is to supply you with that picture. However, if you really want to learn more about your own Generation X employees, take them out to lunch. So there is the Big Picture and there are the small unique issues. Both perspectives are important for developing Generation X. Libraries do not exist in a vacuum. The forces of social, economic and technological change are constantly exerting themselves and finding their way into library and information workplaces. It is futile to ignore them especially since they are being exerted by the very people who work in these places. Information managers need to think of their libraries in both social and historical context, if they are going to prepare for the wideranging changes taking place in the world around them. Also they need to look at their employees, because so many far-reaching changes are being felt not through technology but through people. It is the Generation Xers coming into libraries right now who are bringing with them new skills and perspectives that have their source in the social, economic and technological changes of the past twenty-five years. Generation Xers are the single most important source of change in libraries. People, the sole reason why libraries and information centres exist, are the most powerful force of change in them. As users, people make demands of services and services change to meet those demands. As library and information employees, people make demands of management and of the workplace, and in this way, the workplace changes. For this reason, information managers should take seriously the wider trends in the workplace attitudes of Generation Xers. On a personal level, it is also the reason why they should take the ideas and expectations of their own Generation X employees seriously. Eventually, these ideas and expectations will have an effect on the workplace. It could be negative - low employee satisfaction, high turnover rates - or positive effects more satisfied employees and users - either way the influence is inevitable.

Generation X around the world Information savvy, independence, and an appetite to learn are not characteristics exclusive to Americans. Where previous cohorts were uniquely American, Generation X is the first cohort to share similar life

Who is Generation X?

experiences with young people all over the world. One light-hearted example is the phenomenon of the movie Star Wars. It was one of the first motion picture blockbusters that made huge amounts of money globally. Its appeal has been universal since the first movie in the series was released in 1977. The recent hype over the latest instalment of the Star Wars series just reinforces this global phenomenon. Fans were waiting on line in front of movie theatres in Mexico City, New York City, Montreal, London, Tokyo and Johannesburg. Generation Xers have adapted to the globalization of culture and business, and they know better than any other cohort before them how to exploit its opportunities. Computer specialists from around the world have introduced their products to a global market, like Linus Thorvald, the developer of the Linux operating system. Many information and service corporations have international offices and hire well-trained, information savvy employees from local cities. International trade agreements have improved the exchange of expertise among countries and given people the freedom to go where there are opportunities. Generation Xers are the first cohort to experience the unlimited potential of opened borders and long-term peace and have become the first truly global cohort. They were the first to grow up with global satellite and instantaneous news from anywhere in the world; they were the first to use the internet in high school and college. Generation Xers grew up in a time of relative global peace and many travelled much farther than previous generations. As the world's economies grow increasingly interdependent, the skills and characteristics of future cohorts will also become global. Information managers might easily hire a professional from Singapore as from Seattle. An information professional from New York might easily find a job with a well-paying employer from Berlin. Generation Xers will be the first generation to look beyond the borders of their own country and see the entire world as an opportunity.

Conclusion So who are Generation Xers? They are the innovative, information savvy new professionals who will come to manage the libraries and information centres of the next century. They are a small group with a global reach and the first generation to exploit truly borderless opportunities. They are the product of monumental changes, and they are creating change as they come into their own. They are, in essence, the future made real. Their skills and talents, their tastes and attitudes, and their hopes will globally define the coming decades. If information managers and professional leaders want to understand, to see, the future, they need only introduce themselves to the young Generation X professionals standing nearby.

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References Bagby, M. (1998) Rational exuberance. New York: Penguin Cole-Gomolski, B. (1998) Generation X: skills training trumps pay. ComputerWorld [www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/980914 688A] Edmondson, B. (1994) The trend you can't ignore. American Demographics, 16 (2), 2 Gillespie, N. (1998) Year of the rat. Suck 29 December 1998 [www. suck.com] Howe, N. and Strauss, W. (1992) The new generation gap. Atlantic Monthly, 270 (6), 67-69 Louv, R. (1996) X-ers size up futures with great optimism. The San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 1996 Meredith G. and Schewe C. (1994) The power of cohorts. American Demographics, 16 (2), 22-27 Miniter, R. (1998) Generation X does business. American Enterprise, 8 (4), 38 [www.theamericanenterprise.org/GENX.HTM] Morin, R (1994) Much ado about twentysomethings. Washington Post, 31 January 1994 O'Rourke, P.J. (1994) All the trouble in the world. New York: Picador Paulin, G and Riordon, B. (1998) Making it on their own: the baby boom meets Generation X. Monthly Labour Review, 121 (2), 10-21 Schrammel, K. (1998) Comparing the labour market success of young adults from two generations. Monthly Labour Review, 121 (2), 3-9 US Census Bureau (1996) Published table: Population and Housing Characteristics of Baby Boomers 26 to 44 years old: 1990, United States. 1990 CPH-L-160 [www.census.gov/population/censusdata/ cph-l60h.txt] Zill, N. and Robinson, J. (1995) The Generation X difference. American Demographics, 17, 24-29

Chapter Two

Dynamic libraries, dynamic workplaces

Change, change, change. Men (and women) in high places constantly talk about it as if it is an abstract concept that belongs entirely in the future, 'In the coming years we will ..." 'By the next decade this will . . .'. And so on, and so forth. Change is real, and it is happening all the time. Libraries and information centres are perfect examples of change. You can track their development from rooms with large vellum manuscripts chained to reading carols to centres of information storage and retrieval. Many different forces create change in libraries. In this chapter I explore three: technology, society and new ideas. These forces are represented by the swiftly changing world of telecommunications, and what one writer calls 'the death of distance'. They are represented by the social force of decentralization. This is the term describing the swift movement of social institutions from central locations of control to broader, looser networks of control. Another is the revolution in information access and delivery. Now, more than ever, information is being equally distributed to anyone with a computer. And, finally, they are represented by the idea of complexity and its application in the management sciences. Thematically, these forces are closely related. The death of distance describes the technological means by which location and centrality, become irrelevant. Decentralization is the social manifestation of the same idea. Many social institutions - for example: large federal governments are fragmenting through privatization and the delegation of authority into states and localities. This concept is also taking hold in large companies where headquarters are being dismantled and authority is being shifted to small local offices. The decentralization of information is opening doors to primary source materials that were once only available to the rich and academic elite. Finally there is complexity theory which is a concept that explains the reason for decentralization and has applications in many of the hard and social sciences, including management sciences. Where is Generation X in all this change? They work within these changes, responding and adapting quickly to them. Another way to look

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Developing Information Leaders

at it is to see Generation Xers as the harbingers of change. As users they are one important factor moulding libraries into dynamic service environments. As employees, they are creating dynamic workplaces. If we want to discuss Generation X, we should look at some of the forces of change that are accompanying them into libraries.

The telecommunications revolution I once heard Peter Drucker say that you cannot manage change, only stay ahead of it: he is right. Without hesitation, I think that in the nottoo-distant future many corporate and special libraries will not exist as physical spaces. The forces that are dismantling corporate spaces will dismantle libraries as well. One of them is telecommunications technologies. Economist author Frances Cairncross' 1997 bcx>k on telecommunications, The death of distance: how the communications revolution will change our lives, offers some significant insight into the next technological revolution and its potential impact on business. On the book's website, there is a page called the Trendspotter's guide to new communications that summarizes 30 of these changes: There is a lot of emphasis on the impact of telecommunications on companies, but non-profit organizations and governments will experience many of the same influences. Distance will n o l o n g e r determine the cost of communicating electronically. C o m p a n i e s will o r g a n i z e certain types of w o r k in three shifts according to the w o r l d ' s three main time zones: the Americas, East Asia/Australia,

and

Europe. N o l o n g e r will location b e key to most business decisions. C o m p a n i e s will locate a n y s c r e e n - b a s e d activity a n y w h e r e o n earth, w h e r e v e r they can

find

the best b a r g a i n o f skills a n d productivity. D e v e l o p i n g countries will increasingly p e r f o r m o n l i n e services - monitoring security screens, running helplines a n d call centres, writing software, a n d s o forth a n d sell them to the rich industrial countries that generally p r o d u c e such services domestically. Small c o m p a n i e s will o f f e r services that, in the past, only giants h a d the scale a n d s c o p e to provide. Individuals with v a l u a b l e ideas, initiative, a n d strong business plans will attract g l o b a l venture capital a n d convert their ideas into viable businesses. Small countries will also b e m o r e viable. That will b e g o o d n e w s f o r secession m o v e m e n t s e v e r y w h e r e . (Cairncross, 1997)

Dynamic libraries, dynamic workplaces

1. Death of Distance. Distance will no longer determine the cost of communicating electronically. 2. The Fate of Location. No longer will location be key to most business decisions. 3- The Irrelevance of Size. Small companies will offer services that in the past only giants had the scale and scope to provide. 4. Improved Connections. Most people on earth will eventually have access to networks that are all switched, interactive, and broadband. 5. More Customized Content. Improved networks will also allow individuals to order 'content for one...' 6. A Deluge of Information. Because people's capacity to absorb information will not increase, they will need filters to sift, process and edit it. 7. Increased Value of Brand. What's hot. Whether a product, a personality, a sporting event, or the latest financial data will attract greater rewards. 8. Increased Value in Niches. The power of the computer to search, indentify, and classify people according to similar needs and tastes will create substantial markets for many niche products. 9.

C o m m u n i t i e s of Practice. The horizontal bonds among people performing the same job or speaking the same language in different parts of the world will strengthen.

10. Near-Frictionless Markets. Many more companies and customers will have access to accurate price information. 11. Increased Mobility. Every form of communication will be available for mobile or remote use.' 12. More Global Reach, More Local Provision. While small companies find it easier to reach markets around the world, big companies will more readily offer high-quality local services...' 13. The Loose-Knit Corporation. Culture and communications networks, rather than rigid management structures, will hold companies together. 14. More Minnows, More Giants. On one hand, the cost of starting new businesses will decline, and companies will more easily buy in services so that more small companies will spring up...In industries where networks matter, concentration may increase... Figure 2.1

Excerpts from The death of distance: the trendspotter's guide to n e w

communications.

From

html (pages 19-21)

www.deathofdistance.com/html/a-trendspotter-s-guide.

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Developing Information Leaders

15. Manufacturers as Service Providers. Feeding information on a particular buyer's tastes straight back to the manufacturer will be easier and so manufacturers will design more products specially for an individual's requirements. 16. The Inversion of Home and Office. As more people work from home or from small, purpose-built offices, the line between work and home life will blur. 17. The Proliferation of Ideas. New ideas and information will travel faster to the remotest corners of the world. 18. A New Trust, Since it will be easier to check whether people and companies deliver what they have promised, many services will become more reliable and people will be more likely to trust each other to keep their word. 19. People as the Ultimate Scarce Resource. The key challenge for companies will be to hire andretaingood people... 20. The Shift from Government Policing to Self-Policing. Government will find national legislation and censorship inadequate for regulating the global flow of information. 21. Loss of Privacy. As in the village of the past centuries, protecting privacy will be difficult. 22. Redistribution of Wages. Low-wage competition will reduce the earning power of many people in rich countries employed in routine screen-based tasks, but the premium for certain skills will grow. 23. Less Need for immigration and Emigration. Poor countries with good communications technology will be able to retain their skilled workers, who will be less likely to emigrate... 24. A Market for Citizens. The greater freedom to locate anywhere and earn a living...countries will compete to bid down tax rates and attract businesses...[and] residents. 25. Rebirth of Cities. As individuals spend less time in the office and more time working from home or travelling, cities will transform from concentrations of office employment to centres of entertainment and culture. 26. The Rise of English. The global role of English as a second language will strengthen as it becomes the common standard for telecommunicating in business and commerce. Figure 2.1 (continued)

Dynamic libraries, dynamic workplaces

27. Communities of Culture. At the same time, electronic communications will reinforce less widespread languages and cultures... 28. Improved Writing and Reading Skills. Electronic mail will induce young people to express themselves effectively in writing... 29- Rebalance of Political Power. Since people will communicate their views on government more directly, rulers and representatives will become more sensitive...to lobbying and public-opinion polls... 30. Global Peace. As countries become even more economically interdependent...the effect will be to increase understanding, foster tolerance, and ultimately promote worldwide peace.

Figure 2.1

(continued)

The second trend mentioned in Figure 2.1 is probably the most important. 'No longer will location be a key to most business decisions,' and continues, 'Companies will locate any screen-based activity anywhere on earth, wherever they can find the best bargain of skills and productivity.' In others words, location or physical space will no longer be relevant to how people work and live. Indicative of the types of changes she is predicting, she describes ofñce layout and utilization at a large, multinational management consulting and accounting firm. In Andersen Consulting's smart new offices in Wellesley, just outside Boston, Mark Greenberg is entitled as a senior partner to three filing cabinet drawers of storage space. In one, he keeps a bubble-wrapped package, containing the sort of personal mementos - family photographs, shields and so on with which businessmen like to decorate their offices, together with a diagram to show how they should be arranged. On the rare days when Mr. Greenberg is not visiting a client or jetting around the world, he reserves an office. When he arrives, his treasures are neatly laid out on the desk for him to make him feel at home. (Cairncross, 1995)

For libraries, particularly special libraries this trend is nothing short of revolutionary. After all, libraries and information centres are places. Many of them are defined by the quality and reputation of their physical collections. In large companies and organizations, these collections can be quite large, and these spaces are often beautifully kept. But they are also expensive to maintain, and if the basic needs of business are being met

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Developing Information Leaders

without physical spaces, then there is no reason for corporations to maintain libraries. If their employees are all over the world, then what is the point in having a large space in a single location to store physical books that employees cannot easily access? What is the reason for spending money on a room that thousands of employees might never see? As office space usage changes so will the funding for these spaces. It seems as if the information revolution has been a deal with the devil. Yes, for many librarians it has placed them at the forefront of information access and delivery in their companies and communities, but it has generated a constant need to reinvent and justify their library and their work. The death of distance will mean the end of many corporate and nonprofit libraries. The managers of these libraries will have to turn to other ways of designing and delivering services to their users. I do not see this as the end of civilization as we know it. Many users, especially young users, do not exploit the physical spaces of libraries anyway. They are unintimidated by information and telecommunication technologies and can navigate through them at their own pace with relative ease. They are much more comfortable using online databases. They are more willing to do some of the research leg work themselves. Quite often, Generation X users simply want suggestions for good websites or a good database search command. The profession doesn't need to fight for their empowerment: they're already empowered. In these 'officeless' offices, communication becomes the ultimate medium exchange of knowledge, not the library. The physical space becomes a facilitator, not the controller, of information behaviour. The office is designed to foster communication. It becomes a human intranet and knowledge base. Everything about the office is designed to get the ideas and information flowing. A recent article in the The Washington Post describes how one company is building their new space with a loose-knit, borderless workplace in mind, 'CarrAmerica was looking for an office design that promoted its "team concept" and eliminated the hierarchical nature of traditional offices,' says Karen Widmayer director of corporate communication at CarrAmerica 'It came up with an open office, with work spaces near the windows and offices away from the window line. Informal meeting places dot the office, where workers from different departments can drop by to chat and create.' For strategist Christopher Budd, the workplace has become 'a personal choice - the choice of how we work, where and when' (Joyce, 1998, p. 44). In a 1997 interview with Workforce magazine, Tim Syfert, a group manager at Haworth Inc., an office furniture company, described what he saw as the trends in office space. We'll start seeing more flexibility: mobile markboards, informal tables that serve as a primary place to do work, but are on wheels so they can be moved out to a common area. Most

Dynamic libraries, dynamic workplaces

storage options are on wheels too, so they can be moved down the hall or across the building.' He goes on to describe the new science of cognitive ergonomics. It is a new branch of ergonomics - 'the study of human performance and its application to the design of technological systems' (Human Factors & Ergonomics Society, Bay Area Chapter, 1999) - that strives to improve the retention of information through informal communication (the type of communication these new offices intend to foster). 'Cognitive ergonomics is creating spaces where the mind does its best work. . . . You go into a conference room and have a meeting. A lot of information that you retain in your mind is spurred by those surroundings. . .. [Cognitive Ergonomics] will try to design a way to have you go from place to place so that the surroundings spur those thoughts'. (Flynn, 1997) Everything in this new office is designed for the transmission of information and knowledge. The rigid hierarchies of office life were traditionally reinforced by the architecture. The big offices (with the windows) went to the Big Guys. The cubicles and open desks went to the support staff. In the example above, window space is designed for everyone and employees come and go as they please. So where is the library in this company? Where is its space? Information managers need to ask these questions, and prepare for the near future when physical space becomes increasingly irrelevant in the day-to-day information needs of their users. The issues that many special libraries are already facing might soon come to be issues in other libraries as well. It will be particularly important in the development of new staff: •

How do you deliver information to users in international locations?

•

How do you manage employees who work from home?

•

Where do you recruit new employees who need to work in foreign locations?

•

What are the skills they need and how do you evaluate them?

•

How do you allocate your budget? What take precedence?

These issues take on further dimensions when you consider two other trends that Cairncross identifies. 'Distance will no longer determine the cost of communicating electronically.' Along with verbal communication, you might also add the exchange of data. The cost of delivering information will drop dramatically, and this will also facilitate the progression of the officeless office. It will bring new ways to design services for users. As the cost of storing and delivering information declines, information managers can shift costs to more important things, like employee training and development.

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Developing Information

Leaders

What might surprise managers the most is that their employees will not seem affected by these changes as much as they are. Generation Xers adapt quickly to the changes endemic in the contemporary workplace. More importantly, they are prepared to face many of the challenges that will influence the workplace of the future. 'The arrival of X is good news for forward-thinking companies,' says consultant Bruce Tulgan, 'because Xers are uniquely well-suited to lead managers into the workplace of the future. We never had to integrate information technology into our work habits, so Xers do not experience discomfort with postmodern accouterments . . . It is not just changing technology which characterizes the workplace of the future, but a changing atmosphere. Xers already know how to work in the virtual office where the only thing to grasp onto is your log-on password' (Tulgan, 1996, p. 168). Without the physical resources to manage, managers will have to turn their attention to the skills and expertise of their employees. Intangibles such as service delivery and personnel management will take precedence over traditional library issues such as collection development, collection management and cataloguing. It is a drastically different approach for information professionals who have always been identified with a place and the things in that place. It will not be an easy transition, but I do not think we have a choice. The telecommunications revolution is pulling down the walls, or barriers, to information and in many cases, people will be the only things left for information managers to manage. These are not changes for the worse. Large libraries were not necessarily the best places to work. They were generally huge, cold, dusty spaces, where human comfort, especially for employees, was sacrificed for the sake of the storage, retrieval and maintenance of books. Services were limited by their expense and the variety of services was limited by clunky technology. Decreasing technology costs and the increasing number of information delivery options are making many information services inexpensive and highly flexible. Doors of opportunity are opening enabling libraries to improve access and services. Lines of communication are also opening between professionals. Frances Cairncross calls these Communities of Practice. Access to communication technology and the flexible exchange of information will help strengthen bonds among people who do the same job. We are no longer limited by distance to who we can speak to and how. 'The horizontal bonds among people performing the same job or speaking the same language in different parts of the world will strengthen', Ms. Cairnross predicts, Common interests, experiences, and pursuits rather than proximity will bind these communities together' (Cairncross, 1997). The information professions can take on truly global significance as more and more professionals access and utilize telecommunications and information technologies. The barriers posed by distance will become inconsequential, information will be exchanged quickly and inexpensively,

Dynamic libraries, dynamic workplaces

(indeed, this is possible right now), and a strong foundation of global professional knowledge will be easily achieved across borders. Information and expertise will be generated and quickly transferred to interested professionals regardless of location, government, economy, or any other restriction that currently separates information professionals from each other. In my own life I have seen the transition from big black phones with rotary dials to tiny cell phones that dial instandy using just a verbal command. It happened with such speed and ease that I can honestly say that I do not remember the steps that have led us from one to the other. Telecommunication technology is one of those ubiquitious facts of life, like the kitchen appliances or the car, that constantly evolves, but you only become aware of it when a friend pulls a new gadet from their pocketbook. And yet, it is the catalyst of many of the most profound changes going on right now. It is time that library managers and leaders take a closer look at the possible impact telecommunications technologies might have on libraries and the nature of the profession.

Decentralization and disintermediation: the centre will not hold Globalization is just one example of an all-encompassing force of change, a tsunami pushing through time and leaving in its wake other changes such as the death of distance discussed above and the ones I discuss here, the forces of decentralization and disintermediation. Picture these smaller changes as a strong ocean surf. You stand on the beach watching the waves break further out. The surf pushes up the sand, and a strong rush of water swiftly covers your ankles in cool salty water. However sometimes, the surf pulls back with equally strong force, and if you are not paying attention, you could lose your footing and fall in. Decentralization is one source of change not usually associated with libraries, and yet it has had an enormous impact on all types of libraries - public, federal and academic libraries, and special libraries and information centres. (It takes different forms, but the most important for this book is its impact on government.) Disintermediation is a similar process applied to information. It means the loss of the need for intermediaries between people and information; it creats 'shortcuts'. Governments all over the world are grappling with the issues of decentralization. Public utilities, social services, health care, even education are being set free from the stranglehold of large, hierarchical governments. State, provincial, and local governments are doing the same. Corporations have found a new freedom to develop their areas of expertise as they outsource services and even whole departments that do not directly serve their vision. Decentralization is a significant effect of the pressures of

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Developing Information leaders

globalization. It 'involves the inexorable integration of markets, nationstates and technologies to a degree never witnessed before - in a way that is enabling individuals, corporations and nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever before . . . Globalization also has its own set of economic rules - rules that revolve around opening, deregulating and privatizing your economy' (Friedman, 1999). Local and national economies thrive, corporations compete successfully when they empower front line employees, those who are the first to experience pressures from outside sources, to make decisions. Decentralization can occur at all levels of an organization, because it is '...decision-making moved from the centre of an organization to the edges' (Browning and Reiss, 1998, p. 113). This poses important questions about a library's role in a decentralized government. Are these the kind of services local governments outsource? How do services change? How do public libraries market their relevancy to local budgeting authorities and to their community? These are not easy questions, and there is not enough space to discuss them all here, but every information manager should understand that these questions do exist, and eventually someone will have to grapple with them. In the late eighties and early nineties, corporate libraries were outsourced or dismantled. Academic, law, and other libraries were downsized. The United States Federal Government contracted many of its information services - clearinghouses and libraries - to private companies. Many information professionals saw this as the end of libraries and librarians. T o many professionals, it was an intentional attack from the male-dominated IT disciplines to finish off an institution they saw as 'un-hip' and irrelevant in the cool new world of the internet. This was a misguided assumption. When many governments and organizations downsized and decentralized, they eliminated the parts of their institutions that they felt were not part of their vision. If anything, the primary source for so many closures was information managers and leaders' lack of foresight and preparation. Libraries simply were not prepared to stake a claim in a world that ignored their veneer of authority, and they subsequently stumbled into irrelevance. These changes continue. This can be seen in the way that information itself is provided. Disintermediation is the process of cutting out the middleman' 'as networks connect everybody to everybody else, they increase the opportunities for shortcuts. When you can connect straight from your desktop to the computer of your broker or bank, stockbrokers and bank tellers start to look like overpriced terminal devices' (Browning and Reiss, 1998, p. 114). Change 'broker' and bank teller' to 'librarian' and you have the same concept. Information professionals need to stake a claim in an environment where users increasingly see no need for them. W e know that reality and perception are different. We have skills and expertise that they need now more than ever, but w e have to

Dynamic libraries, dynamic workplaces

make that perfectly dear to a general public that is increasingly happy to take the shortcuts. Although I do not believe that information professionals will ever be, as one information systems professional once called me, 'an overpriced search engine', the need for them is greatly reduced when people feel completely empowered to find their own information. There is nothing that does that better than the internet. The internet has made practically everyone an information consumer of one kind or another. And most of these consumers are perfectly happy to use information without an intermediary. They receive information from their friends, or they read about something in a publication. Generally, these sources are not centralized authorities: It is research through word of mouth. Information professionals might know that this is not the best way to find information, but most users are happy doing things their way, and I am not about to undermine their certitude. Quite frankly, I am glad to see the changes. It is, after all, the noblest goal of the library and information professions: empowerment of a citizenship through unfettered access to information. It was one of the most powerful visions of the United States' founding fathers who believed that an educated, informed citizenship was a country's greatest asset. Right now, as I write this, more people have more access to more information than at any time in history. They are finding the tools they need to face problems and challenges in their lives and work. Companies are springing up, and people are making better lives with the information they now have unfettered access to. If that means the 'end of libraries,' then so be it. I would not take back these changes for anything.

The revolution in primary source material The internet has created a virtual revolution in access to primary source material. These are the first-hand accounts of war and suffering; these are the rare manuscripts, available in detailed close images downloaded onto any desktop. These are the primary source materials that once had to be bought or borrowed and that can now be downloaded for free. These are the home pictures, personal writings of influential individuals and of common people experiencing uncommon times. These are the full range of 3D virtual tours of important places and cameras transmitting immediate images from important events. Never before have so many people had so much access to primary source materials. The internet is quickly equalizing access to information sources that were once in the realm of wellconnected academics. Undergraduate and graduate students have access to the same databases and information services that were once only in the realm of information professionals. They use the same websites. Amateurs can scan the same images and read the same private papers.

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In many cases the information user no longer needs to visit a library or museum in order to see an image or painting that intrigues them. As an increasing amount of secondary source material is generated by the scholars and amateurs on the internet for the internet community, and as the quality of that material increases, the need for print sources will no doubt decline. Document delivery to desktops and laptop computers also creates less need for a trip to the library and the need to read secondary source material. But it is the sheer amount of primary source material that is being made available for the first time that will have a profound effect on how people research and use information. High school and grade school students now have access to the letters of Abraham Lincoln or the diaries of Theodore Roosevelt. Consider how much more sophisticated children's research and analytical skills can develop at earlier and earlier ages. Consider how much more information is accessible to poor students. In the past half century, libraries have stored a mind-boggling amount of secondary and tertiary source material and more. For the past five decades students and enthusiasts of all ages relied on secondary source materials to form an understanding of the primary material that very few individuals had access to. They relied on biographies written by others. They relied on articles written by individuals who had the privilege of access to primary source material. That is all changing. Anyone with a computer has access to a new wealth of primary source material. They can make their own judgements and produce their own insights. Perhaps one of the most exciting products of this revolution will be the return of the learned amateur. In the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries learned amateurs in all fields of study made significant discoveries and produced profound intellectual contributions to the arts and sciences. In the twentieth century that changed. Subject specialists in academic environments took control of many disciplines of science and the arts. Perhaps as more primary source information is available to more people, there will be a return of the learned amateur, the individual who with access to primary source materials and a sizeable amount of secondary source material, can contribute to the dialogue and research of topics from the arts and humanities to the physical sciences. The politics of academia and its Byzantine process might be entirely changed as amateurs and scholars from unrelated fields have access to many of the same texts and ideas that were once the privilege of rare books librarians, academics, and other well-connected individuals. As more and more of the precious material is made available via home computers for the cost of a local telephone call, librarians have to redefine their role as the distributors of primary and secondary source material. Where do they fit into the primary source revolution?

Dynamic libraries, dynamic workplaces

A challenge to obsolescence The recession of the early 1990s was hard on libraries, particularly special libraries. Corporations found all possible ways to trim their expenses, and libraries were often the first department to be cut. With many large and small donors strapped for money, many nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations that depend on donations felt the crunch as well. Many of them closed down their libraries. Though the good times have arrived and might linger on for years to come, there is also a chance that another recession will come along in the time that current information managers are still managers. However, the next recession will be different. It will be worse. The forces I've discussed above - telecommunications, decentralization, etc. - have a much stronger pull on companies and organizations than they did ten years ago. They will continue to grow stronger. Information will become increasingly decentralized and distributed. Workers and their managers will be increasingly information savvy. They will be empowered by their personal access to information. And when the time comes to cut expenses, trim 'waste,' they will see even less need for the physical space called a library. If the previous recession resulted in the closure of a lot of libraries, then the next one will cause even more. The death of distance and the ever quickening diffusion of information into the nooks and crannies of society will make the library look obsolete. Information managers face a colossal challenge - fight off the absolute and deadly prospect of obsolesence. It is one I am not quite sure they will successfully fight off using conventional means of marketing. However, I think there is a way to prepare for it. An information manager can close down their own library. They could be the one who makes the decision whether the library goes or not. They could be the one who decides whether the library 'goes virtual'. All of the tools they will need to make a successful transition are available, some are inexpensive: distributed information, network technology, telecommunication and data transfer. More importantly, they will have a staff of Generation Xers who will be more accepting of the idea and who will make the best partners in the transition. In his book, Managing generation X, Bruce Tulgan talks about Generation Xers who 'know how to work in the virtual office where the only thing to grasp onto is your logon password . . .' (Tulgan, 1996, p. 168). Generation Xers are looking for the flexibility of the virtual office. From my interviews, I discovered that many wish they could have flexible work schedules, telecommuting options, and other benefits associated with virtual work. Information managers have the staff and the tools for the job of virtualizing the library right now while the money is still flowing and the risk is still acceptable. For the moment, the threat of obsolescence is greatest for special libraries, but academic and public libraries should also be wary.

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Telecommunications and decentralization will influence every aspect of society, and nothing will be immune from their force.

A complex environment of people and paradigms Complexity is, perhaps, the most thought-provoking theory of the past twenty years. Its influence is universal, touching all the hard and social sciences and creating new streams of thought and analysis. It offers such profoundly new perspectives that for many people it is just too difficult to accept. A concise definition is almost impossible (I have not seen one yet), but I will give it a try: complexity is the theory of interrelationships. It seeks to identify and explain the intricate relationship» among different forces or actions. Here are several other definitions: From the Santa Fe Group, an institute established solely to study complexity in a variety of disciplines, comes this definition, 'Complexity refers to the condition of the universe which is integrated and yet too rich and varied for us to understand in simple common mechanistic or linear ways.' (Battram, 1998, p. 12) From his book, Navigating complexity, Arthur Battram adds this, 'The original Greek roots of the word suggest "entwined together" as in a piece of woven cloth. In everyday speech complexity is a synonym for "complicatedness": something with many parts and interconnections, and this is also a reasonable summary of its scientific meaning.' (Battram, 1998, p. 12) Complexity theorist Birute Regine describes it this way: 'Complexity theory underscores the importance of relationships.' (Santosus, 1998) It has also been described this way, 'One of its major tenets is that within a complex system there is a fine line between stable conditions and chaos. And a relatively minor event can tip the system over this line, which is one of the reasons why the behavior of complex systems is so difficult to present' (Pringle, 1998/1999). A system is defined as an entirety (or a perceived whole ) made up of smaller parts or sections. Arthur Battram uses the example of a company's mail service, 'a system made up of a chain of activities and a network of relationships'. But perhaps a better example is an academic library. In these huge institutions there are a host of core, but unique, services such as reference, acquisitions and a federal depository. Each unique service has its own set of rules and procedures and its own culture, but it interrelates with the other services - cataloguing will have an impact on how reference librarians retrieve the information;

Dynamic libraries, dynamic workplaces

information systems department are key to how collection are managed, etc. - and out of this 'pattern of interrelationships emerges the behavior which is often strikingly different from the behavior of an individual part' (Battram, 1998, p. 5). In other words, there are institutional characteristics that emerge from the different departments of the library. What does complexity have to do with the information workplace? Complexity theory has been successfully applied to such diverse sciences as physics, ecology, and economics. In the past several years, management theorists have begun to apply its tenets to the workplace. 'Complexity theorists argue that managers should allow creativity and efficiency to emerge naturally within organizations rather than imposing their own solutions on their employees' (Santosus, 1998). It will not be long before complexity theory is applied to libraries. Information managers will find many compelling ideas being generated by the burgeoning theories in complexity. In order to communicate an understanding of complexity, many theorists and authors use metaphors. Complexity literature is soaked with metaphors from ecosystems, flocks of birds, and bluebells, to a host of others, and, of course a very famous butterfly, 'a butterfly flapping its wings over the Amazon leads to a hurricane on the other side of the world' (Battram, 1998, pp. 30-31). It's important to remember not to confuse the tool (or the means) with the finished product (or the ends). Metaphors are not complexity theory, they are ways of describing ideas central to complexity. This is more than just a management fad. Complexity is not a metaphor for the workplace. T h e w o r k p l a c e is a c o m p l e x system whether or not w e see it that w a y . It's not about saying let's look at business organizations as if they are complex systems. They are complex systems. Managers have been operating within them in a very controlling way, which dampens the potential creativity of employees. What we're saying is shift the way you [lead] organizations, loosen control to encourage more creativity. A culture of care will emerge, as opposed to a culture of command and control, and your company will be more creative and productive, too. (Santosus, 1998) As these ideas have d e v e l o p e d over time, they have b e c o m e the source for n e w discoveries in a w i d e range of sciences, including N o b e l prizes in chemistry and economics. W e will see later on in chapters on

risk-

taking and learning that the conception of a complex world, inside and outside the workplace, plays an important role in many areas of management and strategy. W o r d s such as 'nonlinear', and 'holistic', are used to define complexity. Roger Lewin puts them into perspective, 'Traditionally, business p e o p l e think about their worlds in a very mechanistic, linear w a y that is fcharacterized] by simple cause and effect and is predictable. Most of the

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world isn't like that. Complexity theory looks at these systems in ways that are organic, non-linear and holistic' (Santosus, 1998). The opposite is a system that depends on a hierarchical relationship with commands coming down from a controlling source to the weaker agents below. Command and control is where we see the basic application of complexity in management. It is the term used to describe the common management style currently applied in the workforce. Management sends commands to the workers, and as Arthur Battram describes, 'Control is explicit: monetary rewards and punishments are a common form of motivation.' Command-and-control is the opposite of complexity. Complexity sees the organization as a system of people, individuals who form relationships with one another. Understanding communication, outside forces, and as I will describe later in Chapters Seven and Eight, an individual's skills, along with a host of human relationships, is key to complexity in management. 'One thing complexity theory says is that the most powerful processes happen at the micro level - the people, relationship dimension' (Santosus, 1998). The complex system then can be measured in units of one: individual human beings. And so just as the death of distance will force information managers to refocus their energies on the skills and expertise of their employees, so complexity offers them new perspectives and new ways to tackle these issues.

Conclusion In the middle of all this change, all these new ideas, comes a new generation of information professionals. Generation Xers understand the complex world they are inheriting; however, they are not in positions of power at the moment. Current information managers and leaders should understand the types of changes that are following Generation Xers into the workplace. Telecommunications is changing how companies and organizations do business in many ways. The death of distance is bringing on a whole host of changes that will help redefine librarianship and its relationship to the world. Decentralization is pressuring libraries to adapt, and a revolution in primary source material is bringing librarianship closer to one of its most lofty goals. Any of these forces, alone or in combination, could make the physical library obsolete. In this complex environment, where global forces are affecting libraries, and where the smallest idea has a profound effect on how we look at libraries, information managers need to manage Generation Xers. Generation Xers will be an integral part of that workplace. One way to develop and manage them better is to understand the trends that follow them into the library.

Dynamic libraries, dynamic workplaces

References Battram, A. (1998) Navigating complexity: the essential guide to complexity theory in business and management. London: The Industrial Society Browning, J. and Reiss, S. (1998) The encyclopedia of the new economy. Part 1. Wired, 6 (3), 105-114 Cairncross, F. (1995) The death of distance: a survey of telecommunications. The Economist, 30 September 1995, 336. Cairncross, F. (1997) The trendspotter's guide to the new communications [www.deathofdistance.com] Flynn, G. (1997) Taking a look at the future office Workforce Online, 76 (11), 56-63 Freidman, T. (1999) Lexus and the olive tree. New York: Farrer Strauss Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Bay Area Chapter (1999) Definitions important to human factors and ergonomics [www. geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/4316/links. html] Joyce, A. (1998) The new look in offices: movable walls and coffee bars. The Washington Post, 9 August 1998 Pringle, D. (1998/1999) Corporate chaos. Information Strategy. December/ January [www.info-strategy.com/current/chaos.html] Santosus, M. (1998) Simple, yet complex. CIO Magazine, 15 April 1998 [www .cio.com/archive/enterprise/041598_qanda_content. html] Tulgan, B. (1996) Managing Generation X, how to bring out the best in young talent. Oxford: Capstone

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Chapter Three

The new workplace bargain

'To prosper in the 21st century, management gurus say, organizations and their employees need a new compact, based on the concept that the only certainty about the future is uncertainty.' (Stuart, 1995)

Bruce Tulgan coined the term 'new workplace bargain' in his 1996 book, Managing generation X: how to bring out the best in young talent, and I cannot think of a better way to describe the new compact between employers and their employees. Throughout this book, you will notice that Generation Xers' perceptions and attitudes towards managers and employers are quite often expressed in the form of bargains. Generation Xers have a new way of defining their relationship with employers. They see this relationship as an even exchange of expertise for pay and benefits. It is a short term relationship, based on necessity. It can be ended by either party at any time. For this reason, it is also an impersonal relationship, demanding less emotional investment from both parties. 'Loyalty. Fortitude. Gratitude. They're dead, man.' (Munk, 1998) In many ways, the new workplace bargain is a perfect relationship for the new workplace, where 'the only certainty about the future is uncertainty'. Many of these changes are the effects of the information revolution - global commerce, telecommunications, networked technologies, education, entertainment technologies, etc. They are all developments of the past twenty years. Generation Xers grew up during this time, and so they know better than any generation before them, the effects of the information revolution: it was a personal experience for them. They have responded to these changes by creating a new set of relationships, including a new bargain with employers. Information managers need to understand the nature of the 'new workplace bargain' because it helps describe the attitude that many Generation Xers bring to their jobs. If they understand the source of these changes, then they can better respond to them. Generation Xers are changing jobs with increasing regularity, They are demanding more perks' up front and moving on to other jobs after only

Tbe new workptace bargain

a few years of employment. They value portable skills, the type of skills they can carry to their next employer, and they use these tools to market their own abilities. They also value the opportunity to move beyond their current positions. The next job opportunity could be anywhere, doing almost anything. Generation Xers do not see themselves as lifetime employees, quietly accepting a surrogate relationship with their employers. Instead, they see themselves as active participants in defining their employment options and careers. The new workplace bargain is not just a symptom of the restlessness of youth: it is a substantive change in attitude that affects the relationship between managers and their employees. Gone are the days of guaranteed lifetime employment and guaranteed lifetime loyalty. Information managers need to change their perspective as well, if they want to respond effectively to this new employment reality. It is also important to recognize that a bargain involves two parties. It is not enough for managers to change their ways if their Generation Xer employees ignore, or worse, abuse the spirit of the bargain. Generation Xers have their own responsibilities, and it is important for them to understand their potent promise to be the best professionals and best people they can be. It is not enough to just show up for work, look busy, and collect a paycheck. Young professionals should be willing to invest their energy and enthusiasm at work while they still possess potent characteristics in great measures. Only together can managers and employees create a better work life.

The origins of the new workplace bargain The new workplace bargain has its beginnings in the economic disaster of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The period from Wall Street's crash in 1987 through the 1990s was not an easy time for Generation Xers entering the job market. Economic hardship and lack of job opportunities for qualified graduates became an issue in the 1992 elections. US presidential candidate Ross Perot talked about 'bell-boys with Bachelors'. Everywhere there were signs of depression, and not just the economic kind, but an emotional and intellectual morass that inspired numbing apathy and poisonous cynicism. We were exhausted because we were working two or three miserable low-paying jobs. We were depressed because we were college graduates living with our parents. And we were being told that things were not going to get any better. I received my Bachelors of English in December, 1991, and I clearly remember the convocation speech given at my graduation ceremony. It will be tough, the speaker said. There are no guarantees. Rely on hope, and remember to donate money to the college. What kind of convocation speech is that? Looking back on it now, I suspect that the economy

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and the climate of the times had left the poor man speechless. The only thing he could do was to stare at us with pity in his eyes and advise us to cross our fingers and 'hope for the best'. Things have changed, but that time left its mark on Generation Xers. The good times that have followed since the early 1990s have not diminished the importance of the new bargain'. Generation Xers have permanently redefined their relationship with employers, and now that employers are faced with crushing worker shortages, the new workplace bargain has become the foundation of employee/employer relationships. 'Now that many employers would jump through fiery hoops to find employees who would stay for more than two years, employees are the ones saying, "No thanks". After all, it was big companies that in the late 1980s and early 1990s ended the traditional employment contract. That whole loyalty - in - exchange - for - lifetime - employment - and - a - gold - watch thing no longer made sense, so they got rid of it. Hundreds of thousands of workers were fired. Now employees would be self-sufficient and responsible for their own careers. That new deal worked fine when there weren't a lot of jobs, but now that there are too many jobs, it's a disaster . . . Employees are in control now - especially as the population ages, young employees' (Munk, 1998).

What it means for Information managers For decades, people chose librarianship because it represented job security in good institutions. After the downsizing of the late eighties and early nineties, job security was no longer a guarantee. Now Generation Xers are bringing the new workplace bargain to the profession. Information managers can no longer depend on individuals who are willing to sacrifice salary and skills development (the key to independence) to work in a respected institution' for the rest of their lives. Instead, they must learn to accommodate a new set of sophisticated and constantly evolving workplace values. 'First it was casual Friday. Now every day is casual Friday. Work schedules used to be fixed, but not anymore. Employees can now hang loose. One works at home on Fridays and leaves at 3 pm on two other days of the week. Another one telecommutes from out of state. As Linda Pantaleano, a recruitment officer for an insurance company says, "A year or two ago those kinds of demands would never have been met. Things have really changed; the power has shifted. Now it's a daily negotiation with employees.' (Munk, 1998) The new workplace bargain is a turning point for information managers. It represents the end of the age-old relationship between librarian and library. There was a time when librarians maintained lifelong loyalty and positions with institutional libraries such as public libraries, academic libraries and large corporate libraries. These were places that employed many library professionals and paraprofessionals. Employees worked in

Tbe new worifiace bargain

one of several separate departments, and each had its own culture. Quite often, you entered at one position and remained there for years, sometimes decades. The institution had a guaranteed job with benefits and regular hours. However, things have changed so much in the past five years that many young professionals would not take lifetime employment even if it was handed to them. As many Generation Xers will attest: a job is about more than salary and protection. In some segments of the information professions, the institutional library is almost extinct. The budget cuts and downsizing of the early nineties have challenged the expectation of lifelong loyalty and service. Large institutions have had to cut staff. Many large corporate libraries have vanished all together - lost to mergers, downsizing, and distributed information. The strong foundations of the institutional library have become as brittle as the pages of an old book. Small pieces snap off as you turn its pages. Generation Xers understand that the institutions of our youth are no longer as safe as they once appeared: enter the new workplace bargain.

Characteristics of the new workplace bargain for libraries The new workplace bargain places heavy demands on information managers, and they should understand its potential impact on their work environment. In many cases these changes are already being felt, but there has been no attempt to identify and measure their impact. In Managing generation X, Bruce Tulgan describes the new workplace bargain, Because work is so critical to our self-definition, Xers seek management relationships which help us to invest in ourselves as lifelong proprietors of our creative abilities. . . . Managers can contribute by offering unfettered access to information, furnishing opportunities to work in new skill areas, and by teaching - all contributions which help Xers build our repertoires of valuable skills . . . given regular indications that our investment is paying off, our ambition will drive us to go more than the extra mile. (Tulgan, 1996, pp. 32-33) Perhaps if w e take a better look at what the old workplace bargain meant for libraries, w e will have a better picture o f h o w significant the changes are for managers and their employees. In the past, it was c o m mon for a librarian, fresh out o f library school, to enter at one position and expect to stay there the rest o f their working lives. They expected to earn a living wage, receive g o o d health benefits and a pension. No doubt there would b e Christmas parties, occasional bonuses, and a gold watch after ten or fifteen years o f service. Work was work, life was life, and even though they would occasionally cross, the expectation was that you would leave your work problems at your desk and your h o m e issues at the door

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of the library. It was also expected that library school trained you efficiently to be a librarian, and once learned that would never change. But all of this has changed. Generation Xers, graduating from library school in 1999, can expect to head into a contract or temporary position. Very soon, they will have to find another job. Many of them have worked many different jobs even before they have entered library school. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that young people can expect to hold between eight and nine jobs by the time they are 32 years old (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1998). And the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that individuals graduating with Bachelors degrees in 1992 have had on average two jobs since graduation (NCES, 1999, p. vii). Generation Xers know they will not work at the same job for life, because they have learned early on that no job lasts forever. They know that they will have to maintain a steep learning curve for years to come, regenerating old skill sets and gaining new ones. They will have to stay ahead of changes by preparing for their next position even as they begin their current one, because they never know when the library's budget is going to be cut or their position eliminated. For many, the investment of time and energy is part of a more significant change in how they view work. In her book Rational exuberance, Meredith Bagby describes work for Generation Xers as a 'lifestyle choice'. Bruce Tulgan sees work as 'critical to our self-definition' and a 'substitute far more complex than money'. For Generation Xers life and work are intimately connected, both need to be nourished in order for them to thrive and grow. For this reason, more than any other, Generation Xers take work seriously, and they demand a bargain that acknowledges their life's investment. The new bargain is felt in many areas of information management. One such area is hiring practices. Generation Xers are upfront in demanding cutting edge technology, high salaries, and training. They have held more non-library jobs before graduation than ever before, so they know what they want. Information managers need to replace the standards that they used to use to measure new employees with a new ones. For example, they can no longer look at length of service as a criterion for hiring a new employee. Quite often, Generation Xers work on contract or on-call for several different employers at once. In Washington, DC, many special librarians work for government contracts. These contracts end after two, three or five years. Often, you get a position after the contract has started and you only have two or three years, at most, in that position. It becomes difficult to judge an employee's worth by the length of service when for many two or three years is all they have worked in a position. Instead of judging an employee on the length of stay, information managers may want to consider what the employee has learned in that position. Look for problem-solving skills, or consider their ability to critically analyse and improve their own work.

Tbe new woriplace bargain

Another characteristic of the potential employee that has changed is the candidate's own expectations of work. Many Generation Xers often express dread at the idea of taking a job that offers little change or challenge. They are not just interested in a paycheque. They want to be engaged in their work, and they want to be constantly stimulated. A job that is sold on its quiet atmosphere and unchanging responsbilities will often not attract a young professional who is looking to learn and grow and develop skills that will continue to make them marketable. The new covenant demands a lot from managers; much of this book looks at how it impacts their day-to-day work. However, the advantages far outweigh the trouble it takes to keep it. 'The new covenant's advantages for companies are obvious: a lean, flexible organization, a workforce with cutting edge skills, potential savings on pensions and benefits' (Stuart, 1995). Generation Xers are willing to invest in their workplaces, if they see their employers investing in them. It takes a serious commitment on the part of managers to convince them that they value their Generation X employees. They need to invest in the types of changes the new workplace bargain demands: flexibility, learning, diversity, opportunity, and communication. In turn, managers will receive the tenuous loyalty that Generation Xers are willing to invest.

A Boston-based marketing company called Trinity Communications decided to survey its Generation X employees and find out what 'attracts and motivates' them. They were surprised by the results. Salary was not the number one issue; it was the retirement plan. Among the ranking issues were 'learning opportunities, up-to-date technology, workforce diversity, and flexibility'. To respond to these needs the company change 401 (k) providers [author's note: 401 (k) is a popular retirement plan in the US] . . . altered its vacation policy and now offers everyone an annual six week time off bank for vacation, personal days, sick days, and holidays'. The company also 'decided to supply all employees with home computers, internet accounts and training in new media'. The company president said the hefty US $175 000 price tag was worth it, even for employees who are likely to leave after a few years. 'I think there's loyalty out there if you treat people well' he said. (Fenn, 1996)

This small company, Trinity Communications, accepted the challenges posed by the new workplace bargain. First, they recognized that their younger employees might have different needs and expectations from the company's other employees, and so they asked them what they

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expected, what they needed from their employer. The answers surprised them, but they responded with substantive changes. They made a noticeable investment in the needs of their younger employees, and they were rewarded with happier employees, and the confidence to say 'there's loyalty out there'. Perhaps the bargain's greatest disadvantage is that there is no moneyback guarantee on investment. The training and development, the flexible work arrangements, the new technology investments that are now needed to hold on to employees do not guarantee loyalty. The responsibility lies with the manager to balance the employees with the resources. Yes, there is loyalty out there, but it comes with a price tag attached. Just as Trinity Communications had to invest a 'hefty' sum, so information managers have to invest as well. In the following chapters, I discuss some of the ways information managers can make the kinds of investment Generation Xers expect. Some are easy, some are difficult, some will cost nothing, some will be a burden. However the opposite of investment is apathy and high turnover. There is evidence that demonstrates that a lack of investment almost guarantees employees will leave.

The other side of the bargain A bargain involves two parties, and it would be unfair for me to discuss the new workplace bargain without discussing the responsibilities that Generation Xers have to their jobs, their employers and their profession. After all, Generation Xers will eventually take on the responsibilities now held by Baby Boomer managers and leaders, and they should go into those responsibilities with an acute sense of what it means to be a Generation Xer and a leader. Survey after survey shows that Generation Xers believe they are different from their Baby Boomer counterparts. In everything from television shows to vacation spots, Generation Xers exert a unique identity within society. They say that they have a different way of looking at the world, that they approach problems differently, and that they have different goals and expectations about work and life. If these characteristics really are different, then it's Generation Xers responsibility to clarify these differences and create from them new perspectives on issues and new ways of solving problems, in other words, a new vision. And it does not stop there. Generation Xers must communicate that vision to the wider society. In Chapter Four, I tell managers how to communicate effectively with Generation Xer employees. The same holds true for Generation Xers: if they have a unique vision, they should express it, if they have unique ways of solving problems, tell people about them. It is not enough sit around and wait for people to understand you: you have to do a lot of self promotion.

The new workplace bargain

I'm wary of anyone who pronounces profound differences among the generations or cohorts. 'Baby Boomers are like tbid' 'Xers are like that.' 'The Silent generation is the greatest our country has ever seen!' We are all human, and we generally have the same hopes: healthy children, career success, and a full life with as little hardship as possible. What more could anyone ask for, or seek out? These hopes are not exclusive to one generation; however, the differences lie in how the generations achieve these goals. Generation Xers will probably achieve them differently from the generations who have come before them. Their responsibility is to articulate what the difference will be so that others may better understand them. There is little discussion currently underway about what Generation Xers would describe as their responsibilities to job and profession. The individuals I interviewed for this book (see Chapter Nine) had a sense of their own personal standards, but most had a difficult time objectifying those standards to a greater population. Even though many saw themselves working in a different environment and having to tackle unique challenges different from those of their older colleagues, they had a difficult time identifying specific issues that could then be generalized. However, I believe their inability to articulate collective standards and generalize wide-ranging challenges was not some defect of character or education. Instead, I believe its source lies in the simple fact that many Generation Xers have never been asked these types of questions before. We have never been asked to articulate a unique vision - the one we all seem to feel we have. As a result, we cannot communicate that vision. We have not had enough practice. The following is a list of professional challenges that Generation X information professionals will have to face throughout their careers. These are our challenges which we will have to acknowledge, confront and provide solutions for, in our way, in our time. Consider the brief discussion that follows as the beginning of a greater, long term discussion by Generation Xers about their future. Generation Xers know that they are inheriting a complex world, but I hope we do not lose sight of its commonality. I reject the idea that somewhere in our past things were 'simpler'. I cannot imagine that the artisans of ancient Egypt had it any easier than the workers of modern Taiwan. Writings from the ancient site of Deir El-Medina, a village where the artisans who decorated the tombs of Egypt's elite lived and worked, show us that obnoxious bosses, irritating coworkers, loud neighbours, unfair taxes, cheating spouses, and other nonesuch were just as much a part of people's lives four thousand years ago as they are now. 'I'm like a donkey to you,' writes one artisan, complaining of his boss, 'If there is work, bring the donkey!' (Lesko, and Lesko, 1999, p. 45). We are inheriting a complex world filled with unique social issues, but I hope we can find solace in our humanity and with our ties to our

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Developing Information Leaders

Challenges for a New Generation Among the professional and social challenges Generation Xers will face, these are the most important Professional

• moving beyond the library • learning and growing • creating opportunity • rejecting apathy Social • protecting intellectual freedom • providing access

Figure 3.1 Challenges for a new generation human past. I believe that the strength and insight we need to face social challenges of our own time will come from our past. The source of our strategic and intellectual strength and our professional identity will come from our understanding of the humanity of the profession. I have already said that the future of librarianship will be defined by its people. Generation Xers need to keep this perspective in mind as they take on professional leadership positions. Without the recognition of the humanity of our profession, its people-centred services, we run the risk of being dehumanized (and thus easily expendable) in a world where people are being slowly replaced by machines in many areas of information and knowledge acquisition, management, and retrieval. Two important social issues that Generation X information professionals will have to tackle are protecting intellectual freedom, and providing/ increasing access to information. Intellectual freedom has never been a divine guarantee, and compared to the full length of human history, it has been successfully practised for only a fraction of a second. Nevertheless, contemporary librarianship's success depends on providing unfettered access to information. The profession will not grow and e v o k e if we are increasingly burdened with the responsibility of enforcing evermore complex copyright and access rules and regulations. Our existence

The new workpiace bargain

as a profession depends on the free exchange of ideas and a marketplace where those ideas can be bartered, bought and sold to the mutual benefit of all involved. Generation Xers know better than anyone else what they will need to face these challenges. However, do we know how to articulate these needs to our managers and professional leaders? What are these skills? What will we need to do to acquire and develop these skills? There are many, but I think the most important are marketing and presentation skills, negotiation skills, and advanced communication skills. If we cannot develop these on our own, then we should ask our managers and the leaders of our professional associations to accommodate our needs.

Professional challenges for Generation X The purpose of the following list is to create a dialogue among Generation X professionals. Ultimately, our goal should be to create a unique professional identity: one based on Generation Xers' unique experiences and knowledge and our own interpretations of the past. Move beyond the library Some of the best opportunities for Generation Xers are outside the traditional labels - 'Academic librarianship,' 'public librarianship'. This is already happening for many Generation Xers who find that their skills are needed in companies and nonprofit organizations outside the usual definition of libraries. However, because information is so deeply integrated in the lives and work of many people not related to information fields, our skills are also needed in many different places - to remain only in libraries is to marginalize our role. We have a responsibility to move outside of libraries. We have to go where our skills are needed most, and we have to find positions where our skills will be valued. The internet has brought information practically everywhere, to almost everyone who has a computer and a modem. Libraries and information centres no longer have a monopoly on the storage of information, and librarians no longer have a monopoly on the skills needed to retrieve information. We have to go where the information is, and that means we must have a presence everywhere. Learn and grow Generation Xers have a responsibility to learn and grow. Employers cannot do everything. There needs to be some personal investment in professional development. This could mean anything from volunteering to exploiting free or low-cost training sessions to actual monetary

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Developing Information Leaders

investment in training. This could also mean avoiding the kinds of jobs that do not offer opportunities to learn and grow. We should ask tough questions at interviews, and demand managers to invest in us. We should make training and development an important criterion for choosing a position. At work, we should voice our needs and concerns directly to our managers. It is futile to expect managers to simply 'come to their senses' and begin to invest in our growth and development if they do not know how important it is to us, and if the manager rejects your needs, then leave. Make it a point to find positions that offer us as much opportunity to learn and grow as possible. Generation X professionals have a personal responsibility to become well-rounded people. Volunteering, church groups, public speaking, teaching, anything and everything should be considered. The goal is to be more than just a librarian, to be a good person, someone you would be proud to know and associate with. It should be a lifelong investment that goes beyond work to where it really matters, the lives of the people around us. After all, we belong to a wider world, and we have an important place in that world.

Create opportunity In the not-too-distant past, a library school graduate would come out of school and head right into a job in a library. It could have been a public library, an academic library or a special library, but it was a library nonetheless. But information is everywhere right now, and we can play a role everywhere. Generation Xers are the first generation of information professionals to find the doors of opportunity wide open. The entrepreneurial opportunities are vast and exciting and brand new. I believe that we have a responsibility to turn these opportunities into reality. We should not flinch from the idea of making money from our skills, because as we make money and create jobs and businesses of our own, we open the doors even further for the next generation. If we use entrepreneurialism wisely, that is, for a greater good beyond our own pockets, then we can create opportunities for ourselves in segments of society that librarians have never ventured. We will also be creating real opportunities for librarians regardless of their race or ethnic origin. In Chapter Eleven, I discuss the significant crisis information professionals face in recruiting and retaining members of racial and ethnic minorities. It is vital that Generation Xers give aid in the challenge of recruiting minority professionals. There are many ways we can do this, but I think the most effective is to become advocates for the profession among our peers and with school age children. This means going to secondary schools and talking to students about the legitimate option of a professional career in librarianship. It may also means writing articles

Tbe new workplace bargain

Be a Sceptical Interviewer One way to avoid walking into an undesirable work situation is to ask tougb questions at tbe interview. Don't be timid. Ask tougb questions that will give a good sense of your manager and tbe work situation. You should also ask questions tbat will tell you whether this manager shares at ¡east some of your own principles. You don't want to work far someone who doesn't meet up to your expectations. Here are some questions you might want to ask:

What kind of training and development projects do you support? Emphasize tbe you. Regardless of a company or organization's tuition reimbursement programme, the library must have its own programme. Only fellow information professionals have a sense of the types of professional skills that need to be nurtured and developed. If a manager doesn't see the need for development, or worse, doesn't see the need for it for you, you might want to look elsewhere.

How does the organization view the library? You need to have a sense of where the library belongs in the community or institution it is connected to. In special libraries, this is particularly important. There are many instances where organizations ignore the value of the library. Their budgets are cut; people despise them, and they are isolated. In contrast, there are organizations that value their libraries.They are well funded and their employees are well-treated. You should know where the library stands within its community, before you get on board. It may make the difference between a good job and a bod one.

Has anyone in the library moved on to another position inside the organization? If so, what was that position? This is a good question to ask if you are interested in opportunities to grow inside the company when the current position has run its course. Many small, special libraries don't offer opportunities to take on new responsiblities because their scope is so limited. In these cases, if you want to develop your career, you'd need to look elsewhere. It's good to know this before you begin the job. And it's good to know whether you could find those greater opportunities inside the organization or whether you'll need to look elsewhere when you feel that you need to move on.

What kind of role does the library play in the organization's website/intranet? This question is one way to approach an important issue.The quality of the relationship between a library and the IT department that helps supply their technology and technological support could be the difference between having good solidreliabletechnology and computers with green monitors that use 5j inch floppy disks. Research has shown that Generation Xers value access to information, and as information professional we need that access, unfettered by outdated software and poorly maintained hardware.

How would you explain your management style? A manager should be able to answer this question. If they have been working for years as a manager of people, budgets and vision statements, they should have some idea of how they do that job. You want to know if a manager can answer this question. It speaks volumes about their own self-confidence, and their ability to handle professional challenges. Figure 3.2 Be a sceptical interviewer

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Developing Information

Leaders

or establishing websites with our peer group or a younger one in mind. If we can show them the opportunities, the broad horizon that we have inherited as a result of the information revolution, then we will no doubt be making a change.

Having an active presence It is often said that Generation Xers are apathetic. I do not believe that, neither do most Generation Xers. There are surveys that show that Generation Xers are not apathetic. A 1996 study found that 73 per cent of college students had volunteered in the past year (Bagby, 1998, p. 16). Another study done by a group that monitors the nonprofit industry, Independent Sector, shows that the most active volunteers are young adults with at least 55 per cent of that population volunteering at least once in the past year (Bagby, 1998, p. 55). I think the misconception comes from the generation gap between Baby Boomers and Generation Xers. Generation Xers feel strongly about issues; however, these issues are not Boomer issues. In the past Boomers have criticized Generation Xers for all sorts of ignorance. For example, 'You can't pick Vietnam out on a map!'. Whether that's true or not, is not the point. Boomers felt strongly about Vietnam, Generation Xers do not. We are not apathetic about Vietnam, we just have other issues that we consider more important, like Social Security. I think this also goes for the library and information professions. The responses I received from my interviewees (see Chapter Nine) tell me that Generation Xers care strongly about library and information issues; it is just that we have different concerns from our Boomer colleagues. For instance, many of my interviewees had no strong feelings about the discontinuity among the library professions. They did not care whether academic librarians shared traits with information brokers or school media specialists. The continuity of identity that comes with the word 'library,' was not an important issue. However, there are many recent examples of colleagues railing against the supposed decline in the term, like this one from a 1999 meeting sponsored by the American Libraries Association: 'Librarians in and outside the governing councils of the American Library Association are growing angry and alarmed over assaults on the word 'library' and its derivatives, 'librarian' and 'librarianship.' These words hold great meaning for many of us, as they embody a set of shared principles and beliefs about the value of the institutions we work in and the services we provide to our constituents' (Barnes, 1998). Generation Xers do not seem to see this as an issue. They considered other issues to be much more important, including skills development, career opportunities, salaries, and networking. However, Generation Xers have not been good at making our concerns known to professional leaders and managers. At annual conferences, the

The new workplace bargain

training institutes are dominated by managerial concerns. Most of the presenters are Baby Boomers. Issues brought up at chapter board meetings often have no relationship to the needs of the Generation X members. Yet Generation Xers do not participate at the local and national levels. How else can unique issues be addressed if Generation Xers do not voice their concerns? It takes an investment of time and a good amount of courage to take on leadership roles. It takes courage to stand up in front of a group of people and voice your concerns. Generation Xers can create a presence for themselves in so many ways - write articles for the professional journals, create websites, moderate listservs, go to chapter meetings, and run for local and national office. There are so many ways to get involved that there are few excuses for why many Generation Xers are not getting involved. If for some reasons these avenues for expression are not efficient or accessible enough, then Generation Xers should create their own.

Social challenges for Generation X Protecting intellectual freedom It seems that each generation of information professionals has had to defend intellectual freedom. There will always be those who see the downfall of civilization in a book with the slightest erotic content, or see a true threat to national security in the silliest website. It has always been in the information professional's best interest to maintain as close to a free flow of information as possible. We can do our jobs better when we can find the information our users need. We cannot do that job if the information is cut, deleted, tossed away, or otherwise eliminated inconsistently to fit 'community standards'. Or, in the case of the new US copyright laws, when the burden of 'protecting' copyright for multibillion dollar corporations falls on the shoulders of public, academic and special libraries. The threats to intellectual freedom are old and new: censoring agents of politics and, sadly, religion have been around since the first printing press. And now not only do Generation Xers have to watch the governments, but they have to keep an eye on the agents of business, who see intellectual freedom, not as a privilege guaranteed by the United States Constitution and international treaties, but as a commodity. Generation Xers are not the first generation to see threats to the free flow of information, and we will not be the last. It will be our responsibility to create new arguments, new ways to once again fend off government censors and overzealous editors. We will have to create relevant and compelling arguments that will motivate people to fight current threats of censorship whatever they may be. In the past, these threats

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consisted of banning the importation of books ( J a m e s Joyce's Ulysses is a good example) to the coercion of television networks to pull television shows. Now we can add to it Hollywood companies shutting down fan websites because they 'violate' copyright, and the idea of banning adult websites altogether because they can be 'accessed' by children. There have never been strong arguments for censorship. Most arguments depend on pathos for their persuasive power. One current tactic often used by multibillion dollar corporations is to act 'wounded' and upset whenever some college kid or housewife uses a copyrighted image on their fan website. 'That's our intellectual property!' they cry. Another argument is that we should 'protect the children' from pornographic and violent video games, television shows, websites and whatnot. Just how to 'protect' children from 'sex and violence' is still a matter of debate and always will be. This issue gets confused by media presentation of weepy, hysterical parents who sincerely want to 'protect' their children from violent and sex-soaked television shows, and yet reject the idea of turning off the television. There are also those who fret over 'access' to pornography at library internet terminals, and yet these same parents may not think twice about dropping off their unaccompanied teenage kids at the shopping mall, where they can then scan pornographic magazines on a book store magazine rack or shop in adult-oriented stores that sell sex and drug paraphernalia. A library is probably one of the most supervised environments a child can interact in - one of the last truly civic environments left for them. It is a place where they learn that they are part of community and as a member of that community they have responsibilities, not the least being sharing computer time with other people. There are adults and kids of all ages walking around, and professional librarians managing the flow of information all around them. There is no reasonable way for children to 'access' pornography at a computer teminal without an adult or other kid eventually standing over their shoulder and saying Time's up!'. That level of professional supervision and responsible social interaction will not be found at a mall bookstore or adult shop. Yet there are hysterical cries for government protection and increased regulation when what is needed is quiet reflection on issues of parental supervision and responsibility. How do we fight these threats to intellectual freedom and the free flow of information? One way is to learn from the past, because for every argument for censorship there has been one to counter it. In studying the past we can find the intellectual tools we need to defend intellectual freedom now and in the future. There is no greater example of this than John Milton's Areopagitica. In it Milton constructs timeless arguments against censorship. That, once understood, work just as effectively for twenty-first century websites as they did for seventeenth century books

The new workplace bargain

Censoring information from the weak and foolish lor in our time, the children] is to censor information from those who will use it most effectively. ' . . . if it be true that a wise man . . . can gather gold out of the drossiest volume, and that a fool will be a fool with the best book, yea or without a book; there is no reason that we should deprive a wise man of any advantage to his wisdom, while we seek to restrain from a fool, that which being restrained will be no hindrance to his folly.' To censor everything that is offensive or blasphemous is to conceivably censor everything, even the Bible itself ' . . . then all human learning and controversy in religious points must be removed out of the world, yea the Bible itself; for that oft-times relate blasphemy not nicely, it describes the carnal sense of wicked men not unelegantly, it brings in holiest men passionately murmuring against Providence . . . in other great disputes it answers dubiously and darkly to the common reader.' The act of censoring almost always takes great works, indeed great artists and thinkers, out of context and wider meaning. ' . . . if there be found in his book one sentence of a venturous edge, uttered in the height of zeal . . . yet not suiting with every low decrepit humor of their own [the censor's whim], they will not pardon him their dash [censoring mark]: the sense of that great man shall to all posterity be lost Sin and virtue are inseparable, try to eliminate one and you eliminate both. 'They are not skilful considerers of human things, who imagine to remove sin by removing the matter of sin . . . Suppose we could expel sin by this means; look how much we thus expel sin, so much we expel of virtue: for the matter of them both is the same; remove that, and ye remove them both alike.' Generation X information professionals will inherit an ancient and everpresent challenge: censorship. In censorship w e have an old problem with a new face. For example, the internet poses an entirely new challenge for the censors and the information professionals w h o need to defend it. Perhaps if w e look to the past w e can find the ways and means of defending intellectual freedom in our own time, and, quite possibly, create unique and lasting tools for the next generation when it is their turn to take up the fight. Providing/creating access Generation Xers have been blessed. We were born at the dawn of a cataclysmic revolution - the information revolution. The internet and telecommunications technologies have created an environment that will bring us to the miraculous achievement of one aspiration. America's Founding Fathers established some public libraries and helped create the foundation for many others. This was based on the hopeful notion that a citizen - educated, with unfettered access to information - would have the incentive to create and invent and could then participate in the continuous improvement of society.

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Public libraries have always functioned under the hopeful assumption that its users - its community and citizens - could and would use the information for the best of all possible reasons - edification and improvement. We must continue to uphold this ideal. There have always been forces hindering the unfettered access to information: cost, distance, and space limitations. These are quickly disappearing. As I discussed in Chapter Two, telecommunications technologies are making distance irrelevant. Digital technologies are making space irrelevant. And slowly, but surely, the internet is making information free. Everything from the fulltext of journals to music tracks are readily accessible for free. In 1987, I worked in a library where only two professional librarians were trained to use online databases. They were the experts, trained to get the most out of the high cost of commercial online databases. Now many of those expensive resources, such as the Commerce Business Daily, are full-text and free. There is a good chance that Generation Xers will be the first generation of library and information professionals to see, at least in the United States, the achievement of one of the most ambitious goals a country ever set out too achieve: the complete and unfettered access to information. But the goal has not been achieved yet, and it is quite possible that it will never be completely achieved. Whenever one obstacle is undone, others seem to pop up: encrypted copyright bots, legal challenges to 'deep linking', and other recent mutations of the same old censorship. It is our job, and our opportunity as information professionals, to take an active and public leadership role right now and throughout our professional lives in order to work toward and achieve the goal of access.

Conclusion A bargain is a relationship between two people. It is based on mutual respect and trust. In the past this might not have been how individuals described their relationships to their employers, but it is the relationship Generation Xers offer to their managers. The new workplace bargain has its source in the economic chaos of the early 1990s, but its effects have permanently altered how individuals perceive their relationship to work. To keep their end of the bargain, information managers must first accept that the new workplace bargain exists. Once they have reconciled the irrevocable influence on their staff, especially Generation Xers, they can approach change more effectively. Generation Xers also have a responsibility to live up to their end of the bargain. They must become active members of the library and information professions, and learn to define their place on their own terms. They must define their own professional challenges and social causes,

The new workplace bargain

and carve out a unique and effective place for themselves. And they should not sit around and wait for the opportunity. More than anything else, Generation Xers have the responsibility to pass down an active, vibrant and relevant profession to the next generation.

References Bagby, M. (1998) Rational exuberance.

New York: Penguin

Barnes, J. (1998) What's in a name? preserving the word 'library' West Virginia Libraries. August, 51 (1) Fenn, D. (1996) Workplace: managing Generation X. Ine, August 1996 [www.inc.com] Lesko, L. and Lesko, B. (1999) Pharaoh's workers; how the Israelites lived in Egypt. Biblical Archaeology Review, 25 (1), 36-45 Mitzenberg, H. (1973) The nature of managerial work. New York: Harper & Row Münk, N. (1998) The new organization man. Fortune, 137 (5), 62. [www.pathfinder.com/fortune/1998/9803l6/bra.html] (NCES) National Center for Education Statistics, US Department of Education (1999) Life after college: a descriptive summary of 1992-93 bachelor's degree recipients in 1997, with an essay on participation in graduate and first-professional education, NCES 1999-155• Washington, DC: NCES (NCES) National Center for Education Statistics (1999J Life after college: a descriptive, summary of 1992-93 Bachelor's degree recipients in 1997. Washington, DC: US Department of Education Stuart, A. (1995) The adaptable workforce. CIO Magazine, [www. ciò. com/archi ve/030195_work_content. html]

7 (5)

Tulgan, B. (1996) Managing generation X, how to bring out the best in young talent Oxford: Capstone US Bureau of Labor Statistics (1998) People average 8.6 jobs from ages 18 to 32. MLR: The Editor's Desk. 13 October 1998

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Managing Generation X

Chapter Four

Communication unleashed

In 1999, The Gallup organization, a US-based polling firm, published the results of a multi-year research study on what makes a great workplace. The study, 'Great Managers and Great Workplaces,' produced 12 'key dimensions' to 'great workplaces'. Six of the 12 dimensions involve communication. The need to feel connected to the people they work with, the need to feel as if they are doing something good with their time, and the need to feel that progress is being made toward something better are for most workers requirements for greater job satisfaction and increased productivity. These needs are especially strong in Generation Xers who more than any other generation before them understand that work takes up a better part of their life and so it had better mean something. As I have said before, work is a lifestyle choice for Generation Xers, and it is something they take personally. Information managers must take a hard look at communication practices in their libraries. They should look at the quality of communication among their employees and with their employees. Some of the questions that need to be asked: •

Are employees communicating effectively?

•

Are employees forming relationships with each other?

•

What are the media of communication?

•

How many times per year do you sit and talk with your employees?

•

How many times per year do you recognize the work of individuals?

•

What do you do for them?

•

Do your employees have a mechanism for evaluating you?

There are many others. The significance is not just in discovering how well your staff can get along with each other. It is also in how well your staff can work together and share their knowledge.

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Developing Information Leaders

12 Key Dimensions to Great Workplaces Results of the Gallup Organization's Multiyear Study of 'Great Workplaces' 1.

'I know what is expected of me at work.'

2.

'I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.'

3.

'At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.'

4.

'In the last 7 days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.'

5.

'My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.'

6.

There is someone at work who encourages my development.'

7.

'At work, my opinions seem to count.'

8.

The mission/purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.'

9.

'My associates (fellow employees) are committed to doing quality work.'

10.

'I have a best friend at work.'

11.

'In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.'

12.

This last year, I have had opportunities to learn and grow.'

Figure 4.1 12 key dimensions to great workplaces

Libraries need knowledge exchange. This might sound strange at first, because, after all, aren't libraries storehouses of knowledge? Library work is knowledge work because it demands the combination of experience and strategy that come with it. Libraries also need to maintain a consistent quality of service. Staff members must have a common base of knowledge. Without it, services can become shoddy as one staff member knows more than another. That common knowledge needs to flow among staff. Without an environment that opens up opportunities for communication and knowledge exchange, that foundation of common knowledge will not exist, and the quality of service will be obvious to users. Management literature currently covers such topics as knowledge (data) mining, knowledge management and value to knowledge-based services.

Communication unleashed

For many companies, knowledge workers and their expertise have become their primary assets. In many ways knowledge has become a significant issue for companies and organizations in different industries, all over the world. It is the same for libraries. What is the best way to exchange and develop knowledge? Communication. Remember the description of CarrAmerica's new office space in Chapter Two? ' . . . work spaces near the windows and offices away from the window line. Informal meeting places dot the office, where workers from different departments can drop by to chat and create' (Joyce, 1998, p. 44). This environment has been designed for communication. Company planners are designing workplaces from the floor up, anything and everything has the potential for creating an environment that fosters communication. An intranet is not enough for the exchange of knowledge, people must also meet and talk with each other. Information managers have to ask the important question, is their library or information centre designed for communication? Libraries have never been famous for fostering talk, but common courtesy is one thing and knowledge exchange is something else. 'If you're talking, you're not working' is no longer relevant because so much of knowledge work involves thinking, planning and strategizing. There is nothing tangible to produce; therefore, the processes taken to create that 'product' are completely different. 'Knowledge isn't like other inventory - it can't just sit in the warehouse until needed, then be dusted off and used. It has to be kept fresh, relevant, and alive. It has to be exercised through continual discussion and revision. And it cannot be managed separately from the people in whose heads it resides' (Tapscott, 1997 p. 8). Talking might be the only way to build knowledge or complete a project. When information managers deride employees for talking, when communication of any kind is frowned upon, they are denying themselves and their staff the chance to learn and create knowledge. A more significant question is perhaps whether library and information work is knowledge work at all. 'But to what extent do librarians and information specialists measure up as knowledge workers? . . . Knowledge work is characterized by variety and exception rather than routine and is performed by professional or technical workers with a high level of skill and expertise. So do all library and information specialists qualify? Those who exercise their intellects in any of these types of activities are knowledge workers. If your work can be or is totally routinized, then you are an administrative worker, not a knowledge worker' (Broadbent, 1998). If the answer is to be the latter rather than the former then the information manager must confront among other issues, communication. Beyond the fundamental need for communication in a knowledge environment, information managers must recognize that Generation Xers place strong significance on communication. In Managing generation X, Bruce

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Developing Information Leaders

Henry Mintzberg M u t ifledten managerial roles and divided these roles Into three groups; Interpersonal roles, Informational roles, and decisional roles 1. Interpersonal Roles - the manager's status and authority and development of interpersonal relationships. • Figurehead - the manager as symbol. • Leader - the manager as guide and motivator. • Liaison - the manager as developer of an external network of contacts. 2. Informational Roles - the manager as the organization's nerve centre. Involves access to external and internal information. • Monitor - the manager as a processor of information. • Disseminator - the manager as a distributor of internal information. • Spokesman - the manager as transmitter of external information. 3. Decisional Roles - the manager as decision-maker. • Entrepreneur - the manager as initiator and designer of change. • Disturbance handler - the manager as crisis negotiator. • Resource allocator - the manager as resource allocator. • Negotiator - the manager as mediator.

Figure 4 . 2 Excerpt f r o m The nature

of managerial

work, Mitzenberg, 1973

T u l g a n relates this to G e n e r a t i o n Xers' n e e d for information. Until managers learn to c o m m u n i c a t e effectively with Xers a n d facilitate our on-the-job learning, they will continue to b e frustrated by Xers' constant d e m a n d for information, endless questions, a n d insistence on relating to information in o u r o w n w a y . . . W h e n managers don't fulfil Xers' need for information, w e are u n a b l e to learn, a n d g r o w less effective in our work, less satisfied a n d less confident that our hard work will very pay off . . . Xers will try to c h a n g e managers if w e can, c h a n g e jobs if w e have to. Or sometimes Xers will just t u n e out - don't care a b o u t o u r managers' programs a n y m o r e b e c a u s e w e have n o idea what they want anyway. (Tulgan, 1996, p. 170) In his 1973 b o o k , The nature of managerial work, H e n r y Mintzberg identifies t e n managerial roles. A m o n g t h e s e are r o l e s that d e m a n d the m a n a g e r ' s active e n g a g e m e n t a n d t h r e e o f t h e s e managerial roles d e p e n d o n c o m m u n i c a t i o n : liaison, 'the m a n a g e r as d e v e l o p e r o f a n external netw o r k o f contacts', disseminator; 'the m a n a g e r as distributor of internal information', a n d finally, spokesman, the m a n a g e r a s transmitter of external information'.

Communication unleashed

As a liaison, the information manager represents the library to a wider community. This could be a company or organization or it could be an academic community. In all cases, they take on the 'role' of the library to people who might not know or understand its place in their lives. Similarly, the information manager is an advocate for their library and staff. They will bear the greatest burden to protect the integrity of the institution's services and the jobs of their staff if they are threatened. Information managers play an important role for their employees as disseminators of information. They are, in essence, the link between their employees and the greater organization or community. Poor communication is one of the primary reasons Generation Xers leave jobs, and, sadly, it is one of the most preventable. One of my interviewees talks of leaving a job in a large law library after only three days, 'I just .. . left. I didn't come back. They wouldn't talk to me or say "hi" or anything. By the third day I thought, "if this is what it's going to be like, then forget it".' Information managers have many different tools at their disposal to help facilitate and foster communication among their employees and with their employees. These range from high-tech networking and telecommunications solutions such as video conferencing to very low-tech people-based solutions such as Friday afternoon 'get togethers'. Of course, information managers do not need to foster communication if they do not see a need. However, I would argue that libraries need better communication, better knowledge exchange among staff more than ever. Communication is a key factor in a variety of challenges facing managers, including improved services, increased productivity, and reduced turnover. Without communication, most initiatives started to confront these challenges will end in disappointment.

Nine factors for better communication What does it take to foster better communication practices in libraries? Hard work. Information managers must first identify recurring or ongoing communication issues and, if possible, their underlying causes. Armed with this information, they can then plan strategies to improve current communication practices. This issue is discussed often in personnel and management literature, and it is not difficult to find articles and books offering sage advice on how to improve communication in your organization. The challenge comes with applying this information and advice to your library. Before managers complete their strategy for improving communication, they should understand what they are working towards. What are the factors and characteristics that make a work environment good for communication? There are nine factors to consider. Depending on what

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Nine Factors for Better Communication • Getting Personal • Opening the Information Floodgates • Keeping Doors Open • Coming down from the Adminisphere • Providing Context • Avoiding the Need or Desire to Lie • Providing Feedback/Reward Regularly • Relying on Brevity and Clarity • Building Friendships

Figure 4.3 Nine factors for better communication

you read or who you speak to, there could be fewer than nine, or many, many more. But these are the most important for libraries of any kind to consider. Getting personal What recent surveys like the Gallup Organization's tell us is that employees see their jobs as an integral part of their lives. There is no longer a clear cut line between the two. Generation Xers are even more inclined to see work this way than their older colleagues. In 1995-96, the BrainWaves Group conducted an in-depth study of America's personal and social values, what they discovered is that among their younger participants there was a strong emphasis on personal choice. In a 1996 article that looks at the study, the authors call this shift towards self the 'Age of Self-Navigation' (Walker, and Moses, 1996). Generation X employees are more inclined to see every aspect of work in terms of how it will affect them and their lives. 'Self-navigation is a life strategy emerging from the realization that "it's up to me to create my own well-being". In a fast changing and often hostile world, self-navigation means relying on oneself to be the captain of one's own ship and charting one's own course . . . It means self-

Communication unleashed

reliance' (Walker, and Moses, 1996 p. 36). Generation Xers want to feel like they are in control of their work lives, because they feel like that it is the only way they can control their career options. Communication lies at the heart of giving employees that sense of personal growth and participation in their own lives. Karen Demauro writes, 'Communication is the key to helping your staff feel good about themselves and their jobs. I have found that an improvement in morale and reduction in the stress level of my staff naturally follow when communication is used effectively' (Demauro, 1997). For information managers, this means that they have to work extra hard with the Generation X employees to make sure that they are personally satisfied with their work life. The Gallup Organization 1998-99 study shows that most employees value good communication in a workplace, but in particular they value employers who recognize their individuality. 'Great supervisors genuinely care about the people they work with, and thus treat people according to their individuality rather than treating everyone the same.' And it goes one step further, the Gallup research seems to show that employees' attitudes towards many of the broader characteristics of work are dependent on how their supervisors communicate these ideas. 'Supervisors are the filters from which broader organizational changes and initiatives make sense to individual employees and thus gain true acceptance and understanding.' It goes beyond change. 'Employee perceptions of senior manager credibility are largely driven by the quality of relationship employees have with their supervisors' (Buckingham and Coffman, 1999). In all the ways an organization can influence individual employees to increase their productivity, improve customer services, develop client relationships, accept new changes, etc. - it seems as if the most effective ways come filtered through the employee/supervisor relationship. It is the one-on-one, personal experience that communicates ideas most effectively. Information managers must learn to define their relationship with their employees on this one-on-one basis. They must learn to 'get personal' because all their employees, not just Generation Xers, take their jobs personally. They see their jobs and their employers through the filter of how their own lives are affected. Opening the information floodgates Employees need to feel like they are 'in the loop'. Generation Xers are particularly interested in knowing what is going on in their company or organization, because they value the knowledge that information can offer them. Knowing who leaves and who is hired, whether this department has merged with that one, and all the other kinds of organizational news that help them feel connected is important, especially for those

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library and information workers who are often set apart in their own space from the rest of the organization or community. They want access to internal and external information. They want a constant and unhindered flow of information. In the past this was seen as a 'short attention span'. However, as Bruce Tulgan writes, it is actually part of the way that Generation Xers learn. 'Xers need managers who can keep pace with our voracious appetites for information - keeping open lines of communication and constantly refueling the work environment with challenging experiences, new projects demanding fresh skills, and ready supplies of information, interpretation, and meaning' (Tulgan, 1996, p. 168). Tulgan is talking about all forms of information, internal and external, but in this chapter we are emphasizing internal information. Information managers must learn to open the floodgates for information coming from within the organization. After all the manager is often the only representative of the larger organization. If Generation Xers are not going to get the information from their manager, then, in many cases they will seek it out in any way possible. In Managing generation X, Tulgan provides examples of Generation Xers who did whatever it takes' to get information they needed. He talks about one Generation Xer who 'did what she had to - sneaking peaks at memos on her manager's chair and chatting up her manager's secretary, just to find out what she was supposed to be doing every day on the job'. From my own experiences working in libraries, I have seen fellow employees do anything to get information when they felt they were being intentionally left out of the loop. There was the cataloguer who would stand beneath an air duct in a room adjacent to her supervisor's office so that she could hear her conversations. I knew a network engineer whose boss kept on forgetting' to send along important time-sensitive information to her employees such as meeting times. She would go to the meeting and then wonder out loud why none of her good-for-nothing employees could not make it on time. The network engineer and his coworkers finally went to senior management and complained, and in response they instituted a new e-mail announcement listserv that was sent out to all employees. When Generation Xers are denied access to information, they begin to feel isolated from the rest of the organization, lose any sense of belonging and might end up losing track of the library's vision or purpose.

Keeping doors open Information managers must be accessible to their Generation X employees. They must keep the doors of communication open at all times. This does not mean that a manager should, literally, keep the door to their office opened all the times (though that would not hurt). However, it does mean that employees should feel comfortable enough to

Communication unleashed

say 'hello', or be able to e-mail or otherwise communicate questions or concerns without having to make appointments or, worse, never expect to receive a response. It means having some level of accessibility to all employees. There are two types of accessibility, and an information manager should take both into consideration. The first is physical accessibility. This includes being seen by employees and offering them the opportunity to make suggestions or provide input into the day to day management of the library or information centre. It can also mean that they can meet with their manager behind closed doors if there is a problem. Information managers often manage their employees direcdy. Physical accessibility is not a problem, but if you are higher up into the management hierarchy, physical accessibility takes on different characteristics. Managers are constantly at meetings. They are writing reports. They are fund raising, and they have other managers who work directly with the staff. However, senior management in larger libraries could apply the types of strategies that senior management of corporations are successfully applying all over the world. There is the strategy of monthly 'town meetings', or other types of regular gatherings where the staff have a chance to see a senior manager. Another strategy is to meet with each staff member once or twice a year. This could be a chance for them to discuss any issues they might have with their direct supervisor. I have overheard an information manager call this 'snitching time'. This is actually an opportunity for accountability. Management authors have written about this for years. If employees feel helpless to improve their work life, morale goes down. If a senior information manager offers all of their employees, not just Generation Xers, the opportunity to provide their honest input, the employees begin to feel they are in control, and that improves morale. Generation Xers are inclined to see this level of accessibility and accountability as a positive facet to their relationship with their direct supervisor. Remember, Generation Xers are 'Self-Navigators'. They want to know that they have control over their work-life, and can maintain some level of self-reliance on the job. This is impossible if they have no recourse for bad management. The physical accessibility of senior management is one way for them to offer their feedback and receive better information. However, no level of physical accessibility will make a difference unless there is also emotional accessibility. No matter how close in proximity a manager is to their employees, no matter how often their door is opened, if employees do not feel like they can approach their manager, they will not. I have met Generation Xers who have worked within metres of their managers and yet never talked to them. Those are the most egregious cases of emotional inaccessibility. There are other, more subtle, examples such as a manager who constantly turns down requests

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to go to lunch with their employees, or a manager who never comes out of their office to take a break. Diversity and class issues can come into play; personality conflicts or political differences could influence the communication between supervisor and employees. But a manager must distance themselves as far as they can from solitude, silence, favouritism, or anything else that creates an emotional divide between them and a few or all of their employees. Regardless of its source, emotional inaccessibility may be compounded by their solutions. Years of miscommunication or distrust are difficult to wipe away. Employees can become suspicious of managers who are suddenly 'open to suggestions' or say 'good morning' when such a greeting was never heard before. Generation Xers will be particularly inclined to perceive such a sudden change as some kind of management scheme. 'Oh,' they might think, 'she's been to training. I wonder how long this will last.' If communication in a library is that bad, there might be a need for mediation between employees and their manager and time set aside to 'clear the air'.

Coming down from the adminisphere Every month Wired magazine publishes a column called Jargon Watch. This a brief list of new English terms or slang that describe some aspect of work or play in the difficult and ever-changing digital world. Adminisphere is just such a term. It is actually a new term for an old idea. The old idea is that management will make decisions that do not seem to make any sense to those who will be most affected by them. 'Employees often criticize upper-level management for not understanding "how things are done in the trenches'" (Chaudier, 1999). The adminisphere is 'the rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve' [ Wired Magazine, www.wired.com/wired/archive/3.10/jargon watch.htmll. Information managers must avoid the adminisphere when they communicate important news, changes in policy, or other things that will affect front line staff. Clarity and consistency are important qualities to all good communication, and I discuss them below; however, context is just as important. This is particularly important if the changes taking place need to be implemented by front line staff. If the information does not make sense to them, employees will often ignore or dismiss it. Information managers are often called on to find solutions to problems, create policies and strategies, and then communicate this information to their staff who will be the ones to implement these ideas. However, memos, policies and company strategy statements must be confirmed by the environment and the events' (Chaudier, 1999). If the information does not make sense

Communication unleashed

to staff - if it does not 'fit' with how they work - then it will be more difficult to implement. More important, decisions made from the adminisphere send the message to employees that their input is not important, because the decision appears to have been made without anyone's input. It also makes management appear to be inconsiderate of staffs needs. If decisions made on their behalf remain consistently irrelevant or useless, staff will become wary of any sincere efforts to improve their well-being. After all, how do you inspire someone to work an extra hour here or go the extra mile there, if it appears that management has not even bothered to understand their staffs work? Providing context Most information professionals have earned an advanced degree in library or information science. This professional degree usually comes with an education into the identity and purpose of libraries and librarianship in society. Whether individuals agree or disagree on the idea of a common identity, it is safe to expect that most librarians and information professionals can describe a 'role' or context for themselves in their lives and work. Even with all of this identity, information managers still need to provide their staff with a purpose. In academic and special libraries this is important, because the library can get isolated from the cultural changes taking place in their academic community or corporation. 'Showing people how their jobs tie into the institutional and system goals and how their performance has a ripple effect throughout the organization fosters a sense of belonging to the whole and helps dissipate the sense of isolation' (Demauro, 1997). In larger institutional libraries, providing context is important for individual employees. 'Having a clear understanding of how an employee's particular role or job contributes to the company's "reason for being" can be an incredible form of emotional compensation .. . Employees at every level or function like to feel that they belong. Individual achievement is important, of course, but when employees of an organization feel they are an integral part of a larger whole, they are more likely to stay committed to that organization' (Buckingham, and Coffman, 1999). Generation Xers find this important because it helps them define the role of work in their lives. 'So much of our time is absorbed by work that we care greatly about what we are doing and with whom we do business' (Bagby, 1998, p. 175). Reminding employees of the role the library plays, reintroduces' them to the reasons why they are there in the first place. It also helps with productivity and morale. 'Among employees who say they understand what makes the business successful, 84 per cent also say they're motivated to help create that success. In contrast,

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among employees who don't feel they understand the business' success factors, just 46 per cent say they're motivated' (Laabs, 1998). How do information managers communicate greater context to their employees? They could 'discuss' ideas such as mission statement or vision statement at a staff meeting. Several volunteers could create a workplace newsletter or e-mail 'update' service that emphasizes the kind of work that fits into the role and vision of the library. Another simple way to communicate context is to tie policy and other changes to the library's role or vision. However, the most effective technique will to be make the context personal, and make individual employees feel like they are contributing to something good.

Avoiding the need or desire to lie A 1991-92 study of 40 000 Americans showed that 93 per cent of them 'regularly and consciously lie at work . . . We do it to preserve our image, to be polite, to protect our jobs and because often we assume the truth will make a bad situation worse' (Caudron, 1998). Most employees, not just Generation Xers, are savvy enough to pick out a liar. Rumours spread, people talk behind each other's backs, information - truths and halftruths - do reach employees' ears. In times of stress, mergers or contract negotiations - morale usually plummets. However, this can be a temporary state if employees are given clear information about the current state of affairs. It is imperative that information managers communicate vital information as soon as possible. Tell employees what you know and inform them of what you do not know. Statements such as 'Everything's fine', or worse, nothing said at all, will often inspire uncertainty and resentment in employees. It is part of the reason why many top people leave good positions when things are looking 'uncertain'. Mergers and restructuring can make employees (often the best employees) jittery about job security and new opportunities. Without clear knowledge of the progress of change, many will simply fear the worse and leave. Credibility becomes an important issue in tough times. If managers lie or intentionally misinform their staff, this could destroy their credibility. 'You must be believed. Make room for any mistakes or factual errors in trying to persuade or inform management or workers, and they will eventually question almost everything you have to say' (Chaudier, 1999).

Providing regular feedback/reward In Chapter Six I discuss compensation more fully. Compensation can be seen in several ways, including as a form of communication. Generation Xers value immediate feedback and rewards not only as a means of

Communication unleashed

recognition or admonition but also as a means of communication. 'What are the right incentives, if not dollars, with which to motivate Xers to invest our most creative efforts without managers? One way . . . is by providing regular confirmation of Xers' own creative talent and recognition of the value of our work products' (Tulgan, 1996, p. 111). Generation Xers want feedback about their work habits and their skills. They want to know if they are doing a good job. It is not enough for information managers to sit down with Generation Xers once a year at evaluation time and discuss mistakes made, progress made, and other past issues when they have already occurred and no longer have any immediate importance or significance. Generation Xers value communication in context, and that means discussing current missteps or acknowledging current achievement as quickly as possible. Generation Xers might want feedback and praise immediately, but most employees, regardless of their cohort, value these things. It does not matter whether the feedback is positive or negative. Most employees consider both sorts 'positive'. The Gallup Organization research has shown that the opposite of 'any kind of recognition is being ignored. The worst possible things we can do to someone at work today is to ignore him or her! Workplaces that continue to abide by the old culture ("If you don't hear anything . . . [assume you're doing a good job]") will destroy the very human spirit that makes the true difference in quality output and service delivery' (Buckingham, and Coffman, 1999).

Relying on brevity and clarity Bad communication can be worse than no communication at all. It can frustrate and confuse. It can bore, and worse, it sends the wrong message about quality. Clear, concise writing is still the best communication tools we have at our disposal. It provides staff with all of the information they need in order to respond effectively to the information provided. The opposite - language thick with confusing ideas, complex grammar, and opaque syntax - will inevitably lead to impatient rereading and confusion. It will inspire more questions than results, and frustrate some employees who speak and read English as a second language or who simply have a difficult time reading. Often these are written in the professional jargon dominant among the professionals in that department: accountants have their accounting terms, cataloguers have theirs. Human resource specialists and reference librarians are also among the guilty. I like to hope that most people will diligently read everything that passes over their desk, but decades of research has shown that this is not the case. However, hundreds of books have been published on business writing and workplace communication. Here are some recent examples:

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Clark, Colin (1999) How to give effective business briefings: effective techniques for relaying information to and obtaining feedback from employees. London: Kogan Page Ltd. ISBN: 0-74942-513-X Christensen, Andrew (1999) Reconcilable differences. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN: 1-57230-261-5 Barker, Alan (1999) Writing at work how to create effective business documents. London: Industrial Society. ISBN: 1-85835-467-6 Stockard, Olivia (1999) The unite approach: techniques for effective business writing. San Diego, CA: Academic. ISBN: 0-12671-545-9 Rankin, Howard J. (1999) Power talk the art of effective communication. Hilton Head Island, SC: Stepwise Press. ISBN: 0-96582-613-9 DiSanza, James R. (1999) Business and professional communication, plans, processes, and performance. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN 0-20529-585-1 It is imperative that information managers assess their ability to communicate in writing. Do you see employees deleting memos without reading them? Are they piled up in the recycling bin? More important, is the information you are trying to communicate having an impact' Many library and information professionals come from liberal arts backgrounds. They know how to communicate through writing. However, information managers need more than a knowledge of grammar and spelling. They need to be able to communicate complex ideas to readers who might possess only a rudimentary understanding of English (or whatever native language is being spoken). As the workforce of libraries grows more diverse, these types of communication issues will become more important. Information managers should know their audience and write with the simplicity (or complexity) that audience would like to read.

Building friendships Most workers will agree that the age of the job-for-life is over. The old employer/employee relationship demanded loyalty in exchange for security, but the worker was also expected to check their personal lives at the door. On the other side, many expected you to leave work at work. For good or ill, those expectations have dissolved with the jobfor-life. Employers are quickly becoming to realize that workers take work seriously. For information managers this change in perspective brings new challenges. Employees will bring their home issues to work, where they cannot be ignored. On the other hand, employees (especially Generation

Communication unleashed

Xers) have to make tough decisions about their personal happiness, and that will sometimes mean quitting a good-paying job, or changing careers and taking a permanent pay cut. These are just two challenges among many that are being created as the workplace evolves into something more personal. Among the issues being created in this new environment is the growing importance placed on friendships in the workplace. In their 1998-99 study, the Gallup Organization discovered that the quality of the relationships that employees develop with each other are even more important than their relationship to management. Employees identify much more with the individuals around them - their team members and office mates, etc. - than with their immediate or upper managers. The bonds formed among these relationships help solidify individual employee's loyalty to their employer. 'All employees have "leaving moments" when they examine whether to leave or stay at an organization. The best managers in the world observe that the quality and depth of the relationships that employees have with others on the job will be a critical component that affects their decisions to stay or leave' (Buckingham and Coffman, 1999). The Gallup research also found that good relationships among team and work group members led to greater productivity. 'Employees who are committed to doing quality work look at a problem as a challenge to improve their team cohesiveness. They use the power of the team not only to overcome the crisis, but to correct the process to avoid future problems, and move onto greater productivity and quality' (Buckingham and Coffman, 1999). In order to create lasting relationships among staff, information managers have to create an environment where communication is welcomed. Talking and socializing need to be encouraged, not discouraged, because as many managers will tell you talking is the best form of knowledge exchange. Remember the description of the CarrAmerica office space? 'CarrAmerica was looking for an office design that promoted its "team concept" and eliminated the hierarchical nature of traditional offices, (Widmayer said.] it came up with an open office, with work spaces near the windows and offices away from the window line. Informal meeting places dot the office, where workers from different departments can drop by to chat and create . . .' (J°y ce > 1998 p. 44). The physical design of this office is to encourage communication. Does a library meet this ideal? Some obviously do and some do not, but from my own experiences, I would say that the latter is the norm. Through my interviews and from personal experience, I know libraries that suffer from suffocating silence. When I was a high school student, I work as a shelver at a local public library. Among the staff there were four or five reference librarians, a reader's adviser and a periodicals librarian. I had permission to end my school day early, and at one o'clock I would arrive for work. I would walk up this tight spiral staircase to the second floor lounge. Inevitably,

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several of the staff members would still be sitting in the lounge eating lunch, and the silence would be thick around them. I can recall the reader's adviser sitting in the far left corner chair. His bottle of Coke standing open on the lamp table next to him. His brown bag lunch is standing up beside it. His sandwich is laying on the table, but he never looks down at it. His face is covered by a paperback book, and the only thing I see is his right hand slowly reaching for the sandwich. I see the hand carry the sandwich to the face and there! I see it vanish behind the book. He is not alone in the room. The periodicals librarian is sitting by the door at the left corner of a long central table. Her soup thermos is opened and I can smell tomato soup. Her brown bag is resting on the table and acting as a place mat for her sandwich. She, too, is ignoring her food. Her eyes are fixed on a romance novel recently added to the collection. At one point, she takes up the milk carton sitting beside her soup and silently sips milk through a straw and then silently sets the carton back down on the table. And there, at a diagonal from her, sits one of the reference librarians. She worked the two to six shift. She is sitting in the far right hand comer of the table reading the most recent issue of Commonweal, her favourite magazine. She has a box from the local Pizza Hut, and she occasionally takes her eyes from the magazine and stares at her pizza. She takes a slice, and she leans over to avoid getting sauce on library property, and silently biting down. As she chews, she wipes her mouth with precision, and the only noise in the room is the sound of her handling the stiff, white napkin. This could be any employee lounge in any organization, but more often than not, this or something like it is part of the library environment. The great paradox in all this is that libraries are focal points for communication. Through books, periodicals, cassette tapes, videos, cable TV and many other media, information is effectively communicated from the author or creator to the reader or researcher. For its users, communication is going on all the time, but for its staff, it can be quite a different story. Library staff are often separated by departments - cataloguing, acquisitions, reference, etc. - and separated by emotional and psychological barriers. Young professionals have fast-paced technology skills, older professionals have years of experience. Personalities and expectations can be radically different among staff in the same department. Sometimes the stress of this environment helps to create a silence where only what needs to be said is said, and where everyone has their own little corner of the employee lounge. Information managers have to break through this suffocating environment, and make the library a centre for communication for employees. They should feel open to communicating concerns, asking questions and receiving good answers. However, it is a long and arduous task, especially

Communication unleashed

if the silent environment is all that many employees have known. Change would be difficult to implement and would be contested. But one of the greatest advantages to better communication is the creation of friendships and healthy team relationships. As the Gallup study shows, these human factors are more important in communication than any technology will ever be. They play an important role in productivity, job satisfaction and retention.

Communication leadership: five things you can do to foster communication Better communication begins with leadership. It begins with action. In order to define and support an environment that fosters communication and knowledge exchange, information managers need to be seen actively designing and implementing these programmes. There are many, many things that information managers can do to foster communication. Here are five. Regular informal gatherings. These are usually called parties, but some organizations might hesitate to support regular 'parties'. Instead of parties call them 'anti-meetings,' powwows, forums, or caucuses. Any excuse should be used to gather people together in an informal, non-meeting setting: birthdays, holidays, organization milestones. They can be brief VA hour or less), or they can be 'open' with food and drink set out for anyone to take at any time throughout the day. The purpose is to provide staff with an opportunity for informal communication with management and with each other. One-on-one meetings outside the workplace Quite often the best information, the best ideas, are exchanged when individuals are talking one-on-one. If information managers want to foster communication in their libraries they should look at ways to get their staff to have lunch together, to talk outside of work, if possible. This also holds true for managers as well. Information managers who are looking for good ideas in everything from services development to new software to training issues, could sit down, one-on-one with the individuals who will be most affected by these changes. Some information managers work the frontline of customer service; they are aware of current patterns of use and growth. If

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changes are going to take place, it might be worth discussing these issues directly in an informal setting such as lunch or dinner.

A regularly published newsletter or website by and for employees Whether they are e-mail or hard copy, memos are scorned. I once had an office mate who would, as the memos were put into her In box, immediately place them in a manila folder. Then once every three months she would throw out the contents of the folder, without ever having read the memos. Now, I am sure there are employees who read memos. I am sure there are employees who value the information provided in memos, and I am not advocating the elimination of memos. Quite often, they are the best way to communicate important changes or new policies. However, information managers might want to consider alternative means of conveying information to staff. Weekly or biweekly newsletters written by staff for staff are one way to present information. If they do not want to use the paper, consider creating a website. Consider listserv technology, the software used to send e-mail messages to multiple subscribers over the internet. Regardless of the method, its presentation should be as informal and as un-memo like as possible.

'Town hall' meetings Senior information managers might not have time to meet with each staff member, one-on-one; however, it's still important for them to meet with staff. The town hall meeting is just one format among many that offer managers a chance to talk to their employees, to see their faces and to have them see you. A town hall style meeting is an issue centred discussion, moderated by one or two individuals. Members of an audience will ask the individuals questions related to topics at hand. Town hall meetings put the manager in the spot light, requiring them to answer questions without preparation. However, the purpose of these meetings is to communicate important information directly from the mouth of the individual(s) making the decisions. It helps put a human face on the library's policies. As with many of the other things you can do to foster communication, try to make these meetings as informal as possible.

Team-based research contests If the purpose of communication is the exchange of knowledge, then information managers might want to implement incentives to improve the exchange of knowledge. Since one of the primary

Communication unleashed

responsibilities of most professional librarians is the retrieval of information, one way to exchange that searching knowledge is to provide employees with an incentive to offer their research strategies and resources to the rest of the staff. Design contests like scavenger hunts and offer monetary rewards or time off from work for the entire team. Figure 4.4 Five things a manager can do to foster communication

Conclusion It is true that Generation Xers value communication, but research and surveys have shown that all workers value communication and the relationships it helps to create. Information managers who wish to improve job satisfaction, productivity and retention rates among their Generation X employees will be surprised to see that any changes will most likely improve the work habits and jobs satisfaction of all employees. Communication is so important to employees that information managers cannot ignore its influence in the workplace. On the organizational level, communication helps foster the type of loyalty and job satisfaction that keeps employees at their jobs and turnover costs down. It is also the primary means of exchanging knowledge. For many different information and knowledge-based services, such as accounting and management services, high-tech consulting and libraries and information centres, the exchange of knowledge is an unending source for business development. On a human level, it helps foster productive teams and the kind of friendships that keep people satisfied in their positions. It helps reduce stress and improve morale. Employees, especially Generation X employees, want access to the information they need to do their jobs. Communication with other staff, with other members of the greater community, is just as important for them as access to the internet or online databases. Information managers must find ways to facilitate this access through informal means of communications, and any means possible.

References Bagby, M. (1998) Rational

exuberance.

New York: Penguin

Broadbent, M. (1998) The phenomenon of knowledge management: what does it mean to the information profession? Information Outlook, 2 (5), 23-26

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Buckingham, M. and Coffman, C. (1999) The Workplace Column. The Gallup Organization [www.gallup.com/poll/managing/grtwrkplc.asp] Chaudier, A. (1999) Eight tips for good communication. Wotforce Online [www.workforceonline.com] Caudron, S. (1998) On the contrary: the truth shall set you free. Workforce, 77 (12), 25-27 Demauro, K. (1997) Improve morale and reduce stress - communicate. In Proceedings of the CAUSE Annual Conference 1997 (Lake Buena Vista, FL, 1997) [www.educause.edu/ir/library/html/cnc9711/cnc9711. html] Joyce, A. (1998) The new look in offices: movable walls and coffee bars. The Washington Post, 9 August 1998 Laabs, J. (1998) Show them where you're headed. Workforce, 77 (11), 45-48 Mitzenberg, H. (1973) The nature of managerial work. New York: Harper & Row Tapscott, D. (1997) Strategy in the new economy. Strategy and Leadership, 25 (6), 8 Tulgan, B. (1996) Managing generation X, how to bring out the best in young talent. Oxford: Capstone Walker, C. and Moses, E. (1996) The age of self navigation. American Demographics, 18 (9), 36

Chapter Five

Creating a culture of risk

By all accounts, Generation Xers are the most entrepreneurial cohort in US history. A recent study by Marquette University and the University of Michigan discovered that 70 per cent of all new startup» were established by individuals between the ages of 18 and 34. Another survey raised that number to 77 per cent. A Time/Newsweek poll found that three out of five Generation Xers wanted to be their own boss (Bagby, 1998, p. 171). This phenomenon is what Karlyn Bowman of American Enterprise magazine calls the 'new ethic of self-reliance'. It is an entrepreneurial spirit that informs many of the new generation's expectations of work and life. 'Men and women born between 1961 and 1981 are starting businesses at younger ages and in greater numbers than their predecessors. Fully 10 per cent of Americans in the 24 to 34 age group are involved in their own business - about three times as high a startup rate as any other age group, according to a 1995 Babson College study' (Miniter, R. 1998). They desire independence from the byzantine structures of corporate culture and bureaucracy. They want to make money on their own terms, and in the process create a future for themselves where they are in control. Many Generation Xers are no longer willing to wait around and see whether they make it through the next round of job cuts. In the past, this has been interpreted as arrogance, but as Generation X consultant Bruce Tulgan writes in his book, Managing generation X: bringing out the best in young talent, 'When Xers reach for greater independence and creative freedom in our work, we are not expressing arrogance or insolence. Xers' desire for more responsibility and room to create in our work is an expression of our entrepreneurism and innovative spirit, natural extensions of our self-nurtured independence' (Tulgan, 1996, p. 70). For most Generation Xers, however, a regular job with a good company is just fine. They will not start their own businesses. They will want to buy homes and pay mortgages. They will want to invest in their college school funds and their own retirement accounts. Instead, these Generation Xers are transferring that entrepreneurial spirit to the companies and

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organizations they work for. This is good news for information managers. Over the past two decades the idea that library work is a risky career has gained acceptance. Libraries are not the stable institutions they once were. They face cutbacks and constant demands for new services. Special libraries are particularly at risk of being eliminated altogether. Into this risky environment comes a generation of professionals who are comfortable with risk and who value managers who give them the autonomy and flexibility to take risks. Information managers can give their employees an entrepreneurial environment, one where they are given the opportunity to apply their enthusiasm and skills to the constant improvement of the library's services. One way to translate the entrepreneurial environment to libraries is to turn staff into stakeholders. By giving them the chance to identify with the future of the library, information managers are opening the doors to creativity and productivity. When employees recognize a personal investment in their jobs, they often feel better about their skills and their own work. It raises morale and increases productivity. However, stakeholdership will not work if the information manager does not give their employees flexibility and autonomy. Flexibility means the ability to do things not in the rulebook. Libraries are filled with rules - processing, data entry, routeing, usage tracking, all sorts of rules and procedures. Some are there for a reason, for instance, you cannot have books processed for circulation without tattle tape or their due date card. Someone has to do this work. However, many rules are simply there to control the way things get done: usage data gets collected this way, online information gets distributed that way. Where the emphasis should be placed on the result, it is instead placed on the process. These are the rules that stifle creativity and turn potentially interesting responsibilities into rote tasks. Flexibility would demand that a library eliminate all but the most essential rules. Autonomy and control take flexibility much further. Generation Xers are demanding the opportunity to manage their own jobs. They want autonomy over the means of doing their work, and they want control over the outcomes. They want managers to give them responsibilities and then step back. 'They want to be handed the remote control', says Bruce Tulgan (Munk, 1998). For information managers, that means placing a lot of faith in the ability of their employees to get the job done. And it means more. It could mean giving them the opportunity to assess current services and design new ones. It could mean offering them the opportunity to experiment with new technologies. Giving Generation Xers autonomy and control essentially means making them stakeholders in the fortunes of the library. It is a give and take proposition. Information managers offer Generation Xers the opportunity to 'do their own thing', to set goals, and achieve them in their own way. In turn, Generation Xers agree to be innovative

Creating a culture of risk

and entrepreneurial. They agree to accept accountability for their actions, and take as much share of the blame for a bad job as they would the glory for a job well done. I strongly believe that if offered this opportunity, most Generation Xers would take it. Information managers must learn to take the inherent risks of giving their employees the opportunities to push the envelope. Libraries are not famous for their risk-taking, risk management is still not regularly taught in library school, and yet there is great need for it. Libraries are always at risk of losing funding or being eliminated altogether. Special libraries are are often considered an expense and a luxury item for companies and organizations. Like any organism, if libraries do not adapt they will die out. That ability to adapt only comes with risk. This is why Generation Xers are a perfect match for libraries. They are looking for entrepreneurial environments to learn and grow, and libraries need their ability to flex and innovate with changes.

The 'Generation E' advantage We're not Generation X, we're Generation E', says Jennifer Kushell, the founder and president of the Young Entrepreneurs Network (Peterson, 1997). Millions of other Americans in their twenties and early thirties are . . . ditching safe corporate jobs, putting their faith in themselves and in technology, and charging

into

the

wildcatting

world

of

capitalism.

In

the

process

...

Generation X is creating a n e w kind of generation g a p . . . Men and w o m e n born between 1961 and 1981 are starting businesses at younger ages and in greater numbers than their predecessors. Twenty per cent of all small business owners are between the ages of 25 and 34 today, according to an April 1996 report from the Small Business Administration,

so says Richard Miniter in a 1998 issue of American Enterprise devoted entirely to Generation X. He goes on to say, Generation Xers look at business and government differently than their parents. 'Twice as many young people w o u l d rather o w n their o w n business than be a top executive of a large company, and four times as many say they w o u l d

business than hold an

important

position in politics or government', says Karlyn B o w m a n , American

rather o w n

their o w n

Enterprise

Editor. [She] calls this 'a n e w ethic of self-reliance'. (Miniter, 1998)

This new ethic comes out of Generation Xers' experiences. As the institutions they grew up with slowly came apart - parents divorced, schools failed, leaders were increasingly ineffective - they began to turn away from social institutions as a source of personal growth and strength.

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After the recession of the early 1990s, many rejected that lifestyle and have come to rely on their own skills and courage as a source of stability. It is a risky decision to go off and try to be your own boss, especially if you have a large college debt, or a young family. However, many Generation Xers are doing it because they see even the most notoriously durable jobs in big companies, government and academia, as risky. No one knows if the government is going to force cutbacks. No one knows if a big company is going to downsize you out of a job. For many Generation Xers, it is all risky, and you might as well define the risks on your own terms then wait around for a company president or a piece of rogue legislation to decide your fate for you. Generation Xers have come at just the right time. There is not a library on earth that has not experienced the effects of the information revolution; and if there is, they have not long to wait. The information revolution has created work environments that are never static. Social and technological forces are always pressing in and libraries are forced to adapt. Things change. When I was sixteen, I worked as a clerk at the local public library. I shelved books, filed articles into the vertical files and filed cards into the card catalogue. It was not the best job I have ever had, and I must admit I was not the best employee a manager could hope for. I left that job vowing never to work in libraries again. In 1998, I returned home for my high school reunion. A strange desire to experience irony first hand compelled me to revisit the library. I expected to see some changes, after all, as a professional librarian I know better than to think that a library doesn't change. However, I was shocked by how radical those changes were, (see Figure 5.1). My experience was entirely personal. I was struck by how much I had changed, by how differently my eyes saw the same building. Perhaps now I have more patience and sympathy for the librarians. I can appreciate the elegance of a library's space and the quality of its services. I possess much less cynicism than I did as a desperate black-lipstick-wearing punk kid. I was still genuinely humbled by the changes I saw in my old library. It was as if the future sat just under the surface, and it only needed a little push in order to break the surface and find its place. The old staff must have gone through some tough times. The periodicals librarian did not like InfoTrac or the sound of the dot-matrix printer. I can image she went willingly. One current librarian told me that the head librarian (my boss) was forced into retirement. In eleven years we - the library and myself had changed beyond recognition. It is strange how far you can go without going very far at all. Libraries have never been risk-free environments. The massive layoffs and downsizing of the past ten years are example enough of the knife's edge that many libraries, particularly special libraries, have had exist on. The real change has not been in reality, but in perception. Before the

Creating a culture of risk

Distance Covered: A public library then and now Then (1987) • A card catalogue • One reference desk, one librarian and a guy who volunteered as the reader's adviser • Three clerks working at one circulation desk • A musty basement room for the periodicals and one InfoTrac terminal • A big welcoming sign at the front listing all the things you couldn't do inside the library • An extra copy of the green Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature • Antique white walls • Study carols • A main frame database located in a different town with two terminals used only by the reference librarians and one in the back room for the cataloguer • Dark, musty stacks

Now (1998) • Fifteen inch flat touch screen terminals • Three individually staffed consultation desks • Three self-checkout carols and one human being staffing a smaller desk • An upstairs periodicals 'reading room' with cosy couches, three InfoTrac terminals and other computer terminals • A sign that said Welcome • Ator-freeservice that the reference librarian described as 'local business support* • Colourful murals depicting local history • Study carols with PC jacks. • Internet on every PC desktop, and membership in CARL • Clean, well-lit, well-ventilated book stacks

Figure 5.1 Distance covered: a public library then and now

last recession many libraries and librarians did not perceive their jobs as risky. They did not see the rotting wood holding up the library's marble floors. The assumption was that people liked libraries and respected librarians. They would pay for the privilege of being associated with such noble institutions. The hard reality is that no librarian is entitled to their job; no library is entitled to exist. They have always been at risk of closure and cut backs, just as in the past they were at risk of fire or war. It is just that in the past information managers did not recognize the risk. They do now. Even the most durable library institutions, metropolitan public library systems and large academic libraries, are in a struggle to remain relevant, to keep their funding, and to keep the people coming in. Libraries and information centres are risky environments no matter how you look at them. Information managers must accept risk, not as a novelty of the times we live in, but as a simple fact of life.

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The advantages of a flexible, innovative staff become increasingly apparent as information managers are required to respond to rapid technological changes, the changing demands of users, and the ever-looming threat of obsolescence. In Chapter Two, I discussed the current management trend of applying the science of complexity to the work environment. The work environment becomes a complex interlacing of relationships and effects that create even more complex relationships and effects. No library works independently of the political, economic and social forces around it. For example, the local economy can have important effects on the number of candidates available for a new job opening. If the economy is good, the search might take longer and require new strategies. Because libraries do not operate in a vacuum of privilege and entidement, information managers must learn to constantly adapt to a complex environment of unpredictable forces and unintended consequences. Their employees are their best source for responding to and working in such risky environments. For example: employees, especially recent hires, are the ones who work the frontlines. They have direct contact with users and understand their needs. They often know how users are using the library or information centre and can, if given the opportunity, respond to these needs with improved or new services. In special libraries, different staff members will have different levels of contact within the larger organization. These networks expose staff to different levels of organizational knowledge. If given the opportunity, these employees could respond to changes going on in different departments. A new manager in Human Resources could affect how the library's hiring practices are performed. A library staff member who is friends with those in the department could help educate the new manager towards a better understanding of the library's needs. The staff member involved with website development or research, would be an excellent liaison to the information systems department, more so than an information manager who might know little of the high-tech jargon, and the chaotic world of new gadgets and upgrades. The goal is to give staff the opportunity to represent their library. Libraries, particularly special libraries, can be so isolated from the organization that staff do not identify with the parent organization. By giving them opportunities to network, make contacts, know higher-ups in other areas of the organization, information managers are essentially giving their staff the chance to identify, personally, with the library. This is part of a larger process towards giving them ownership or stakeholdership in the library and its future. With the ability to identify and represent the library, comes an interest in its future and a desire to work with it. It is like turning the library into a small business where everyone is a partner. The responsibility here lies with the information manager to create a flexible environment of accountability and achievement. They should take advantage of the enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit of their Generation

Creating a culture of risk

X employees. Information managers who can delegate responsibilities and offer incentives to employees to improve and innovate services are tapping into the best resource they have to achieve success in a risky environment.

From staff to stakeholders Risk might be a fact of life, but its does not have to be a source of stress and fear. Information managers can approach risk as an entrepreneurial challenge, encouraging innovation as the means to ongoing success. Managers need staff who think entrepreneurially, and here they are. Most Generation Xers will not start their own businesses; instead, they are willing to focus their 'ethic of self-reliance' on their jobs. If information managers can tap into the entrepreneurial character of many Generation Xers, they can create an environment that challenges employees and produces outstanding results. 'Managers who give Xers the space to focus on creative solutions, take risks and make mistakes, invent new approaches and reap benefits in terms of self-building and personal security will succeed with Generation X. Those managers can harness Xers' entrepreneurial spirit and achieve end-results that go straight to the bottom line' (Tulgan, 1996, p. 197). Perhaps the riskiest part of creating an entrepreneurial environment in libraries is the information manager's own surrender of authority. They must learn to delegate the kinds of tasks that were once the sole responsibility of management, including project management, spokesmanship, negotiation, and budget management. Now these would be delegated to project to a team of employees. They would delegate spokesman responsibilities to individuals who would serve on company or organization-wide committees. They would permit employees to give speeches as representatives of the library. They would permit staff to perform other tasks, such as negotiating the terms of cost recovery to clients or creating new usage policies. All of these responsibilities and more would be delegated to clerks and assistants, frontline employees and lower-level managers, etc. They in turn would be in charge and would be held accountable for the quality of their work. It is a risky move, but one that has incredible effects on employees' morale and productivity. Once given the opportunity, employees accept accountability and often perform with greater zeal and creativity. Delegation of authority creates better work for staff and produces better results. It might seem odd to think that employees thrive on stress. Accountability would inevitably bring long hours and some disappointments. There might even be moments where there is 'some explaining to do', but along with accountability comes great advantages. Generation Xers see their jobs as opportunities for self-building and professional

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development. There are opportunities to manage a team or create and market an innovative library service or product. These become strategic experiences towards further professional development. Accountability also gives employees the opportunity to feel connected to their work. Work becomes personal investment, where the employees receive just as much glory as they would blame. Often employees scorn some work over others. Tasks can become 'too long' or 'too tedious', especially if they are ordered from above to be done a certain way. If given the opportunity to achieve goals in their own way, employees can 'customize' their tasks to use their own interests and abilities. Given sufficient access to information and full responsibility to find solutions, Xers will look at most any problem as an opportunity to succeed. Because Xers seek to invest by making valuable contributions in the form of endresults, every problem we are able to solve and every result we are able to produce is an investment opportunity' (Tulgan, 1996, p. 203). Accountability gives employees, especially Generation Xers, the opportunity to feel as if they are in control of their jobs, and to a larger extent, their careers. One way to foster greater accountability is to make employees stakeholders in the library's future. Generally stakeholders are individuals chosen from among library board members, prominent users, managing partners, and many other 'outsiders'. In his book, Entrepreneurial librarianship, Guy St. Clair applies the idea of library 'stakeholders' in a greater strategy to create a thriving and relevant information service. He identifies stakeholders as the library's employees, users and non-users. It makes good entrepreneurial strategy to involve influential individuals in the future of the library (St. Clair, 1996, pp. 66, 69-73). Outsiders and employees should be recognized as stakeholders. Both parties offer a unique perspective on the same entrepreneurial issues: service development, collection development, and others. Stakeholder employees have their interest just as much on the health of their own careers as on the health of library. They bring with them a very personal perspective. It's a personal experience that has profound implications. When a manager makes their staff stakeholders in the future of the library, they are making them stakeholders in the future of their jobs and their careers by giving them some control over the library's future path. They can market their achievements to other employers or leverage their opportunities from within the library or organization. An information manager is able to create stakeholderships for their staff in several different ways. The best way is to exploit the workplace bargain. Make stakeholdership part of the relationship between staff and management. Chart out the challenges and goals and carefully define responsibilities. At the end of a project or the achievement of a goal, equal shares of the glory, or the blame, are distributed among the stakeholders. Also, the information manager can create an infrastructure that

Creating a culture of risk

Fostering Stakeholdership: Tips for turning staff into stakeholders For new employees • Discuss stakeholdership during orientation • Describe current stakeholdership-related projects • Offer immediate opportunities to get involved For current employees • Survey employees for service, technology and other improvement suggestions • Create goals for innovating specific services • Provide opportunities for employees to present innovation (or business) plans • Offer monetary and non-monetary incentives for successful ideas, including vacation time, training opportunities, conference attendance, and others • Establish clear measurements, for achievement with every entrepreneurial project • Delegate authority and accountability to project teams

Figure 5.2 Fostering stakeholdership: tips for turning staff into stakeholders

reinforces the idea of stakeholdership. They could hold monthly stakeholder meetings where individuals discuss achievements and mistakes made along the way. Strategy could be discussed and new teams could be formed. The information manager could produce quarterly or annual reports that measure progress. Benchmarks could be established, and timetables for achievement could be posted. The ultimate goal is to produce a staff that feels connected to their work. For Generation Xers this is especially important because they want to feel connected to their work. They want to feel as if they are making a difference. It is the reason why so many are turning to self-reliance. Many Generation Xers want to see the product of their work, and are willing to give up a 'steady' job for one that gives them that satisfaction. There is no reason why a library, any library, cannot give their staff that satisfaction. After all, library services often have an immediate and tangible effect on users. The challenge comes with creating an environment that gives staff the opportunity to feel that tangible immediacy.

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Leaders

Encouraging staff to take risks Stakeholdership means nothing if the environment does not encourage risk and discourage the practices that squander opportunity and innovation. 'Pull the whole staff together and encourage them to create a "big, hairy, audacious goal." Make it measurable. Set a deadline. Post it where it's highly visible to the staff. Celebrate with everyone when they reach the goal' (Raines, 1997, p. 93). And, I would add, create an environment where the staff have access to the information and the resources they need in order to achieve that 'big, hairy' goal. Without the manager's active leadership, risk-taking will never occur. Information managers need to encourage risk by taking some themselves, and by creating opportunities and providing incentives for risk. 'How an employee reacts to the opportunity to make such decisions [risk] depends on the level of creativity and independence that has been encouraged by the manager and, having such an atmosphere in place, where the employees are trained in and understand the acceptable levels of independent decision making that operate in the organization, is on the basic guidelines of quality customer service' (St Clair, 1996, p. 26). When it comes to risk, information managers will want to lead by example. If staff see their management take risks, it can turn into an opportunity to establish its importance and encourage its application. For example, they could offer flexible work schedules, permitting employees to telecommute or share jobs. They could create new reference schedules or redesign tasks to better suit employees' interest. Responsibilities do not have to be 'equally' shared. If one employee enjoys desk reference work, they should be given more opportunity to do what they love rather than share duties with another librarian who would rather do email or phone reference. A manager could also create opportunities for more creative user services. Maybe online interactive, real-time reference is something worth looking into, especially if some or many of your users travel overseas, or simply do not want to leave their desks. A manager can create opportunities for employees to take risks. For instance, they could eliminate as many processes as possible, '. . . there is a tendency', writes St. Clair, 'within library and information work to do a job simply because it has always been done that way. Information services workers . . . seem to have a propensity to avoid changing any methodology that already exists, yet many people working in these fields find themselves frustrated when they are expected to perform their tasks according to certain routines and patterns' (St Clair, 1996, p. 112). In order to create an environment more open to risk-taking, the processes, the little extra added steps, need to be eliminated. Information managers could give staff the opportunity to keep track of their statistics in which ever way they are comfortable. They could offer them the chance to trade off responsibilities to other staff members, 'if you take my reference

Creating a culture of risk 85

shifts this week, I'll take your's next week'. They could also let them create their own schedules, keep track of their own time. No one knows the needs of users better than frontline staff who work the phones, e-mail, and the reference desk. Information managers should give teams of frontline staff the responsibility of creating new services to serve users. Perhaps many of the users complain that they cannot contact library staff after hours. Are there ways that after hours services could be made available? Hours could be changed. Some employees could work from home and remain 'on call', responding to e-mail or phone calls. Managers should let the frontliners tackle the problem. Are there some methods of scheduling, statistics gathering, document delivery, or compiling weekly or monthly reports that should be changed, made more efficient? They should let a team decide. Information managers should also allocate money for risky service development. I am always surprised at how few libraries maintain a budget for development. They will have a budget for employee development. They will have a budget for new technology and new acquisitions, but they will not think to set money aside for risky ventures, for strategic lunches with important individuals, for cash incentive programmes. Information managers can create monetary and work-life incentives in order to foster risk-taking in employees. These include cash rewards for successful new services, time off for hard work or initiative, a chance to go to an out-of-town conference, and various small incentives such as gift certificates, donations made in employee's name, plane tickets, commuter fare incentives, a 'rent-free' month, or the opportunity to take unspecified leave. For these incentives, employees will have to develop a programme, budget it, implement it, and measure its impact. It is a lot of work, but the process is also a way to select only the programmes that have been thought out and invested in. Employees will work hard for something they want; all an information manager needs to do is give them the opportunity to do it. The first steps for creating a risk-accepting environment are to establish a budget and allocate those resources to employees. Managers should consider it venture capital. Remember the 'big hairy audacious goal'? Well, they could take it one step further and create a means of having Generation X staff earn money for risky ventures. Give them the opportunity to create a 'business plan' for their risky venture. Managers should have them explain their budget allocations and discuss their expected outcomes. They should have them design the product and set the goals, and give them a timeline for achieving it. It does not need to be a large budget and it could be distributed in instalments. What kind of risky ventures have Generation X professionals created? Two of my interviewees are freelance information brokers. I asked them both about the riskiest decisions they ever made and one of them told me of her investment in services called 'day planning'.

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Her Seattle clients were busy executives involved with international trade, especially in Asia and Russia. They needed more than just someone to provide them with information. They needed someone who could organize their lives. She stepped back from her original work and reassessed her clients' needs. Information was for them just one service among many other mundane needs like walking the dog or picking up the dry cleaning. So for two months she invested in learning to plan people's days and assisting them with whatever day-to-day services they needed. She made contacts with every conceivable type of daily service such as dry cleaners, accessory and speciality shops, a local copy shop, a veterinarian, a coffee shop and a dog groomer. She created an information network of these services and negotiated lower prices for her clients. After all of this work was done, she renamed her company and found two other day planners/personal assistants who were willing to go into a partnership. After two months of what she described as 'eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches', she restarted her business, tripled her clientele and now has six partners. She made a profit in the first year and has never had a year in the red. Obviously, an information manager does not need to shut the library down to reinvent itself, but this example provides a good look at the energy and enthusiasm many Generation Xers possess. Many members of a library staff might not see the risks to the library or to their own jobs. T o them, like to many, the library seems like a tranquil place. Many professionals chose this career because they thought that librarianship was a low stress' job. That might have been a reasonable expectation thirty years ago; it is not anymore. Risk is tightly woven into the fabric of the information professions. However, in order to encourage risk-taking, the information manager needs to sanction it, and hold staff accountable for its results. It is one thing to permit employees to form a team, it is another to give them a deadline and hold them to it.

Micromanagement and the opposite of risk Just as important as any strategy is the need for managers to avoid micromanagement. Micromanagement can kill all the creativity and enthusiasm in employees. It creates distrust and animosity between employee and manager and it destroys morale. It effects Generation Xers particularly hard. 'Instead of encouraging our natural predisposition to be innovative and entrepreneurial, micromanagers disenfranchise Xers from the result of our work. Robbed of any ownership or ability to affect the endproducts of our work, Xers are a wasted resource at best. In the worst cases, Xers who are micromanaged become angry, disaffected and counterproductive - and then w e leave' (Tulgan, 1996, p. 71).

Creating a culture of risk

Remember, Generation Xers have a certain creative independence. They possess that ethic of self-reliance. Micromanagement is the antithesis of creative self-reliance. Generation Xers' enthusiasm depends on their ability to work on their own terms. In order to keep their end of the bargain, information managers should offer their Generation X employees all the opportunities they can for them to fulfil their end of the bargain. Micromanagement effectively breaks the bargain. There is no way for an information manager to foster risk-taking if they are also micromanaging their employees.

Conclusion There was a time when libraries were considered places of serenity. That time is in the past. The fact is libraries are places stressful, demanding, and, most of all, risky. In order to adapt, in order to keep up with the forces of change and the forces of obsolescence, information managers need employees who are willing to invest their energy and skills in the hard work of adaptation and survival. They are in luck, because there is a whole new generation of information professionals who possess the risk-taking skills information managers need. Generation Xers possess what one commentator has called the 'new ethic of self-reliance'. This is not a form of arrogance, it is actually a desire for risk and experimentation. It is fearlessness. The challenge for information managers is to tap into the risk-taking. They need to learn flexibility and the fine art of delegation. They need to step back and let their employees, their most important stakeholders, work towards a better library.

References Bagby, M. (1998) Rational exuberance. New York: Penguin Munk, N. (1998) The new organization man. Fortune, March, 137 (5), 62 [www.northernlight.com/fortune/search.html] Miniter, R. (1998) Generation X does business. American Enterprise, 8 (4), 38 [www.theamericanenterprise.org/GENX.HTMl Peterson, L. (1997) Talking 'bout my generation; young guns fire back in business; Xers becoming entrepreneurs. Salt Lake Tribune, 7 September 1997 Raines, C. (1997) Beyond generation X, a practical guide for managers, 188 tips, tools, and techniques that narrow the gap at work. Menlo Park, CA: Crisp Publications

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St. Clair, G. (1996) Entrepreneurial librariartship, the key to effective information services management. London: Bowker-Saur Tulgan, B. (1996) Managing generation X, how to bring out the best in young talent. Oxford: Capstone

Chapter Six

Compensation: work-life issues for libraries

Salary is just one facet of compensation. More than any other aspect of work, even more than a manager's own behaviour and personality, compensation communicates the strongest messages to workers about how much their employers value them. Perhaps the most vital aspect of the workplace bargain, compensation is the conduit between manager and employee. Information managers who wish to keep their end of the bargain, and in the process attract and retain young talent, will need to integrate compensation into their long-term, strategic plans, because just like technology and acquisitions, compensation is a long-term investment. It involves salary, training and development, communication, and risktaking. It involves enormous financial investment, and detailed planning. Probably the best way to approach compensation is to see it as part of a greater work-life issue. Work-life is a human resources/management concept that considers the quality of the work experience for employees. It is a relatively new way of looking at an old concept, because it is more than just answering the question 'Are they happy?'. Work-life explores the reasons why workers stay or leave. It explores the physical work environment, management/employee relations, employee satisfaction, and many other aspects of work in order to create a better picture of how people live while they work. Information managers can no longer expect staff to leave home at home. It is unrealistic, especially as many companies and organizations permit workers to work from home. As employers address home issues, such as child care, the lines between the two worlds are permanently blurred. Generation Xers are especially keen on the work-life balance. 'Generation X looks at work as a lifestyle. So much of our time is absorbed by work that we care greatly about what we are doing and with whom we do business' (Bagby, 1998, p. 175). This is one of the primary reasons why so many are choosing risky entrepreneurial ventures that they can identify with rather than a steady job with a company they hardly know. They take work personally and want it to be a meaningful part of their

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lives, and if they cannot find that meaning in working for someone else, they are much more willing to take the risk of finding it on their own terms. David Foote, a consultant with Cromwell Foote Partners of Connecticut says, 'Pay is a great motivator, but it is increasingly losing influence. . . . You have to pay fairly, but you also have to give people work that's meaningful, work that engages them.' (Villano, 1999) Compensation is the key to fulfilling management's end of the workplace bargain. It is also an excellent strategy for recruiting and retaining young talent. However, it must be emphasized that compensation means much more than just salary. Salary is just one facet of a complex lattice structure of benefits. Salary could be the best way to attract the best talent, but it certainly will not be the best way to keep them. Information managers must learn to balance both the tangible rewards (salary) with all of the intangible benefits (training, time-off, personal development) that Generation Xers are looking for in their employers.

Salary Most Generation X professionals would probably agree that they did not choose librarianship for its great salaries and social status. For almost all of the Generation Xers I interviewed, the decision to become a librarian was based on immediate needs and long-term pragmatic planning. Many received their Bachelors in the early 1990s, when the US economy was in recession. Many had liberal arts degrees and could not find jobs. They were facing grim job prospects and had to make tough decisions. Many were already working in support positions in libraries, and subsequently they made the pragmatic decision to redirect their careers towards information instead of teaching, publishing or academia. Among these interviewees, and among many of my own friends and colleagues, the truth seems to be that they chose librarianship for practical reasons, not million dollar salaries or flashy cars, mind you. It was just a choice between having a steady job at something you liked doing, to getting a degree in something that did not guarantee any future employment. There is a great myth out there that librarians chose this profession because they heard a calling to it. In the eyes of many, librarianship is a secular vocation. That is a false perception, because many librarians seemed to have stumbled into the profession. Yes, many worked in libraries before library school, but they initially had other plans, and somehow, their road led them in this direction. Most of my participants rejected the idea they were called to serve as librarians. For them, it was not a vocation, just a good decision, because they ended up stumbling on to a profession they loved. Most of the interview participants loved their current jobs. However, when I asked them if they would leave their jobs for better pay and

Compensation: work-life issues for libraries

benefits, the answer was a resounding, 'Yes'. 'I can leave with the best of them', one participant said, with an emotion wink). Like I have said before, Generation Xers do not exhibit the institutional loyalty that was once so important to libraries, especially large public and academic libraries. Reputation and status are not as important to them as personal and professional advantages, and, of course, salary. More important, reputation will not attract young talent to a library. There needs to be something more. Salary is perhaps the first impression young talent gets of a potential employer. It attracts them to positions that might otherwise look like any number of similar jobs. It is easy for an information manager to dismiss salary; after all, as the saying goes, you do not become a librarian to make a million. But Generation Xers are not choosing careers for salary alone, they are choosing those careers that meet their personal and ethical expectations. Salary is not going to attract talent into the profession, ideals might. However, what information managers might not understand is that they need to raise salaries to attract young talent to their libraries. Salary is not a profession-wide issue, it is a competitive issue among individual libraries, library systems, and any number of high-tech companies that need the information skills that many young information professionals possess. National and international demographics projections show a disturbing trend in many developed countries. The number of people participating in the workforce is either slowing down or decreasing. In the United States, the total workforce is expected to increase by only 15 million by the year 2006. That is the slowest rate of growth since the 1950s (Fullerton, 1997, p. 38). In some European countries, such as Germany, the labour force is expected to dramatically decrease. Slow population growth in most developed countries is the culprit. As a matter of fact, the US Census Bureau predicts that all future population growth will be in the least developed or developing countries. The future of human population growth has been determined, and is now largely being decided, in the world's less developed nationals (LDCs). Ninetysix per cent of world population increase now occurring in the developing regions of Africa, Asian and Latin America, and this percentage will rise over the coverage of the next quarter century. . . . The Census Bureau's projection indicate that early in the next century, crude death rates will exceed crude birth rates for the world's more developed countries (MDCs), and the difference - natural increase - will be negative.

The report goes on to say that this lopsided growth will dramatically increase international immigration and that some of the negative growth in MDCs will be offset by the influx of immigrants. However, immigration cannot solve the problem, "... if present trends continue, the population of the world's MDCs will slowly begin to decrease from the year 2020 onward' (US Census Bureau, 1999).

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What does global population growth have to do with libraries? It gives us a dramatic picture of the tightening labour market. Information managers, many of whom are Baby Boomers, grew up in families and neighbourhoods brimming with hundreds, even thousands of children and young people around their age. It is fair to say that many would find it difficult to picture a population so small that a child will grow up with only ten or twenty peers. But in many developed countries, especially in Europe, this is the case. This is also the case in many midwestern states of the United States, where the average age has been steadily increasing since the 1960s. What world demographic trends tell is that in the near future the shrinking population in the US and abroad will put pressure on all employers, including information managers, to attract and retain the best employees. In some industries, like IT, the pressure is already full on. In a matter of years, not decades, many information managers will also feel the same pressure. It is being felt in some areas of the US. In the Washington, DC metropolitan area the need for school library/media specialists is so bad that school systems have gone to incredible lengths to find individuals willing to go to library school (at the county's expense) and go through the process to be certified. School officials now believe that over half of the current professionals will retire in the next five to ten years, but the local library schools are only graduating less than 25 certified library/media professionals each year. This is simply not enough to keep up with demand, and as a result, school systems have started to develop creative means of attracting professionals into their job vacancies. Tuition reimbursement, training, and competitive salaries have all been introduced to do everything from motivating teachers to become specialists to luring current specialists from their jobs in neighbouring counties (Schumacher, 1999). Libraries are in a very real way competing for a small pool of candidates. Even as enrolment and graduation numbers are rising (see Chapter Ten) they are not rising at a rate fast enough to fill those positions being vacated, let alone fill the ones that are brand new. This is where salary becomes strategic. Salary is no longer a measure of an employee's 'place' in the library's hierarchy, nor is it a measure of the employee's merit. It is a weapon used in the life or death struggle to find good talent. Like in most companies and organizations, personnel is the dominate cost. Technology and other costs pale in comparison to salary and employee benefits. However, it is important not to see salary as a cost: it is a long-term investment to help recruit and retain talented workers, because regardless of how much money is invested in an employee, it is still less expensive to invest in current employees than to manage constant turnover. It is less expensive to provide current employees with continuing training and personal development than it is to have new recruits go through long periods of initial training. Consistently higher salaries among other forms of compensation, are

Compensation: work-life issues for libraries

better investments than nickel and diming on the basics and opportunities to hire consistently good employees. Remember, salaries are often the first impression a young of a potential employer. What signal does it send when common advertisement such as these from a recent (August, of the Washington Post Sunday employment classifieds:

thus losing person has they see a 1999) issue

INFORMATION SPECIALIST Immediate opening for an Information Specialist to perform a variety of professional library activities which include but will not be limited to information and document delivery and responding to queries related to [company's name] products and services. The candidate must have experience in database maintenance and online systems. Candidate must also possess the ability to assess information requests and identify appropriate resources required. Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, Inmagic library software, internet and web maintenance are required. Position requires an undergraduate or graduate degree in library or equivalent information environment. Starting salary is $28,792. Compared that advertisement with a high-tech one from the same day:

W E B DEVELOPER We are currently seeking a Web Developer to code information for the internet, develop web pages, and perform maintenance. Required Skills: Experience in HTML, JAVA Script, Coding information for the internet (making design a reality). Develop web pages Perform maintenance. Salary mid-40s. If you were a young person, coming out of graduate school with $20 000 in student loan debt, which job would look more appealing? Where would you send your CV? What does a salary in the high 20s say to a young person graduating with skills that can easily pay them in the 40s? Does it say 'we value you'? Of course not. And the traditional excuses that many information managers use to explain away low salaries do not hold up in an economy where many other companies and nonprofit organization are able to compete. As a student in high school, I worked in a local public library. This was the mid-1980s and there was quite a boom going on outside my little suburban world, but I did not pay much attention to it. I was sixteen and had other things on my mind. I believed my boss, the head reference librarian, when she said that she could not give me that 25 cent raise because they did not have it in their budget. When I was working

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in circulation at a college library, I did not think twice about the memo that went around saying that part-timers were not going to receive that 15 cent raise because of 'budget constraints'. In the early 1990s, when I was old enough to experience a recession and understand its impact, I believed wholeheartedly it when my manager said that I could only receive a $500 raise because they were 'strapped for funds'. But the United States is currently floating along in the strongest economy for over fifty years. Unemployment is at record lows, companies are investing in capital improvements. Nonprofit organizations are expanding their reach and services. Many counties and most states' budgets are operating on surplus and the Federal government is also planning for a surplus in the 100s of billions of dollars. This is probably the greatest boom time many Americans will ever see. It is, quite frankly, the best of times. However, I still hear information managers, especially public librarians, say they do not have the budget. They cannot do this and they cannot do that; they do not have the money. I look with suspicion on any information manager who says they 'don't have the money'. This is the strongest economy in fifty years, if you cannot find the money now then when will you find the money? When will there finally be enough money to maintain competitive salaries and good benefits? It has nothing to do with money. It does, however, have a lot to do with priorities. I believe that many Generation Xers share my scepticism. It is probably not as strong as mine, but it is still there. If they hear a litany of 'we can'ts' and 'wedonthavethemoneys', many will simply choose to work for libraries or organizations that say, 'We will!' and 'We do'. In an economy where almost anything is possible - deflation, low unemployment - there are many companies and organizations that are willing to say 'Yes' and attempt to balance salary costs with income. Sure, the economy might change at any moment. We could have twenty years of misery ahead of us - soup lines, etc. But barring any disasters, the economy might slow but it will not falter, and we might be looking at what one futurist called 'The Long Boom' (see Schwartz and Leyden, 1997). Information managers might never again have a legitimate excuse to cut salaries, or offer poor ones. They might never again be able to trim benefits because of budget cuts. The pool of qualified information professionals is shrinking and competition is so tough that any excuse will lead to positions going vacant, not for weeks, but for months and even years. Most Generation Xers will say that they did not choose to be a librarian for the great salaries. They certainly did not do it for its sexy image. They enjoy the work. It is as one participant said, the last bastion for the generalist'. If you are someone who likes a lot of things, then this might be the profession for you. However, a vow of poverty does not accompany a Master's of Library Science. Many Generation Xers understand this and expect employers to pay them what they are worth. If information

Compensation: work-life issues for libraries

Table 6.1 Average salaries for professional librarians Location

Employment (#'s employed)

Average hourly wage

Average annual wage

National

141 360

$18.46

$38 400.00

San Francisco, California

820

$21.91

San Diego, CA

760

$15.83

$45 580.00 $32 930.00

3140

$2393 $1935

$49 770.00 $40 250.00 $51 850.00 $46 940.00

Los Angeles, CA Boulder, Colorado

190

Denver, CO

590

Hartford, Connecticut

910

$24.93 $22.57

5140

Washington, DC Metro Area West Palm Beach/ Boca Raton, Florida Honolulu, Hawaii

$20.60

$42 850.00

480

$15.51

$32 270.00

510

$20.84

$43 360.00

Chicago, Illinois

3890

Indianapolis, Indiana

1140

$20.79 $18.11

$43 240.00 $37 670.00

Kansas City, Kansas/ Missouri

830

$16.96

$35 280.00

Boston, Massachusetts/ New Hampshire

2180

$21.67

$45 070.00

Detroit, Michigan

I860

$19.67

$40 920.00

$18.08

$37 600.00

Virginia/North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina

880

$17.26

New York City Metropolitan Area New Jersey/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Minneapolis, MN/Wisconsin

6380

$19.97

$35 900.00 $41 550.00

2770

$21.91

$45 570.00

1120

$21.41

$44 540.00

Albuquerque, New Mexico

300

$18.20

$37 850.00

580

$17.15 $16.10

$35 670.00

1330

$33 480.00

490

$14.10

$29 320.00

Cincinnati, Ohio

760

$18.97

Portland, Oregon

1020

$1932

$39 450.00 $40 180.00

Austin, Texas Dallas, TX Memphis, Tennessee

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managers cannot live up to this (reasonable) expectation, then they should expect to find it difficult to recruit and retain valued employees. Table 6.1 shows average salaries for professional librarians in 25 metropolitan areas in the United States. Do your salaries match up?

Work-life Issues in libraries Salary is an important issue in libraries, because so many libraries consistently undervalue their employees, and the employees know it. It was the complaint most often vocalized by many of my interview participants. It is in stark display in the help wanted ads. It is a fact of life that many Generation Xers are increasingly frustrated with and which many are no longer willing to accept. However, salary operates with other issues creating an overall work-life experience for employees. If salary gives young professionals their first impressions of possible employers then it is the overall work-life benefits that contribute to those employees' retention. Pay and benefits are good attractions. According to the Aon Consulting Workforce Commitment Index, 'pay and benefits are the top two reasons why candidates accept a job'. However, pay and benefits are not 'powerful motivators' when it come to staff retention. 'After employees take the job, pay and benefits become entitlement to them.' The Aon study shows that other factors motivate employees to stay (Laabs, 1998a). What is work-life? Work-life is the study of the constant tension between employees' home-lives and their work-lives. Management's response to the issues that inevitably come up at work - everything from pregnancy and adoption to domestic violence and drug use are part of it too. It studies how and what types of benefits affect productivity. In general, the results of work-life policies and research into it have shown that the types of benefits that directly improve the personal lives of employees have a positive impact on their work. Gone are the days when managers could expect employees to leave home problems at home. Gone also are the days when employees felt inadequate when they could not prevent themselves from bringing work home with them. Anyone who has a small child or works with someone who has a small child knows the constant interruptions that can occur: the child's day care is closed, the child's school is let out early, the child is sick, the child needs to get to summer camp, the child needs a new doctor, a new day care centre or a new school. There are petting zoo events, Easter egg rolls, Christmas parties, parents' days at school. All of these things happen during the day, and of course, most emergencies occur while the parents are at work. Single people will have problems as well. Some more ominous than others. Cars need to be inspected; repairmen always seem to say, 'We're coming anytime between 9 and 5'. There are

Compensation • work-life issues for libraries

doctor's appointments, parking tickets to pay, and the occasional sprained ankle or wrist. And there are always the terrible situations: abusive boyfriends, violent spouses, or employee drug abuse. They are all personal issues, and they are all unavoidable at work. Many organizations have discovered that giving employees the opportunity and support to face these personal daily issues can actually inspire loyalty and improve productivity. Tom Nides, Senior VP of Human Resources at Fannie Mae, a US mortgage company said, ' . . . if employees know their company is willing to help them, then they'll want to come to work and they'll stay focused on their work... . We want our employees to know they need to balance work and family because if they're not happy at home, they won't be happy at work' (Hays, 1999, p. 70). The same goes for libraries. It becomes apparent quickly whether personal issues will be 'tolerated' at work. Ignoring them was once a legitimate option for information managers because work-life was not an issue that most companies and organizations addressed. That has changed, and many Generation Xers will choose employers who give them opportunities to balance the personal and professional. Work-life benefits often give employers their competitive edge. It becomes imperative for information managers to integrate work-life benefits into their libraries' policies, not just as a way to increase productivity, and raise morale, but as a way to recruit and retain the best talent they can find. Work-life benefits are more than just expenses to be managed, but tools for competitive advantage. 'Work/life strategies have not only hit the corporate mainstream - they've become drivers towards competitive advantage. The ever-changing values of tomorrow's workforce have created unprecedented demands for flexible, diverse benefits and policies. To be leaders and employers of choice, organizations are increasingly focusing on managing human capital' (Vincola, 1998). One recurring theme that came through in my interviews with Generation Xers was that these young professionals liked their jobs, in spite of, not because of, their managers. Bad management can make work-life unbearable for all employees not just Generation Xers. However, Generation Xers will react differently: They will leave. 'I had three jobs all in a row', said one of my interviewees, 'I didn't put any on my resume. I just tell people I went to Korea for three months to visit my family.' It becomes imperative for information managers to assess the quality of the work-life in order to stem the flow of talented young people who are not willing to suffer through bad management. 'Good management is no longer a luxury', says Bruce Tulgan in a interview with Disgruntled magazine (www.disgruntled.com). It is absolutely essential in a workforce that is downsized and restructured and reengineered, where there is no job security and where increasingly people are working in a telecommuting context, or in other, more atomized

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environments.. . . There is an emerging workforce that can no longer function in an environment of bad management. Because we have to fend for ourselves and we have to be working in institutions that contribute to our self-building. (McWilliams, 1998) Information managers can also see work-life benefits as part of the greater effort to keep their end of the workplace bargain. The exchange of expertise and skills for pay and benefits can be fulfilled with a substantive work-life strategy. It is also important to recognize that many library users 'see' libraries via the frontline people who interact with them If this group is not happy many patrons will notice the lack of service quality. It becomes imperative for information managers to address the work-life needs of their frontline employees, if only to keep them happy and productive. What are those work-life needs? A survey by the Gallup Organization from 1998 'showed that training is a major draw for employees born between I960 and 1977. In fact, Gen Xers said they are more likely to stay with companies that invest in such programmes' (Cole-Gomolski, 1998). A Fortune magazine poll showed that 70 per cent of Generation Xers asked said that working with people they like, compared with 58 per cent who saw salary as important (Corley, 1999 p. 23). What they do not want to hear is that the library does not have the money to invest in them. What message are managers sending when they become so stingy with the slightest accommodations - a cup of coffee, a holiday party, a few minutes in the morning, a chance to make a telephone call, to take care of a small personal matter, see a doctor, have lunch, enjoy the job, have a little fun? These manager are telling Xers that our presence and our work product are not valued enough to warrant even the most minor investments in our wellbeing and comfort. (Tulgan, 1996, p. 132) They want to see managers take active steps to invest in them. Training and development is one of those steps. I discuss training and development is greater detail in Chapters seven and eight. For now I will say that training and development are attractive aspects to any job. Generation Xers are more likely going to want to join companies and stay with companies that can show them an impressive training programme. '. . . it's the nonfinancial reward that drives Xers to an employer of choice. These and other nonfinancial rewards can also bind workers to an employer while distinguishing and giving an organization an edge over its competition . . .' (Corely, 1999, p. 23). For libraries these include: •

Expenses paid annual conference

•

Paid registration fees for day-long or week-long software or internet training

•

Interpersonal and management skills training

•

Life-skills development, such as personal finances and wellness

Compensation: work-life issues for libraries

The keys to good work-life benefits are flexibility and relevance. Benefits should accommodate changing work environments and needs. For instance, if reference librarians are taking more overseas requests then a training session in international greetings and addresses might go a long way to impress users. If employees are going to begin telecommuting, then there should be some training on new software or a consistent training on communication awareness and the need for telecommuting employees to keep in touch and measure their own productivity. Benefits should be relevant to employees. Many Generation Xers are not interested in retirement plans, but they are attracted to possible stock options. Basic training in 'desktop management' and 'how to surf the internet' classes might not catch their attention. Older Generation Xers would be interested in on-site day care options or company negotiated rates for family-oriented vacation opportunities. It is not difficult to tailor programmes, because all a manager needs to do is ask their employees what they are looking for. It is these kinds of work-life benefits that will impress Generation Xers to join the staff of a library and remain there. A 1998 Americans @ Work study by Aon Consulting shows that employee commitment is 'most strongly correlated with management's recognition of the importance of personal and family life and the effects of work on workers' personal lives'. According to the study, 'the biggest driver of employee loyalty is having managers recognize their need to balance work with home life' (Laabs, 1998b). But how do information managers integrate work-life and salary benefits into their long-range goals? First, they should see worklife benefits as an investment, not a cost to be managed. They should begin to identify the kinds of personal and professional issues that come up in staff meetings or around the water cooler. Most importantly, they must develop means for measuring improvements in their investment. The goals of work-life benefits - morale, retention, and productivity should be ongoing, and there should be some mechanism to quantify or present results to upper management. If information managers need to report back to a manager or board, then they should offer a way to measure the progress of any long-term investment. Work-life benefits should be as quantifiable as possible in order to ensure the ongoing support of upper level management. Quantifying the results of work-life benefits is a challenge. Investment in work-life benefits has an impact on productivity, but just how much is still hard to tell. Some studies suggest that there are some benefits but without solid methods of quantifying results, it will be difficult to just glance over work-life benefits and take them for granted. Consider worklife issues as business issues. A Ford Foundation study points out, Addressing work/family concerns as legitimate and systematic issues for corporations can lead to innovation in work practices that not only help employees, but also improve the bottom-line results for the company.

99

Developing Information Leaders . . . Despite potential benefits to the company, the study found that making the link between work and work/life issues is difficult. Significant organizational barriers - such as beliefs about what makes a good worker, how productivity is achieved, and how rewards are distributed - strain this connection. (Vincola, 1998)

It is imperative that more research be done on how to measure the results of these investments in libraries. As work changes, and as a new generation of professionals makes work-life demands on managers, these issues will come to the forefront of library management. Turnover, not technology, will be the biggest drain on talent and financial resources, and managers will need to develop strategies to alleviate or eliminate its force. Even if productivity is hard to measure in one area of work-life benefits, its effects can be measured in recruitment and retention rates. Work/life initiatives play a critical role in a organization's recruitment and retention strategies. Issues to look at include: Cost per hire - a decrease in costs per hire signifies a decrease in recruiting costs, training time and so on.. .. Lost intellectual capital - turnover rates in excess of 10 per cent and low retention rates indicate the organization is not properly managing needed knowledge, skills and behavior. (Vincola, 1998)

Generation Xers make lifestyle choices when they choose a job, 'Xers want to work somewhere unique and interesting .. . This does not mean that pay issues are insignificant to this group, only that lifestyle factors are also important' (Corely, 1999 p. 22). This might make Generation Xers look spoiled, and it might give the appearance that they feel entitled to a work environment that suits their needs and not the needs of library users. Something different came across in my interviews, however, and as one consultant said, it is actually the employers who are feeling a sense of entitlement, 'Good companies have learned to respond immediately to every whim of their consumers. When it comes to their labourers, however, they're shocked - shocked! - when traditional methods don't work. "The stereotype is that Generation X thinks it's entitled", says David Friedman of McKinsey and company. "But the people who sound like they have entitlement mentality are companies: They think they're entitled to have a work force that works like their parents did"' (Munk, 1998).

Conclusion In the coming years, work-life issues will undoubtedly evolve. In a recent issue of Workforce Online, Ann Vincola, senior partner at Corporate Work/Life Consulting in Boston, Massachusetts, identifies these developing issues. She describes an industry undergoing a vibrant evolution. Companies will outsource their work/life programmes, even as areas of

Compensation: work-life issues for libraries

wellness, employee assistance and work/life programmes become increasingly integrated. Companies will make even more investments in education as on-site child care turns into learning centres. Among other issues to be addressed are spousal and family benefits. Some of these trends will impact libraries, particularly libraries with large staffs such as public library systems and academic libraries, including: •

Multigenerational workplaces where companies will need to address the life issues of a workforce 'that, at times, spans 62 years'.

•

Larger investment in education such as on-site day care that is turned into learning-based facilities for children.

•

Wellness, risk prevention and employee assistance will be part of a larger effort to cut healthcare costs.

•

Training and develop programmes that are offered to spouses. (Vincola, 1999)

If they want to become competitive in an increasingly challenging market for new talent, libraries will need to address work-life issues. In order to recruit Generation Xers and other young talent, libraries have to offer them a good first impression. However, salary will not keep them at their jobs. That is where work-life issues come into play. Information managers have to begin with the basics, offer salaries that compensate for skills, not experience, and motivate them to stay by integrating work-life into a greater long-term strategy to recruit and retain the best professionals. Salary and work-life issue must no longer be seen as costs and expenses to be managed. Instead managers should see them as capital investment, human capital.

References Bagby, M. (1998) Rational exuberance. New York: Penguin Cole-Gomolski, B. (1998) Generation X: skills training trumps pay. ComputerWorld [www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/all/98091 4688A] Corley, T. (1999) Becoming an employer of choice for generation X: the elements of the deal. Journal of Career Planning and Employment, 59 (4), 21 Fullerton, H. (1997) Labour force 2006: slowing down and changing composition. Monthly Labor Review. Hays, S. (1999) Volunteerism bolsters employee commitment. Workforce, 78 (3), 70

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Laabs, J. (1998a) They want more support - inside and outside of work. Workforce, 77 (11), 54-56 Laabs, J. (1998b) Satisfy them with more than just money. Workforce, 77 (11), 40-43 McWilliams, B. (1998) The conference room: a conversation with Bruce Tulgan. Disgruntled [www.disgruntled.com) Münk, N. (1998) The new organization man. Fortune, March, 137 (5), 62 [www.northernlight.com/fortune/search.htmll Schumacher, M. (1999) The struggle to find librarians. The Washington Post, 26 August 1999 Schwartz, and Leyden (1997), The long boom. Wired [www.wired. com:80/5.07] Tulgan, B. (1996) Managing Generation X, how to bring out the best in young talent. Oxford: Capstone US Census Bureau (1999) World population profile: 1998 - highlights. Washington, DC: US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census [www.census.gov/ipc/www/wp98001 .html) Villano, M. (1999) The soft touch. CIO Magazine, 11 (11) [www.cio.com] Vincola, A. (1998) Cultural change is the work/life solution. 77 (10) 70-73

Workforce,

Vincola, A. (1999) What's ahead for work/life. Workforce Online [www. workforceonline.com]

Part m

Developing Generation X

Chapter Seven

New learning and the value of development

The skills of the information age and the tough demands of the new workplace have helped shape Generation Xers' ideas of training and development. They bring new expectations and new demands to the workplace in many different areas, but nowhere is this more evident than in how Generation Xers view training and development. If information managers want to recruit and retain the best young talent, they must recognize the important role that training and development play in the personal and professional lives of their Generation X employees. For decades, information managers have placed a high value on professional training and development. However, Generation Xers are changing the perspective. Because they see work as a lifestyle choice, mixing personal and professional expectation, training and development take on new dimensions. For Generation Xers, the value of training and development is not just in learning new research or management skills, it is part of a broader, lifelong journey of self-improvement, conventional and intellectual development. This new perspective carries with it complexity and variation never before expected in simple training and development programmes. It is subjective and very human. Consider this metaphor: You have in your hands a game board. You open it up and discover that it is a Monopoly board. Easy enough. You know the rules. Or do you? Several strangers come along and ask you to play with them, you agree. But you quickly discover that they are playing by a different set of rules, and it is not clear whether they cannot, or will not give you any information. 'Just play along', one of them says to you, 'you'll figure it out'. And so here you are, the game looks familiar, but all the rules have changed and it seems as if you are the only one who does not know them. That is training and development at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

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A different way of learning The US Census Bureau has maintained data on computer use and ownership since the early 1980s. When the data is mapped out, it shows a beautiful curve upward. In 1984, 15.3 per cent of all 3 to 17 year olds had access to computers, by 1993 that number had doubled to 31-9 per cent. It is not insignificant that during this ten-year period, Generation Xers aged from early teens into twenty somethings. Before the advent of personal computers, they watched their parents bring home calculators (the big ones with the big green, boxy numbers) and VCRs, and they experienced firsthand the advent of video games. They have literally grown up with computers and the leisure products enabled by computers. Generation Xers are the first generation born and raised in an information-centred society. It would be easy to say that they are a product of the information revolution, but I do not believe that individuals are so permanently shaped by outside forces. Instead, I would say that the information revolution has offered Generation Xers unceasing access to information - in a variety of media - and opportunities to learn and grow that were not available to their parents. This has, in turn, inspired a different way of learning. The connection between technology and learning is an anecdotal one. I could find no substantive research done on the relationship between the technological revolution and Generation Xers' unique way of learning. However, I would not rule out the anecdotal evidence. It can be seen in a number of daily activities: personal computers, ATM machines, fax machines, compact discs, photocopiers, and cell phones. Generation Xers, and the young adults and children that followed them, can adjust to and learn new technologies very quickly. As one interviewee said, The internet and I get along just fine." 'Xers are veritable learning machines. . . . Xers have developed a rapid-fire style of interacting with information because the information revolution has shaped the way we think. Don't forget, we didn't have time to develop pre-information revolution learning habits because the information revolution was approaching full speed by the time we learned to read' (Tulgan, 1996, p. 43). Generation Xers adapt quickly to rapid changes, and have come to accept change as an integral part of their lives. Quite often, the only time they recognize it is when it disappears. When new forms of flexible work hours are introduced in other companies, but their employer ignores it; when new technologies are introduced that make work easier or free up time to do other things, and their manager decides against it; when new ways to transfer information are created, but their technology is too old to support it. Generation Xers are comfortable with change because it is all they have known. What is more important, is that they grow frustrated by the opposite of change.

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learning

Generation Xers see change taking place because their responsibilities put them in the middle of it. They often work the frontlines of research and information exchange in our libraries. They respond to the demands for faster, more sophisticated information delivery from equally savvy users. They are often the most computer savvy person in the library, and in many cases by default become the 'computer person'. In the middle of all these changes and demands, they leam. Generation Xers learn quickly. As software and internet resources have become increasingly intuitive, their learning curve has sharply increased. The information tools are becoming simpler, computer software is easier to use. Generation Xers can draw learning experiences from a variety of media that did not even exist twenty years ago, including interactive software, websites, and interactive television and video. Their learning can take place almost anywhere - on a plane or train, surfing from their laptop, at home watching a video - and in any form, from distance learning classes, to web-based training, to audio cassette tapes, to sitting in a classroom. This rapid-fire, flexible style of learning is often construed as a short attention span. Generation Xers often soak up, or filter what they need from information and go on to the next learning experience. This happens often while surfing the web. As an information specialist for a national information centre, I would often help fellow Generation Xers surf my organization's website. They weren't interested in the 'about' and 'historical' information. They were not looking for context. They were looking for the databases and the full-text publications. Which one was going to help them find the information they need? Which one had full-text information? I am convinced they were learning as they surfed our website. They were learning quickly about the size and scope of the site, its content, and how it was organized. They were learning how to retrieve what they needed, and then they were moving on. This is not comprehensive knowledge of an organization and its services. It is a selfand need-centered approach to learning, but it is learning nonetheless. This is also true of many Generation X information professionals. We skip the context and go straight for the content. Intuition and experience guide us. Increasingly intuitive software packages, especially search engines and database programmes, make the job of research and retrieval easier. Learning becomes a multifaceted experience. Web surfing strategies evolve quickly. Key websites change. Search engine strategies grow more sophisticated and powerful. The skills needed to accomplish tasks change along with the technology. The strategies used to find information also change with users' needs. For Generation Xers, learning is not a fixed experience, a single event fixed in time. It is ongoing because the job demands an ever-changing quality of knowledge and skills. For this reason, Generation Xers value formal training as much as they value

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ongoing, informal on-the-job learning. Training is just one facet of the learning experience. When Generation Xers are given the knowledge tools to use software programmes, hardware, etc., they can apply those skill to improve others, and successfully move on to the next learning experience. Because Generation Xers can learn anywhere, the work experience also becomes a learning experience. This is possibly due to the information revolution, which has seen information permeate all the nooks and crannies of our lives. Where there is information, there is the possibility to learn, and this has removed the strict barriers to learning. What might have only occurred in a classroom can occur online, by video, or even through CD-ROM training. What might only have been a class available through a university can now be taught at a local community college or training company because the cost of maintaining the learning technology has dropped so dramatically. The work experience also becomes a learning experience. There are a variety of ways of achieving better learning, just by understanding the new ways of workplace learning. A 1995 issue of the ERIC Digest entitled New Ways of Learning in the Workplace, summarized several interpretations of workplace learning: Action Learning - Action learning is based on the premise that learning requires action and action requires learning. It engages individuals in justin-time learning by 'providing opportunities for them to develop knowledge and understanding at the appropriate time based on immediate felt needs'. It is the learning that occurs in the process of finding solutions to problems that constitutes action learning. It is a type of learning that helps individuals respond more effectively to change. For example: In a library or information centre there are many different opportunities for action learning. A manager could give their frontline reference employees the opportunity to try out different scheduling arrangements or reference desk staffing arrangements; they could design a database to track requests, or a new way to prioritize and distribute requests. The point here is to make the work an active learning experience by giving employees the opportunity to learn as they work. The opportunities for action learning are everywhere, but the environment must be one that permits such learning to occur. Situated Learning - In the situated learning approach, knowledge and skills are taught in contexts that reflect how the knowledge will be used in real life situations. This strategy is based on the premise that knowledge is not independent, but fundamentally situated, being in part a product of the activity, context, and culture in which it is developed . . . in situated learning, it is the authentic social context in which learning occurs that offers the benefit of increased knowledge and offers the learner the potential for applying that knowledge in new ways and in new situations. For example: A library might institute a management track for some of its employees. This would be a sort of ongoing management training for

New learning

individuals who wish to become managers and meet certain requirements (e.g. MLS degree, X number of years experience, etc.) After a certain number of years and a number of required experiences (e.g. presentation at a conference, publication, etc.) the individual is then given management responsibilities. The opportunity for situated learning comes in as the management trainee takes part in their new responsibilities, as they work with other managers and mentors and learn to work as a manager. Incidental Learning - Incidental learning is defined as a spontaneous action or transaction, the intention of which is task accomplishment, but which serendipitously increases particular knowledge, skills, or understanding. Incidental learning, then, includes such things as learning from mistakes, learning by doing, learning through networking, learning from a series of interpersonal experiments. For example: Like the example given for action learning, incidental learning demands an environment where learning is nurtured. However, unlike action learning where the opportunities are intentionally designed, incidental learning is the process of learning as individuals go along. A reference librarian might have the opportunity to try a new website search engine in one subject area, even as they are searching for something else. In this case the act of learning was not intended, but it was there. Incidental learning might not be controlled, but it can be recognized. A manager could periodically request their employees to identify or discuss resources that they stumbled upon and share that new knowledge with other employees. Incidental learning may not be controlled but it could be a significant force in knowledge development at certain library and information jobs. (Lankard, 1995a) With the opportunity for training and development to occur practically anywhere, information managers can customize training programmes to suit the needs of individual employees. The flexibility of their learning skills provides some solution to the demands of training and development. If learning can occur almost anywhere, indeed, if a job can be made into an ongoing learning experience, then information managers have greater options for creating training opportunities for their staff.

The value of development Generation Xers know the value of development. For many, it is a holy grail. A company or organization that offers them opportunities to learn and grow wins loyalty and is rewarded with higher productivity. 'If you want our best creative products, help Xers replenish our inventory facilitate learning and growth and the development of new skills. Be a good customer and try to leave Xers in better shape than you found us . . .' (Tulgan, 1996, p. 114). 'For excellent staff, an environment that offers challenge, cultivates growth opportunity and encourages feedback and dialogue can offset even the most attractive salary offer' (Allmayer and Davidson 1996).

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Generation Xers see training and development as a source for improving the kinds of skills they need to remain marketable. Unlike older cohorts, they recognize that their jobs are not entitlements. Generation Xers now understand that they can be fired at will, and they are always looking for skills that can help them find their next job. 'They saw their parents laid off without cause and their perceptions of the working world were shaped in time of economic turmoil. Consequently, they tend to see every job they take as temporary and every company as a stepping stone to something better, or at least to something else' (Lankard, 1995a). They see training and development as part of the employer's responsibility in fulfilling their end of the bargain. They do not expect a lifelong job, but they do expect to gain the skills they need to remain marketable. For them, stability is not in a job for life, but in their ability to find the next job when they need to. 'At every level and in every field, the focus must shift from employment to employability; that is, making sure workers not only have jobs, but have marketable, up-to-date skills they can transfer from company to company, even from one career field to another' (Stuart, 1995). The workplace bargain is the most obvious product of this change in perspective. Generation Xers see an employer's investment in training and development opportunities as a sign of the employer's interest and value they place in their skills and knowledge. Without that investment, it is much more difficult for Generation Xers to believe an employer's sincerity. Training and development have evolved into the key components of what one writer calls the 'Boundaryless career', 'Rather than careers that involve a sequence of jobs within one internal labour market, some individuals careers are becoming boundaryless, reflecting career paths that go beyond the boundaries of single employment settings' (Marler, Milkovich, and Barringer, 1998). The lifetime job has been replaced by a career without any strict definitions. Many Generation Xers seek out this sort of experience because it actually seems to offer them the kind of stability that comes from possessing a set of marketable skills. 'Competence-oriented values are key to this group. They expect to work hard, but they are aware of threats and skeptical of safety nets. Security is more important than power. Close relationships are crucial, too. In an age when we feel that we can no longer trust corporations, government leaders, or anyone simply because they are in a position of authority, young people are building their own reliance networks with other who prove themselves trustworthy allies' (Walker, and Moses, 1996 p. 36). For Generation X information professionals, the boundaryless career has taken on immediacy and relevancy. When asked what they thought they would be doing, many of the Generation Xers I interviewed had things in mind other than working in libraries. They still saw themselves working with information and using their information skills, they just did

New learning

not see libraries in their futures. No matter how much (or little) they liked their current job, they saw themselves doing drastically different work (mostly work for personal enjoyment and fulfilment) than what they were doing at the moment. For them, library work was just the first step to greater opportunities, not the only job they ever wanted. Those greater opportunities demand training and development.

Two sides of the same coin Training and development are not the same. I like to think of them as two sides of a coin called learning. In libraries learning can take on tangible and intangible forms. Training is the tangible experience. The results of a training programme is often a substantive new skill or specific new knowledge. Development, on the other hand is intangible. These are the experiences that make an information professional a better information professional. These are the experiences that create wisdom and, hopefully, better people. In the past the responsibility for development might have lain entirely in the hands of individual professionals. Not anymore. Generation Xers see work as a lifestyle choice, and as part of the lifestyle intangible rewards take on just as much meaning and significance as skills training. For this reason, information managers have to approach training and development as an overall learning experience. It is not just an expense to be managed, but a long-term investment in the professional well-being of their employees. The new demands for holistic learning can be addressed by balancing the need for tangible and intangible learning experiences. Learning tangibles Training is just one of many tangible experiences. By tangible I mean an experience with a known, measurable or otherwise quantifiable result. It could be a certificate of achievement, a cash incentive, an award, a new responsibility, a new piece of hardware or software, or further learning opportunities, but it is something that can be seen or physically touched or described in a monthly report. Tangible learning experiences can be used as incentives for implementing change. In Entrepreneurial librarianship: the key to effective information service management, Guy St. Clair suggests using incentives as a way of inspiring employees to learn new ways of carrying out the same responsibilities. These incentives do not necessarily need to be cash. Recognition does not necessarily have to be in financial terms, but it is an important incentive in the operation of an entrepreneurially managed information services function . . . One of the things employees

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Eleven Tangible and Intangible Learning Experiences Tangibles Time off for public speaking opportunities The opportunity to train others inside and outside the organization Time off to attend free local seminars Covering the cost of local association/chapter sponsored events Assisting with employees' applications for conference fellowships Time off to attend free training courses sponsored by vendors Sponsoring in-house training and learning opportunities Intangibles The chance to volunteer The opportunity to take time off for spiritual or religious exploration The opportunity to do 'pro bono' work A chance to go to professional conferences and regional meetings Figure 7.1 Eleven tangible and intangible learning experiences

w a n t n o w a d a y s is to learn, a n d with c o r p o r a t i o n s a n d other enterprises looking to m o v e to a role as a "learning organization," e m p l o y e e s are excited at the o p p o r t u n i t y to learn n e w skills a n d then apply t h e m (St. Clair, 1996, p. 107). He provides an example: In a records management unit where an employee is given release time to learn the theoretical underpinnings of corporate librarianship through continuing education, the company is going to benefit. When the employee is given the opportunity to work with management to develop an information policy that recognizes the interrelationships between internal and external information, and is permitted to work toward the development of information systems that incorporate that recognition, the employee has contributed to organizational success, an achievement that is not only good for the company but also good for the employee. (St. Clair, 1996, p. 107) Therefore, o n e w a y t o p r o v i d e tangible learning e x p e r i e n c e s is to create a n e n v i r o n m e n t w h e r e learning is the ultimate incentive, but there are

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others. Skills training is perhaps the best example of a tangible learning experience, and it is also the most important. Generation Xers are particularly frustrated at how little skills training they receive in their professional positions. Many of the Generation Xers I interviewed for this book, saw training as one of most important aspects of their job, and voiced incredible frustration towards managers who didn't seem to see the point in it. '.. . any training we get, we go out and find', one said 'They are paying for me to take online classes.. . it's glorified self-study.' Perhaps because of the positions they hold in libraries, often on the frontlines and in computer and systems related jobs, Generation Xers understand the need for comprehensive skills training. The Generation Xers quoted above all have heavy IT-based responsibilities. However, one skill Generation Xers did not get in library school was the negotiation skills they need to convince their managers of the urgent need for skills training. From my personal experiences, I can say with certainty that of the six library jobs (as paraprofessional and professional) I have held since 1992, none of them gave me the opportunity to go through any formal training courses. I cannot recall whether I received a basic introduction to using the phone system or learning e-mail. Even when I asked for training, the expectation was that I was going to learn it as I went along, or worse, I was just expected to know it, even if I was not required to have that skill for the job. I suspect that to my managers formal training was an expense they just could not bear to manage. In small struggling libraries, training might seem a luxury item. However, it was always demoralizing to watch managers go to conferences and take training classes, while I was expected to read the book and learn it on my own. Somehow the money was scraped together for the manager to go, but there just was never enough for me. I am not the only one who has heard the excuse before, and it is not enough to respond with a 'pay your dues' attitude. Training and development opportunities are an integral part of the workplace bargain. If information managers do not make it known that they value their employees and their contributions through direct and immediate investment in them, then Generation Xers will do what they do best when they are told in no uncertain terms that they are not valued. They will leave. In a robust economy, Generation Xers with highly marketable information skills do not need to pay dues, and many are choosing not to. Libraries are not the only organizations neglecting the skills training of their employees. This issue has been discussed for a long time. However, many companies, and indeed many industries, have come to realize that well-trained employees work harder and produce more, invest longer hours and generate greater creativity. It is as if all the employer needs to do is open the gate of Learning Opportunity to their employees, and suddenly they are willing to put all their new found knowledge to

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work. A sincere and substantial investment in employee skills, creates a sincere reinvestment of those skills by employees. The increasing sophistication and the decreasing expense of formal training offer information managers more opportunities to offer tangible learning experiences and fewer excuses not to. They have many different learning services to choose from including fee-based, hands-on training, distance learning, community colleges and continuing education programmes, weekend courses, summer institutes, and even internet-based online interactive courses. There are other tangible learning experiences. Most of these do not cost money, either. Instead, they depend on the manager integrating them into the day-to-day work life of their employees. I discuss the ways and means of integrating tangible learning experiences in Chapter Eight. However, here are some examples of the kinds of tangible experiences that are of minimal cost: •

time off for public speaking opportunities

•

opportunity to train others inside and outside the organization

•

time off to attend free local seminars

•

cover the cost of local association/chapter sponsored events

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assist with employee applications for conference fellowships

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time off to attend free training courses sponsored by vendors

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co-sponsor in-house training and learning opportunities with another department such as IT or R&D

Intangible learning Development takes other forms. Many of the Generation Xers I interviewed thought they had made the right decision to go to library school, not because they saw the MLS as the culmination of a lifelong dream to be a librarian, but instead they saw the choice as good they enjoy what they do. For many Generation X information professionals, becoming a librarian was a pragmatic decision that ended up providing great personal satisfaction. It was, in short, a good decision and it fits right into the belief in personal and professional satisfaction. Quality of life is a major consideration of individuals in Generation X as they face workplace and career demands. This generation is concerned about having a balanced life. They are not workaholics and believe in compartmentalizing their work, social, and family lives. Their outside interests are as important to them as their jobs. . . . They are more realistic about the balance between their work and family/social lives that will give them satisfaction and make them happy. (Lankard, 1995b)

New learning

Effective development accepts the blurring of the line between personal and professional. Information managers can see the blurring of the lines as an opportunity to offer a wider variety of development options. The kinds of skills an employee needs to train volunteers at a local church are the same he or she might need to train library users. The insight and wisdom gained from spiritual exploration could improve employees' own self-worth and skills to recognize their abilities. Self-knowledge is important in career development. It is the first of three integral competency areas described in the National Career Development Guidelines (National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee 1989). The guidelines address the progressive acquisition throughout life of (1) knowledge of the influence of a positive self-concept; (2) skills to interact positively with others; and (3) understanding of the impact of growth and development. 'Studies . . . demonstrate the influence that increased understanding of one's self-concept and its effect on roles and relationships has upon career maturity' (Lankard, 1996). This could be the key to developing better employees, individuals who are certain of their skills, professional needs and interests and can confidently apply them to their day-to-day responsibilities. Because the same development experience will have different results for each employee, a manager can offer employees customized development plans. They can make these development plans negotiable, and tie them into productivity goals. Generation Xers are often willing to bargain with their managers if they are offered opportunities to learn and grow. The kinds of opportunities they are looking for might surprise you: •

The chance to volunteer

•

The opportunity to take time off for spiritual or religious exploration for pro bono work

•

A chance to go to professional conferences and regional meetings

In these and others, Generation Xers are learning important skills: leadership, patience, and insight. They are putting their knowledge to work in a greater social context and returning to their jobs with an improved sense of their own abilities, a better sense of their own self-worth, and other qualities that might not come from just going to work every day. Many of these opportunities have little if any cost, most of them just require time off. Information managers should learn to use paid time off as an alternative to monetary investment. It is an excellent way to customize development plans for employees interested in growing personally as well as professionally. In an article entitled 'Development dollars and sense,' Joanne M Bessler of Notre Dame University discusses a programme that gave library staff

Developing Information Leaders

100 'dollars' to buy 100 hours of time for training and skills practice. The purpose of the programme is to 'make a significant commitment to staff development without the benefit of new funding'. Staff could use these hours for programmes offered by Ion campus training services], commercially sponsored programmes (although there was no guarantee of funding), and for a wide array of training and development opportunities. They could use their hours to cover practice time. This option was a crucial part of the programme. It eased the conscious of overly conscientious staff who worried about spending some hours practicing newcomputer skills. It reminded supervisors of their need to support follow-up practice of newly gained skills. (Bessler, 1997, p. 3)

I think her example is good because it shows information managers that there are options. However, even the author acknowledges the limitations of such a programme, 'Firm funding, time, professional expertise, and imagination will be needed to orchestrate a staff development scheme fit for a revolution' (Bessler, 1997, p. 3).

The other side of the training and development bargain As with any bargain, there are two sides. In Chapter Three I discussed the Generation Xers' responsibilities to be willing to learn and grow. An information manager needs a well-trained staff in order to get the most out of their knowledge and skills. Their investment is weakened if staff members do not feel the need to learn. Just as information managers need to offer their staff opportunities to learn and grow, so too do their staff need to take those opportunities. Sincere interest in investing in an employee's future must be matched by a sincere interest in offering skills and knowledge to that employer. Without full co-operation from both sides, training and development becomes a waste of time and money.

Conclusion It is important to realize how increasingly complex training and development are in the current relationship between employer and staff. For Generation Xers, training and development are so important that many will select an employer because of their programme. For information managers, the complex role of training and development demands a comprehensive response. It is no longer enough to expect employees to do it on their own. Information managers need to take a leadership role and respond to the increasing importance of training and development in the workplace.

New learning

That response includes understanding how Generation Xers perceive the role of training and development in their own lives. Their skills and marketability are a source of job stability. Armed with cutting-edge skills, they are able to find their next job when the need arises. They value the tangible skills, but they also value intangible learning experiences that make a job a lifestyle choice. Taking this into consideration, information managers then need to develop an effective response. The next chapter discusses some possible responses to this complex challenge.

References Allmayer, D. and Davidson, P. (1996) The employee and organization of the future - a partnership at all levels. In Proceedings of the CAUSE Annual Conference, 25th - 1996 (San Francisco, CA, 1996) [www. educause.edu/ir/text/cnc9642.txt] Bessler, J. (1997) Development dollars and sense. In Proceedings of the CAUSE Annual Conference, 26th- 1997 (Lake Buena Vista, FL, 1997) [www. educause. edu/ir/1 ibrary/html/cnc74l4/cnc97l4.html] Lankard, B. (1996) Acquiring self knowledge for career development. ERIC Digest, 175 [www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/index/] Lankard, B. (1995a) New ways of learning in the workplace. ERIC Digest 1 [www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/index/] Lankard, B. (1995b) Career development in generation X. Washington, DC: US Department of Education, ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career and Vocational Education [www.ericacve.org/mr.asp] Marler, J., Milkovich, H. and Barringer, M. (1998) Boundaryless organizations and boundaryless careers: a new market for high-skilled temporary work. Ithaca, NY: Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies St. Clair, G. (1996) Entrepreneurial librarianship: the key to effective information service management. London: Bowker-Saur Stuart, A. (1995) The adaptable workforce. CIO Magazine, 7 (5) [www. cio.com/archive/030195_work_content.html] Tulgan, B. (1996) Managing generation X, how to bring out the best in young talent. Oxford: Capstone Walker, C. and Moses, E. (1996) The age of self navigation. American Demographic, 18 (9), 36

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Chapter Eight

Strategies for comprehensive training and development

In the previous chapter I discussed the dual faces of workplace learning: training and development. I discussed in general how an information manager could respond to the need for both. However, if an information manager wants to tackle the long-term issues of workplace learning, if they want to create a comprehensive plan, then they have a variety of ways to go about it. It is important to remember though, that Generation Xers see training and development in a personal as well as professional context. Any training and development plan needs to take that into consideration. Information managers no longer have the option to ignore one for the sake of the other (or worse, to ignore both). As part of the workplace bargain, and as part of their greater need for constant skills development and professional development, Generation Xers value learning opportunities more than a higher salary. In an ever-tightening labour market, the information manager who makes it a point to develop a comprehensive learning plan will have a better chance of attracting the best and brightest of the next generation and keeping them for the long term.

Creating a comprehensive response Information managers can use many different techniques for creating a comprehensive learning plan. First, they can devise a development philosophy. For this they should ask themselves a series of tough questions, and respond to them with realistic goals. What is the goal of a learning plan? Is it to attract new talent? Reduce turnover? Increase productivity? What will be the ways of measuring progress? What will be the measures of success? Second, there is also the option of transforming the library into a learning organization, integrating learning experiences into the employee's responsibilities and into the day-to-day activities of the library.

Strategies for comprehensive training and development

Third, the information manager can themselves take on new roles. They can become 'teaching managers' and development leaders. They can foster an environment where learning is as much a part of their job as it is for their employees. Generation Xers value learning, but they cannot pursue it if their own managers are only paying lip service. They should see managers sharing in the experience. Create a learning philosophy An effective learning philosophy would be an integral part of the library's own vision statement. It would be a part of the library's service goals and its strategic plan. A learning philosophy should have an invisible influence over most strategic decisions, including software and hardware purchases, hiring practices, employee evaluations criteria, and their relationship with their parent organi2ation or funding manager. For example, the budget of a software purchase should include training. Learning should inform information managers and guide them through decisions. How much does learning factor into the productivity of a piece of software? Learning issues should always be at the forefront of budget planning and integrated into new technology and capital investments. Joanne Bessler of Notre Dame University sees learning as a way of advancing the greater goals of the parent organization, or in this case, the university she works for Each library must work with its parent organization to chart its vision. That vision should reflect and advance the overall mission of the University . . . Traditional or ground-breaking, limited or shared, all vision statements stress their library's desire to excel in the identification, collection, access and delivery of information resources regardless of source or format. Few libraries can hope to achieve these ambitions with current staff with current skills. (Bessler, 1997, p. 4)

The first step for information managers in the process of creating a learning philosophy is to ask questions and flesh out their own expectations of learning. •

In the budget hierarchy where is learning?

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Where is it for other departments?

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How important a role has learning played in your career?

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Which experiences have been the most important and why?

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How much learning has been achieved over the past year, five years?

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What has been the net effect7

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What are the short term/long term goals of comprehensive learning?

Developing Information Leaders

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What are the components?

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How much responsibility do employees have?

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How much responsibility do I have as a manager?

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What can I do to increase learning practices among my staff?

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What would be the possible staff responses to increased learning opportunities?

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How would I measure the effects of learning?

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How much input should employees have?

•

What strategies should I use to convince budget controllers of our need?

Before they begin the process of creating a learning philosophy, information managers should have a better idea of what other departments in their organizations are doing. How much of the IT department's budget goes to training? How has it affected their productivity and turnover? How does that department head get the training money? What are accountants doing? What are HR professionals doing? Perhaps a meeting with human resources could inform you of new trends in training and professional development. An information manager should explore the knowledge of their own colleagues and so avoid reinventing the wheel, or worse, sounding provincial and outdated when they eventually ask the Chief Financial Officer for the budget. Personal reflections on training and development experiences can give information managers insight into how they view the role of learning in their own lives. It should help inform them of their own judgement when prioritizing the types of learning paid for or otherwise encouraged. For example, consistently positive experiences at annual, mid-year, or regional conferences should place them high on the list of learning experiences funded or encouraged. They should also assess any current learning opportunities and how staff are utilizing them. If you permit staff to attend free MEDLINE training or free vendor classes and no one is going, then the reasons must be explored. Information managers should also list all of the opportunities that staff have used and discover the reasons why. Reasons for underutilization of training opportunities need to be explored. Did the on-site training boost productivity? Have individuals become more creative and productive after attending a conference? Once the causes and effects of any current experiences have been explored, then the foundations can be laid for a more effective learning philosophy. The second step in the process is to lay out a series of goals. A learning philosophy should strive to achieve specific short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals could include stalling turnover among recent hires, increasing staff knowledge of currently used software programmes, and improving interpersonal communication. Long-term goals could include

Strategies for comprehensive training and development

improving morale, increasing productivity, and improving creative problem solving skills. The purpose of this step is to make goals tangible. This is the best way to maintain a focus when decisions need to be made and budgets need to be allocated. Then the information manager needs to create a series of components. This is where they identify specific types of learning experiences, tangible and intangible. They would prioritize the ones they would fund over ones they would not or could not fund. Information managers should make value judgements on which employees should receive funding for which experiences. There are perhaps a few employees who would value conference going more than others, for example. Budget the money for them and give the other opportunities to others. Managers could improve the effectiveness of customization by asking employees to prioritize a list of learning experiences. These lists could then be used to help balance needs with wants. Of course, having employees prioritize a list of learning experiences that they believe they need and want and having them actually undergo these experiences are two separate issues. An information manager should be clear and direct about an employee's responsibilities to acquire new skills and actually learn something from their experiences. As just another aspect of the workplace bargain, learning should be an acknowledged exchange of roles and responsibilities. Information managers might be surprised about who steps up to the plate first. Generation Xers are particularly enthusiastic about negotiating learning opportunities. It gives them the opportunity to be in control of their learning and offers them the chance to define their workplace experience. In a world of work where almost nothing is unchanging, the opportunity to feel like you are in control of an important aspect of your career can be a balm for ever-present work stress. In order to negotiate with staff, an information manager should have a better idea about their role in the learning process. Are they the high lord of learning, meting out money and opportunities to the most deserving? Are they an equal opportunity distributor, giving everyone a chance at the same learning opportunities? Will they be a facilitator, simply offering individuals the chance to do this or that and leaving the learning experiences entirely up to individual staff members? Will it be a productivity-based incentive programme? Or will specific people receive specific opportunities? And in all of this, how much learning will information managers give themselves? How much encouragement will they offer? How many times will they set an example? Third, information managers should create a mechanism for measuring the progress and effectiveness of any learning philosophy. They should develop a set of standards to measure progress and create a set of criteria for measuring effectiveness. This could include establishing a series of benchmarks for example measuring days off and sick leave. It could

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Developing Information Leaders

mean finding ways of gathering feedback from library users with before and after results. Information managers should asked questions like, 'Has quality improved over time?' and explore the reasons behind the answer. No matter how the mechanism is devised it should be a part of the philosophy from the beginning. There is no point in investing time and money, if there is no way to measure and evaluate the effects of learning on staff and users. It is the best, most effective way of learning from mistakes and creating a learning programme that is constantly improving.

For example:

A small corporate knowledge centre establishes a training and development programme for its staff of four, including the manager. There is a manager, two professional staff and a paraprofessional. Two of the staff - the paraprofessional and one professional - are recent hires. The written form of the programme establishes guidelines for measuring the effectiveness of training and development by using the kind of information the manager already collects. It uses turnover as one measure by assessing how quickly the library changes staff. To keep a staff member, especially new hires, for longer than two years will be a measure of success. In most cases, the longer the employee stays the greater the return in initial investment in that employee. The manager should assess how long that interval is for their library and use it in the guidelines. The guidelines also measure absenteeism. Since absenteeism can halt work, debilitate service quality and morale, especially in a small library environment, measuring an increase or decrease of it is a good gauge of a programme's success. Higher morale usually means an increase in productivity and creativity. One area that will be measured is staff initiative. The manager will consider how often staff approach her for requests for training and development opportunities.

From library to learning organization One way of putting the learning philosophy to work is to make your library a learning organization. Libraries are not necessarily places where staff learn and are motivated to learn. On the contrary, libraries can be places where skills stagnate because learning is not considered a priority. Managers often discourage training and learning experiences because of their cost, and in some libraries, where the cultures are so entrenched and unhealthy, acquiring new skills and learning could be considered a

Strategies for comprehensive training and development

subversive act going against the status quo. This is why it is important for managers to take the lead on learning issues. They need to encourage learning by breaking down the emotional and cultural barriers to it. The first step in this process requires us to define a learning organization. If an information manager is going to turn their library into a learning organization they need to have a good idea of where they are headed. The learning organization is a concept used to describe an organization that has turned its focus to knowledge and to the acquiring and developing of knowledge skills. It is part of a greater change going on in national economies all over the world. It is a shift from product to people and the intangible capital they create. It recognizes the importance of individuals and their influence on the whole organization. As the president of a large management consulting firm once said, 'We're in a risky business. Our key assets walk out the door every night' (Tapscott, 1997, p. 8). The same goes for libraries. Their 'key assets' are their people, and library managers who are serious about transforming their libraries into learning organizations must integrate this conviction into their day-to-day responsibilities and their long-term planning. It is not enough just to say that staff are key assets; this conviction must be seen by staff. Management must, as the cliché says, put their money where their mouths are and invest in people. A key asset is not something that is neglected, and for a library to evolve into a learning organization, the priority must be steadfastedly focused, always, on its people. Placing too much emphasis on technology or other resources can be a misguided expression of the same principal. Capital invested in information technology or resources such as new books and CD-Roms can initially look like an investment in the future and a preparation for the changes to come, but the next big technology will be obsolete tomorrow and the ideas in those books can quickly become outdated. Inanimate objects are less risky but they do not adapt. That is why a library's core resource is not inanimate objects but its the staff. The primary investment, the priority when it comes to budget time, should always be people. A learning organization will set that priority: At the heart of the learning organization lies the belief that enormous human potential lies locked, undeveloped in our organizations. Central to this belief is the conviction that when all members of an organization fully develop and exercise their essential human capacities, the resulting congruence between personal and organizational visions, goals and objectives will release this potential. . . . It follows then that for any organization to excel in the future and not waste human potential, it must apply all the essential capacities of those involved in its judgment processes and in the decisions that result. This is the case, whether an organization is developing visions and missions, goals and objectives, strategies and structures, or policies and action plans. (Navran Associates, 1993)

Developing Information

Leaders

Characteristics of a Learning Organization They provide continuous learning opportunities. They use learning to reach their goals. They link individual performance with organizational performance. They foster inquiry and dialogue, making it safe for people to share openly and take risks. They embrace creative tension as a source of energy and renewal. They are continously aware of and interact with their environment.

Figure 8.1 Characteristics of a learning organization

An information manager should measure the above characteristics against their ultimate goals and begin to map out exactly what it will take to achieve them. But, how can a library reach the goals set up in the list? How can an information manager create, often from scratch, these characteristics?

Continuous learning By creating an environment of continuous learning, information managers are fulfilling one of Generation Xers' most important expectations: they are investing in their future. Information managers are investing in their library's future, also. It is much easier than it sounds. Perhaps the most difficult part will be the re-prioritizing o f the budget. If need be, resources should be all but eliminated. In other words, when it comes down to buying books, CDs, and software upgrades, managers should spend the money on employees instead. When financial resources are scarce they should send them to training so that they can learn to use current software better, and also send them to conferences so that they can be exposed to new perspectives on their current work and enrich their professional context. In times of economic crisis it is especially important to increase spending on employees, in order to maintain positive morale and reduce the chances o f turnover. T o invest in employees in tough times is also to invest in the future of the library, so when the good times return, management is not left spending resources on hiring and training new employees because all the best ones have left.

Strategies for comprehensive training and development

As I mentioned in the previous chapter, many of the tangible and intangible opportunities for learning do not require much money. In the process of creating a learning organization, an information manager should identify employees' tasks that can be revamped to include a learning component. For example, a reference librarian who also provides research instruction could be required to add, once every three months, a new component to their course, a new search engine or new web research technique. Of course, they will need to eliminate an older one, but the process of reviving the course plan once every several months gives the employee an opportunity to learn. There are other tasks that can be turned into learning experiences: •

A paraprofessional who maintains a vertical file collection can keep track of the most used files and create their own pathfinders or other reference guides to assist users.

•

Research librarians can develop training courses.

•

Reference librarians could evaluate their own service quality on an ongoing basis.

Goals through learning An information manager needs to ask how a goal can be achieved through new learning. There are two ways to approach this question. A set goal given to an information manager from 'higher management' - reducing turnover among support staff, for example - can be seen as an opportunity for applying new learning opportunities for current employees. However, if it is a goal that can be modified then learning should be its primary resolution. Whatever the content of the goal, its ultimate product will be a new learning experience. An example of this can be seen in the application of new technology. A public library in Maryland recently bought several Rocket Books. These are the first generation hand-held electronic books. The head of the public library system is told to find ways of applying electronic books to reference and circulation. Here is a set goal: application of the electronic book in a print library. However, there are plenty of learning experiences for staff in the process of reaching that goal. These experiences must be put into place on the way to achieving it. The manager could have reference librarians learn how to download files to the book, learn how to cost it, and how to use this new technology and then provide the general public with introductory informative classes. They could generate a list of patron questions and integrate that into their ultimate evaluation. A circulation librarian could experiment with different ways of having the electronic book circulate. They could

Developing Information Leaders

perform their own research on the quality and costs of maintenance. They could ask a whole series of questions and seek answers. How many could a library use? How would patrons use them? How would a library control their use? A cataloguer could be given the opportunity to explore how these books would be indexed and catalogued, and how a library record would 'treat' them, if at all. So, here are set goals that have now become a learning experience for members of the library staff.

Performance Third on the list of characteristics of a learning organization was tying personal performance to organization performance. That is easy for information managers, they have a bargain with their Generation X employees. If they invest in them and give them opportunities to learn and grow, then Generation Xers will offer them their creativity and their knowledge skills. At the end of a year, or any fiscal period, a manager should sit down with their employees and discuss how their performance has improved that of the library's. More importantly, how will their performance continue to contribute towards improving the library in the future. Brian Voss talks about the idea of the performance preview. This is an approach to the dreaded annual review, that horrific time in the life of every manager and employee when they go over the performance issues of the past year. 'We focus on what happened in the past, which is a period of time that no one can change now', he writes, Our focus seems to be on pointing out errors, so that in the future the employee will learn from their mistakes and not be condemned to relive them.' He suggests an alternative to this misery. 'We need to make our performance management process a "preview" to the staff member's future a place where they can do things different to achieve better results' (Voss, 1997). It would be easy for an information manager to expand on this idea and use the opportunity for a performance preview to integrate learning into it. What will the employee do over the next year? If given this amount of money or that amount of free time for learning, how will they spend it? How will they work towards the greater goal of institutional performance? It is fair for the manager to ask an employee these questions: after all, the manager is offering them excellent opportunities, and they have every right to expect a return on their investment.

Fostering inquiry and dialogue This is one of the most difficult characteristics to achieve. Basically, this is communication, and I discussed the ways and means of communication in Chapter Four. Many learning organization advocates have acknowledged that fostering dialogue and inquiry in organizations that

Strategies for comprehensive training and development

are not used to tough questions and creative exploration can be very difficult. This is a challenge in many libraries where communication has never been encouraged. In this matter information managers need to be strong leaders. Generation Xers might appreciate and expect an environment where things are discussed, but that was not always the case and in a cross-generational environment tensions might arise. I strongly believe that information managers need to choose sides in this conflict. They must encourage communication and dialogue and actively discourage the kinds of behaviours that occur when communication is unhealthy: rumour mongering, manipulation, outcasting of new employees. These behaviours should be openly admonished and, quite frankly, punished. Without strong leadership, then this characteristic, one of the most important ones, will never be achieved. Embracing creative tension This is another difficult goal to achieve. By embracing creative tension as a source for renewal, information managers are embracing the entrepreneurial environment where flexibility and acceptance of new ideas are a part of day-to-day work (see Chapter Five). It is important to recognize how much of this characteristic drives the learning environment. With the opportunity to apply creative, risk-taking ideas, comes a steep learning curve. An information manager can turn these risk-taking experiences into learning experience for all staff by encouraging the risk-takers to critically evaluate the results of their ideas. Also, embracing creative tension demands recognizing and fostering individuality and the tension that occurs when individuals need to work together. Team work is not often easy work for individuals who are not used to working in teams. It might not be the best way to get the best out of some of them. An information manager needs to be aware that creativity and risk will often come from individuals, but it is also their responsibility to see an idea worked out among those who will be affected by it. Ideas cannot stay with their creators. If good ideas are going to work they must be tried out. Individuals must work in teams. The creative tension that arises from these interactions can be difficult to manage, but the risk must be taken. Information managers must try to find a balance. Not every good idea will come out of teams, and not every individual can execute their ideas on their own. Keeping up with 'environmental' changes Because learning is essentially the process of being exposed to new skills and experiences, an information manager needs to continually improve their awareness of local, national, and international changes that could affect them. They also need to be aware of their internal environments.

Developing Information leaders

Personnel shake-ups, departmental changes and merger possibilities are among some of the more obvious environmental changes that any information manager should know about and prepare for. Examining the changing landscape of technology and professional competencies could also act as an effective guide for planning out new learning experiences for employees, the purpose of which is to step back and get a better picture of what is going on outside the library's walls. This is called environmental scanning. What is environmental scanning? It is the process of scanning literature and other media for information on current trends and ideas that could affect your library and staff. An effective way of planning an environmental scan is to look at your library or information centre from four different points of view - or from four different contexts. First is the internal perspective: learn who is leaving, who is moving in to what positions. Read the speeches of the organization's CEO, director or dean to know what current ideas they find important. Second is the local perspective. This includes researching employment, demographic and economic trends. How tight is the labour market? What kind of jobs are recent library school grads taking? How many are graduating from local library schools? Is the number increasing or decreasing? These questions will help you plan hiring strategies and learning opportunities over the next year. Third, look at national and international trends. Among these, economic trends are particularly important, because they can determine the local and national employment situation. They can also dictate the flow of money into the parent organization. Demographic trends are a determinate for planning for library use. International trends can have an affect on your local economy. There is an example of this going on right now in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Overall, the US economy has never been stronger, but Washington and Oregon, two states that depend on trade with Russia and Asia, have been hit hard by the economic crises in those countries. Information managers must be aware of details such as this that could make all the difference. For example, an urban development project might increase local tax revenue and improve funding to local public libraries, even if the overall local economy is sluggish. Fourth, technology and professional trends can also assist you in planning learning experiences and the amount of funding for them. Of course, even environmental scanning can be a learning experience in itself. Individual staff members can be responsible for different aspects of the scan. Every six months to a year they report back to you, the information manager, with their findings.

Strategies for comprehensive training and development

Becoming a teaching manager An information manager also has the option of taking a leadership role by becoming a teaching manager. This means taking an active role in the learning experiences of employees, especially Generation X employees. Information managers would involve Generation Xers in aspects of their jobs, and share their expertise with them. 'The most effective managers devote substantial time and energy to teaching Xers, sharing expertise and investing in Xers by actively improving our knowledge and skill bases' (Tulgan, 1996, p. 188). Teaching managers offer their Generation X employees exposure to people and work experiences that they would not receive in their day-to-day work. Teaching is not something that is integrated into a library's vision statement, and it is not something that is 'funded' out of a budget. The choice to become a teaching manager is a personal choice. It involves an investment of time and energy, not money. It involves the idea of mentoring as applied to your own Generation X employees. Of course taking on the role of teaching manager does not mean an information manager needs to drag their employees along to every meeting or involve them in tough decision-making. However, there are things that a manager can do: •

Invite employees to a meeting they might not necessarily attend.

•

Invite them along for lunch with other well-situated professionals.

•

Give them the opportunity to go to business or professional receptions.

•

Ask their input (and work with them) on important policy decisions.

•

Suggest training opportunities.

•

Be open to learning suggestions from employees.

A manager who makes the choice to become a teaching manager is simultaneously managing and mentoring their Generation X employees. It is a way to build positive relationships among employees, as well. By making themselves available to their employees, teaching managers are communicating many of the most important messages to their employees: they recognize their individuality, they recognize (and are doing something about) their need to learn, they care about their professional well-being, and they see their employees' lives from more than one perspective.

Development caveats The greatest risk to a learning organization is inherent in all organizations: people are unpredictable. They can and will leave. If you empower

Developing Information Leaders

them they may go and seek better jobs using their new skills. But the opposite of learning is stagnation, and that almost guarantees that they will go. An empowered employee really is an empowered employee, and they will have different needs and expectations. So an investment in employees needs to come with an investment in outlook, with the expectation that risks are being taken, 'To remain competitive, employers must invest in a culture of continuous learning - even at the risk of seeing their expensive, well-trained workers take those valuable skills to a competitor' (Santosus, 1998).

Conclusion Developing Generation X takes time, money, and managerial leadership. It is no longer enough to simply expect employees to go it alone. In order to improve morale, decrease absenteeism, and foster creativity, libraries need to invest in training and development. Because Generation Xers view training and development as the best way to cultivate marketable skills in a turbulent work environment, the expectations surrounding them have changed. For managers, it is like playing a familiar game with new rules. Information managers must create a comprehensive response to the old issues of training and development, the role of which has changed for employees, and so must change in the vision and services of the library's operations. Managers can achieve a comprehensive response by creating a learning philosophy, or by transforming their library into a learning organization. They can also make the personal choice of becoming a teaching manager and actively involving their Generation X employees in their own work and experiences. Regardless of how it is done, it must be done. The rules have changed. Training and development are no longer considered perks for the privileged few. Many Generation X employees see it as a measure of an employer's sincerity in the workplace bargain, and in a tight labour market where high turnover and unfilled positions can destroy morale and reduce service quality, training and development become essential.

References Bessler (1997) Development dollars and sense. In Proceedings of the CAUSE annual conference, 26th—1997 (Lake Buena Vista, FL, 1997) [www.educause.edu/ir/library/html/cnc9714/cnc9714.html] Kerka S. (1995) Myths and realities: the learning organization. Washington, DC: US Department of Education [www.ericacve.org/mr.asp]

Strategies for comprehensive training and development

Navran Associates (1993) The learning organization what is it7 why become one? [www.navran.com/Newsletter/93-10/10-93c.html] Santosus, M. (1998) Simple, yet complex. CIO Magazine, 10 (13), 62 (www.cio.com/archive/enterprise/04l598_qanda_content.html] Tapscott, D. (1997) Strategy in the new economy. Strategy and Leadership, 25 (6), 8 Tulgan, B. (1996) Managing generation X, how to bring out the best in young talent Oxford: Capstone. Voss, B. (1997) The performance preview, focusing on developing career futures and building teams. In Proceedings of the CAUSE annual conference, 26th - 1997 (Lake Buena Vista, FL, 1997) [www.indiana. edu.nucs/tlit/cause/cycle.html]

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Part IV

A Generation of Challenges

Chapter Nine

A unique vision: Generation Xers talk about their work and profession

I interviewed 24 Generation Xers. It's certainly not a large number, and it was not a scientific survey; however, to the best of my knowledge, this is the only survey of its kind. A recent issue of Library Journal (15 May 1999) published a web-based survey that explored some of the issues I discuss here, but the average age of the survey takers was 39. The average age of my interviewees was 29, and their responses were considerably different. There is, as of yet, no comprehensive exploration of the profession of librarianship as it exists right now. There are so many questions that remain unanswered, indeed, unexplored. While researching this book, I came across a few dissertations, enrolment reports, a couple of graduate-level scientific surveys (usually on job satisfaction), association membership and salary surveys for various years, but nothing comprehensive. Taken together these sources, though good, are thin and provide no solid data over time. It is like guessing the resulting picture of a five thousand piece jigsaw puzzle with only fifty pieces. Until individuals explore the profession with in-depth, scientifically collected data there is no way that any assumption made about the profession can be considered anything more than an assumption. My research was not scientifically collected, but I found a surprising mix of young professionals. Seven worked in public libraries, ten in academic libraries, two were information brokers, one was a webmaster, and four worked in one-person libraries. They were scattered geographically: eight in the Midwest, four in the Pacific Northwest, two in Southern California, one in Rhode Island, and the rest were located in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. I was surprised at the earnestness of many of the participants. They were not cynical; most of them were quite hopeful and comfortable about their futures. Sadly, many of them had never been asked serious questions about their chosen profession. They would pause and say things like, 'Well, you know, that's just me talking', or 'I'm not an expert on this, but . . .' Often I had to remind them that they were experts who

Developing Information Leaders

possess experience and insight on a wide range of professional topics. I now believe that for many of these young professionals, this interview was the first time they had ever been treated like an expert in their fields. I covered seven general subjects: bad/good jobs, bad/good managers, library schools, associations, image, future plans and the future of the profession. Sometimes, the answers I received astounded me. Individuals responded to the subjects differently, but the answers, the substance of these responses, were in many cases identical. When I asked one interviewee about her involvement in a local chapter of a national association, her response was, 'I'm not a joiner.' My response to her was, 'Join the club'. Almost all of the interviewees said the same thing in their own way. It was the same for other questions, including the questions that dealt with their library school experiences and their future plans.

Why bother? Generation Xers are quickly taking over as the dominant cohort attending library school. It would be a grave mistake to believe that they hold the same perspectives and opinions as their older colleagues. As my interviews will show, they do not. The first genuine step library schools and professional associations could take to address Generation Xers' concerns is to understand them better by conducting formal and informal research, and asking them tough questions about their needs and expectations.

1989-90

1992-93

•

Under 25

•

25 to 34

•

Over 35

1995-96

Year From National Center for Education Statistic, Digest of Education Statistics F i g u r e 9 . 1 Library s c h o o l ( U S ) enrolment, age distribution 1 9 8 9 - 9 0 . 1995-96

1992-93,

A unique vision

Generation Xers are the future of the profession. They will be its managers and leaders one day. It is important to cultivate their interests and attract their attention. Without their participation the associations will die out. Library schools will become irrelevant. Without a better understanding of Generation X, information managers, library schools and professional associations will head blindly into the future. In 1989, the oldest members of Generation Xers made up 18.5 per cent of the graduates enrolled in library school, but this percentage was dwarfed by Baby Boomers who dominated in two other age categories. By 1992 Baby Boomers represented 68.5 per cent of the students enrolled in library school, once again dwarfing the Generation Xers. But, in the three years between 1992 and 1995 the number of Generation Xers graduating from library schools more than doubled from 25.6 per cent to 57.6 per cent while the number of Baby Boomers fell to 36.6 percent. No doubt this trend will continue as Baby Boomers move towards retirement not careers.

'Generation X' issues It is important to emphasize that Generation Xers are not apathetic. They simply have their own issues that they believe are important, and their own ideas on how to confront them. These issues are, in some cases, considerably different from their Baby Boomer counterparts. It might appear then that Generation Xers are not concerned with important' issues such as social equality. In reality, they care about many different issues, including employability, job mobility and security, social security and future tax burdens, and access to information. Some people might be surprised by this list. After all, it does not look like anything from the past. Where are the social issues? Poverty? Environmental issues? Where are the political issues? Abortion? Voting rights? 'Okay, w e weren't at Woodstock, and w e don't march for political events every six months, but w e are there at Lollapalooza and we've had a few marches of our own', high school senior Erin Ortiz says of her generation . . . As Erin tells it, it is not that young people do not care; it is just that the battles are different from those of generations past. The injustices tend to be economic and tend to be less visible than earlier ones simply because they do not have the visceral appeal of slogans like, Make love, not war'. Our battle cries are 'Down with the deficit' or Education first'. Instead of burning bras, w e plant trees. Let's face it, the photo op is just not there' (Bagby, 1998, p. 16). These issues are for the most part subjective. They are focused on personal improvement and material gain (but not necessarily monetary gain). As the Generation Xer above says, the photo op just is not there. The social forces that have helped shape Generation Xers has had its

Developing Information Leaders

influence on their work! view. For better or worse, it is a subjective view. Generation Xers see the small picture very well. They can tell you their feelings or discuss their experiences, but the wider objective view is difficult. I found it frustrating that so many of the participants could not take the 'I' out of their answers. Even when the questions were specifically worded to discourage it. Information managers and professional leaders will have to leam to navigate this grey, subjective world, if they want to communicate to Generation Xers. It is a world where work and profession are defined almost entirely by the individual experience. The following is a compilation of the answers to many of the question I ashed my interviewees. I gave them the option of remaining anonymous, but most of them were willing to be named. However, since several of them were adamant about their anonymity, and would not speak unless expressly promised, I decided to keep all of them anonymous.

On careers The workplace bargain, in its many forms, dominated the attitudes of many of my interviewees. Only one actually used the term 'bargain' to describe their relationship with their manager. Even when it was not obviously expressed, that was the general tone of the responses. Many of the participants saw their jobs as temporary. They worked for nontraditional employees, and when they did work in libraries they were often the employees who held nontraditional positions. One was the webmaster for a public library in Los Angeles. Several of the academic librarians I spoke to worked as freelance information brokers on the side. It was clear that the participants expected to work in a position for at most two or three years. Five of them expected to leave their current jobs within the year. Only seven of them see themselves working in libraries the rest of their lives. For many, they were in a current job in a current career, and neither the job nor the career were lifelong. This attitude is represented in the opinions they had on a variety of subjects. In everything from dress codes to work duties to the manager/employee relationship, the general tone was one of transience and convenience. This is not to mean that my participants were disrespectful. Most of them admitted loving their jobs, but they also felt no loyalty to the institutions they were working for, and as one respondent said, 'We're likely to view all of our employment as temporary, and act accordingly. This means that we're going to be far more concerned with how what we do on the job impacts our careers and our future employment opportunities, rather than if it's best for the company. Which in the long run means that the companies will lose out.' Information managers might seem to be the losers in the short-term. After all, they will invest the time and money in training and developing

A unique vision

an employee only to see that employee leave in a year. However, ignoring the things that Generation Xers want in a job will guarantee that they will leave. It is a chance that information managers must weigh against the tough reality of the modern day work environment: fidelity is dead. As one librarian in the Pacific Northwest puts it, 'I think a big Gen X librarian thing is that we're not already beholden to loans, spouses, kids and whatnot, which means we can hunt for a higher level of job satisfaction and find jobs we're more comfy in - this is also a big generational split: feeling stuck in your jobs.' That idea of feeling 'stuck in a job' is a strong motivator for Generation Xers to leave a job. It is a palpable fear for many of them. They are not willing to stay in a job that they are miserable doing. Work is what Meredith Bagby calls, 'a lifestyle choice'. And, like many lifestyle choices, it can, and will, be set aside for something better when something better comes along. For many Generation Xers librarianship was a career choice, not a vocation. It was a job, not something they had been dreaming about all their lives. About three quarters of my participants said to me that their chief motivating factor for becoming a librarian was (of all things) money. Many entered library school in the early 1990s, when jobs were tough to come by. Many had liberal arts degrees and found it difficult to find jobs with Bachelors of Arts in English, art history, or foreign languages. They saw the profession as a better alternative to low-paying service sector jobs. The overriding response is echoed by this Midwestern librarian's response, 'I'd never intended to actually become a librarian'. And this one from the West Coast, 'Almost all of my library school pals (predominantly academic/special librarians) fall into the "got the BA, didn't want to teach, what else are you going to do?" camp'. This factor is one of several that motivates Generation Xers to see their jobs with a relaxed, almost laid back confidence. Which has, in some cases, caused trouble with managers, 'I used to encourage people at my old job to fill out suggestion/comment forms when I had helped them on a really tough problem because I thought my boss only saw that I sometimes didn't wear shoes'. (She wore sandals or Birkenstocks.) And another librarian who holds no sympathy for managers who wish to mould young professionals in their own image, 'I assume that any library that would hire me, after reading my resume and talking to me, has to know what they are getting into somewhat and not just assuming that they can mould me into a librarian cog'. The bargain comes out in these conversations. For all of the resistance to controlling management and bad job situations, many of the participants believed that they had just as much to add to the table as their employers did. When I asked one respondent what advice he would give to other Generation Xers, he said: '. . . if you make a mistake, own up to it, correct it, and learn from it. Keep your eyes and ears open for new technology. . . . Try doing a task you've done 1000 times before in

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a different way. Read and pay attention to things going on outside of the library field.' He goes on to say, 'I think that if employees are given the opportunity to show how they can be valuable to an organization, and the employee doesn't fumble the ball, that can cause attitudes to change at the management level.' Several said that it was up to the Generation Xers to make good job choices. 'Well,' said one librarian, I think since we're librarians and know the power of the reference interview, it's up to us to ask the good questions during our interviews.' If there is one hot button issue that was shared among all of the participants, it was salary. Every single one of my participants said that salary was an issue for leaving a job, and in two cases it was the issue that caused them to leave the traditional library setting. One librarian in the Washington, DC area said, 'My boss was shocked that I just left, and then went on to something completely different. She just couldn't see why I was leaving just because of salary. Duh!' Another librarian on the West Coast echoes this sentiment, 'But almost everybody I know is angry about how little dollars librarians make, especially considering the new skills [we have].' It is important to note that my interviewers did not necessarily recognise the relationship between budget and salary. As far as many were concerned managers were simply underpaying them.

On managers Many of the participants were honest, often brutally honest, when they were asked to describe good and bad managers. Some of the qualities that constituted good and bad managers are probably different from what they might have been twenty years ago. In general good managers were 'hands off facilitators. Bad managers were often described as condescending or micromanaging. They often had low expectations and treated their employees accordingly. Here is a description of a good manager, given by a librarian on the West Coast: 'My manager here at the community college is the best boss I have ever had. He wears a tie to talk to the higher ups, talks to us infrequently, will always step in to resolve a tough situation [not pass the buck or get passive aggressive] and if he needs to give you a talking-to, always makes sure you understand his personal opinion as well as his professional opinion. You are usually doing okay in one of those arenas even if you screwed up in the other. . . . He stays out of the way unless called to make a decision and then he is decisive.' A librarian from New England gave me her description of her experience with a bad manager, 'I got three "infractions" (whatever those were) from her for being more than five minutes late. That was my first week at the job, and it was all downhill from there. The only things I could think to say to her was "Get a life'". She goes on to say, I couldn't

A unique vision

do my job, because I was so . . . busy making sure that she knew that I was doing my job.' Another librarian gave this description, 'My old manager basically treated us like unschooled temps . . . I staffed the ref desk at slow periods and if she came out and I didn't have anything to do, she got kinda ootchy. Often she would give me work that had nothing to do with librarianing, i.e. "can you type up these minutes from my sorority club meeting" as if I was just hired help ready to do her bidding . . . I quit.'

On being managers We do not know how many Generation Xers are themselves managers; there has never been any research into the demographic makeup of the profession. Aside from the Special Libraries Association's 1996 Super Survey, there is no real substantive data on age. Of the participants I interviewed for the book, two were managers. Neither of these librarians had formal personnel management training, but they were well aware of the trials and pitfalls of management. Their visions of management matched well with the others' descriptions of good managers. This might come from their own experiences, as one of them said, 'I'd never tell my employees how to do something, because that used to happen to me and I hated it.' When I asked him how he would describe his interactions with his employees he described it this way, 'I don't tell them how to do it, I just kind of ask them to do it, and then hope for the best. It always comes out. I just kind of trust them to do their jobs.' When I asked these two participants about their management styles, I was surprised at how quickly and clearly they both responded. Both managers had obviously put much time into their jobs and could create a vision of themselves and how they saw their employees. It was clear from my conversations with them, that they both loved their jobs and felt as if they were contributing to the profession. 'Well', one of them said, as he described his managerial relationship with his interns, 'I'd like them to develop skills that they can apply in lots of ways - I know this is a stock answer, but it's still a reasonable one. If the previous intern learned a few things . . . and she can use those skills to be interesting at a cocktail party when talking to someone from a completely different profession, then I've accomplished something. Admittedly, not a lot, but something. And if she can use these skills to help someone who comes to the library put together a decent business plan, that's pretty good too. And if she understands enough about how this business works to be able to critique it intelligently, then I'll be feeling great.'

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On the image One issue that was brought up and discussed with much enthusiasm was the image of librarians and librarianship. The participants had strong feelings and did not hesitate to express them. In general, they were comfortable with the title 'librarian'. Many expressed frustration and disillusionment over how others treated them because of the title. Many of the participants saw their careers hindered (if only slightly) by the social image of the librarian. Even though many of the participants expressed antagonism for how they were treated, paradoxically, many were comfortable and quite happy with the term. 'Really, when you think about it, we are the jacks-of-all-trades of the professions. We're good at a lot of stuff, and having a librarian in your team/organization can benefit you immensely. We just need to get that message out there.' Many did not see a need to change the title because they believe that the title will evolve to mean more than just a person who works in a library. A one-person librarian in the Midwest said, 'Well, the title as it is perceived by people is limiting, but that should change as people with MLS degrees take nontraditional, high profile jobs and insist on calling themselves librarians. I chose my title (Research Librarian) very intentionally, in hopes that it would play a small part in broadening people's perceptions of the meaning of the word. However, I have to confess that I have at times felt uncomfortable saying 'I'm a research librarian' to people, because their eyes glaze over and they turn to the next person - and I'm dismissed. I've said 'I'm a researcher', and that seems to carry more weight. Lately, though, I've been pushing the librarian moniker all the time. I don't want to be defined by the people I'm trying to change.' Another respondent said, 'I'm a big proponent of "The L Word.'' I call myself a librarian, not a "cybrarian" or "information engineer" or any other such thing, mainly because I believe in the profession and the identity it represents.' These Generation X professionals did not mind the image that came with 'librarian'; however, several offered caution while embracing it. This was a common response as represented by a librarian in the Midwest, '. . . we are not what we do, but why and how we do it. For example: collecting, organizing, selecting and describing information resources is something that we'll always do, and concepts like the Rule of Specific Entry are wonderful things. But we cannot try to force everything into a MARC record; down that road lies madness.' He goes on to say, 'Another way to view this is that the Professional Identity is a foundation on which to build, not a ceiling against which to bump.' If Generation Xers have no problem with the title librarian', but they also hold no strong feelings for it. They would be just as comfortable with another title. When asked if they would give up the title if it would give them a ten or fifteen thousand dollar pay rise, the answer was a

A unique vision

resounding, 'Sure!'. In other words, there is no distinct loyalty to the title. Contrasting sharply was the opinion of some information managers at a March 1999 conference on library education. One presenter echoed the feelings of many when he lamented, 'Librarians in and outside the governing councils of the American Library Association are growing angry and alarmed over assaults on the word "library" and its derivatives, "librarian" and "librarianship". These words hold great meaning for many of us, as they embody a set of shared principles and beliefs about the value of the institutions we work in and the services we provide to our constituents' (Barnes, 1998). The interview participants were not as moved by the changes. Generation Xers had a matter-of-fact reception to the quickly dispersing identity of the modern librarian. This respondent echoes the feelings of many, 'I think that there are people who can stay in book-only libraries and so people-oriented reference that is more like social work and nursing [no disrespect, that's more like what I want to do] and others who go work for a big bank or Microsoft that may never have a collections budget for books. Very divergent, not a bad thing, especially if the Micronerds can get us - the rural social workers - a better payscale.' The source of the difference between old and young comes from the diaspora of librarians in corporate and nontraditional positions. Generation Xers, more than any generation before them, are working outside of libraries. This is forcing them to face a lot of the old prejudices about who librarians are and what they do. Identity - and the good and bad connotations of it - is becoming a significant issue for them as they confront and try to overcome the limitations of the word. Perhaps it also has to do with rapid change. As I said in Chapter Two, Generation Xers are not particularly overwhelmed by change. So the issues surrounding the 'image thing' are not philosophical or political issues. Instead, they are flexible about the changes under way, and confront the challenges of the image as a personal issue of identity. Another reason for the somewhat tepid defence of the term librarian comes from the fact that many of the participants had no strong feelings about the term to begin with. Most of them decided on this career for pragmatic reasons. As one of them said, 'Have you met many people who would say "I've always wanted to be a librarian?" I don't know that I've met anyone. I can't think of anyone off the top of my head, anyway.' Since Generation Xers interpret personal responses to many wider, greater issues, it should be no surprise that they have no strong feelings for this term over that. For many of the participants the prejudices they encountered were not viewed as symptomatic of a broader issue but instead were seen as personal challenges to overcome. This is one manifestation of the workplace bargain and what Meredith Bagby describes as the 'lifestyle choice'. Many Generation Xers see a career as a personal choice, not a sacrifice to a greater good. 'I think also there didn't used

Developing Information leaders

to be such an idea that you had a right to a job that not only paid okay, but reinforced your sense of well-being and sense of self,' said one participant. Instead of 'right' I would say 'option': in librarianship, many Generation Xers see a viable option and a reasonable choice for their lives as well as their pocketbooks. It is not unrealistic to see financial well-being and personal satisfaction as important factors for choosing librarianship. Librarians and information professionals have much needed skills and are literally needed everywhere. In the age of information it would be ludicrous to pass on high-paying or influential jobs - to not seize opportunities, because of some self-imposed limitations. However, there are elements of the profession who see librarianship as a sacrifice. They fashion the profession as a vocation and expect individual professionals to sacrifice personal and financial well-being for the sake of the profession. Those professionals unfortunate enough to want a living wage are seen as cynical and unprofessional. The reality is much different from its idealistic (and unrealistic) perception. The fact is that the library and information professions are not vocations, they are professions. There are no vows, no stipulations, attached to the Masters degree. At the graduation ceremony no graduate has to take a vow to accept tens of thousands of dollars less for the same skills being sought after by companies and governments around the world. No one vows to forego recognition, and there are no stipulations that force individuals to deny themselves opportunities for professional growth. A Masters degree in Library Science is simply a professional degree. To romanticize the profession as a bastion of poor, idealistic bibliophile Bohemians serving the public without any consideration of their own needs is silly. The fat lady should finally sing for this mouldy image. Generation Xers' unique attitude towards their chosen profession is different from their older colleagues. As I said in the Introduction, that difference is the source of change. Perhaps finally the library and information professions will leave behind their stuffy, elitist image as a relic of the twentieth century. After all, you cannot be elitist if you are everywhere. You cannot be elitist if you can afford the same middle class accoutrements and can achieve middle class dreams with relative ease. You cannot be an elitist when you can attract bright young talent from all walks of life because they see the profession as a reasonable option regardless of the inevitable troubles that can occur in any career. Despite the challenges they face, most of the participants were secure and happy about their image. I like my librarian job', one of them said, 'now cuz it's all reference work, no time sitting in my cubicle trying to look busy'. Yes, it could use a boost, but many of the changes they suggested came from within the profession. Not the least being a raise in salary standards. This issue more than any other disturbed the

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participants the most. They simply felt as if they were not being paid for the skills and expertise they were bringing to their positions. They were being undervalued, not by 'outsiders' but by their own colleagues. There are plenty of "real" librarians who would not feel comfortable at my job', one of them said. 'There are lots of "business" people who wouldn't feel comfortable doing my job. I'm not irreplaceable, but I'm not a commodity either*.

On future plans The group I interviewed were for the most part optimistic. They saw themselves moving on from their current jobs in the next year or two into something different, and, hopefully, something better. For many of the participants, improvement and change were intimately connected. They could not improve their lot unless they moved on to a new job. One curious characteristic that came up in these conversations, was the Generation Xers fearlessness. The anarchy and confusion brought on by distributed information such as the internet was seen as an opportunity, not a burden. They saw rapid change as an opportunity in and of itself. 'I may be alone in being psyched that there are a zillion ways to answer a question . . . The anarchy evident in a lot of info sources and just the general idea of legitimating sources of information pleases me greatly.' She goes on to say, 'I think there are some librarians who are so wedded to order and rules that the Web's chaos is never going to do anything but frustrate them. But some of us enjoy the chaos.' One of the managers I spoke to expected to stay at his job the longest, 'I'd like to stick around for at least five more years, and then maybe I'll start looking for opportunities elsewhere.' Five years is certainly not a long time, but for Generation Xers the future always seems to be someplace else doing something different. And these futures were balanced among the entrepreneurial and the underserved. Several of the participants saw themselves running their own information-based businesses. Indeed, some of them already worked as information brokers on the side. Just as many had social causes in mind. When asked what she expected to be doing in ten years, one said, 'rural librarian in VT, or maybe running my own zippy somethingorother that deals with technology and the underserved.' These are not the responses of individuals burdened by change or are fearful of an unpredictable future.

On the future of the profession Regardless of their opinions of their own futures, the Generation X professionals I interviewed had a unique, if mixed, vision of the library

Developing Information Leaders

profession's future. There was no clear majority of opinion. I said before that my participants seemed to take many of the issues from a personal perspective, and it might show negatively in the responses to question of the future of the profession. Many could not discuss an issue in the abstract. They could not objectively analyse an issue in its broadest context. The future of the Profession almost inevitably became the future of Me. Of course, these are not the same. It is not that one is bigger or better than the other, it is that they are two different questions that demand a different perspective, and this distinction was surprisingly lacking among their responses. However, this does not mean that all of the participants had an equally narrow vision. One theme that came out from the responses was that in the near future the continuity among the professions would quickly die away. Librarians could be anywhere doing anything informationrelated, and in an information economy that means they could be doing almost anything. Perhaps this also goes back to my idea of the diaspora of the mid-1990s. For centuries libraries were institutions that housed books, other resources, and librarians. They were the sole source of employment for librarians. Starting in the early 1990s and continuing on to the present, thousands of young professional librarians are leaving the institutions and heading out into a world that is clamouring for their skills. The profession is no longer concentrated in libraries, it is scattered among many different disciplines over a wider range of workplaces. Many current leaders and information managers have a desire to maintain continuity among all the similar library professions: public, academic, special libraries and information centres. A recent conference sponsored by the American Libraries Association produced several papers that explored the issue of continuity, including Joe Barnes, 'What's in a name? preserving the word "Library,"' and Donald Sager's 'Defining and sustaining values in the library and information science profession'. However, the jobs and the job tides are spreading out over an increasingly wider range of identities. The traditional identity of the librarian 'navigating information' can only be spread so far without spreading it too thin to see. It will not work, and many Generation Xers already recognize this. One librarian said, 'I think different parts will share different things but there will probably not be one thread. Say between the archivist and the database administrator and the web designer. Maybe some sort of organizational whatnot, but I don't think you can make it more specific than that.' As with many other aspects of change, Generation Xers do not seem to be too concerned about the continuity of identity. Their issues are personal. They are more concerned with tangible rewards and even greater opportunities to learn, grow and even make money. One librarian saw the opportunities in the here-and-now, 'We're now moving into an information economy, and as a profession that has been dealing with

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information for quite a long time, we have a lot to offer. It is our time to shine, if we are willing to step up to the plate.' But he tempered his outlook by saying, 'This is a message that needs to be spoken, both within the profession and without.' For him, as with many others, the responsibility to change the profession, to give it a future, lies squarely with the members of the profession. Another librarian saw a profession much different from its current state. She sees a profession not dominated by access but by expertise. Librarians will not be providing access to information by making it easy for users: they will be providing access through their own expertise. They will be the ones doing the searching and providing the information. ' "Organizing the Web" is always going to be a triage endeavor doomed to failure, because it's so vast. I think that successful efforts are often going to be those that are very focused on one issue, locality, or subject area. But aside from compiling those small, locally focused directories of sites, I think that libraries are going to benefit most from our expertise with the search process.'

On library schools and associations An interesting product of our discussions was the ongoing issue of library schools and professional associations. Among the participants, the attitudes towards library school and professional associations were surprisingly mixed. The responses ranged from lukewarm to zealous, but none were expressly positive. Many of the participants offered good constructive criticism of these institutions, and expressed hope that things would change. As they currently exist, most were not happy with the services provided and what these institutions represented. Library schools were often described as 'confused' places. Simultaneously they teach traditional library services classes and loosely related disciplines such as computer-human interaction. Many came out of school feeling desperately unprepared for their careers and wondered where they would be able to apply their skills. Perhaps it was all in the timing. When most of these Generation Xers were attending library school, the schools themselves were undergoing convulsive changes. Without any substantive support for facing unprecedented changes, both parties, administrations and students, were lost. However, Generation Xers are better equipped now to handle the changes, and they have ideas to offer library schools to better improve training for future students. If library schools got a beating from these Generation Xers, then associations did not fare much better. The biggest complaint was that the associations were not meeting their needs. It was one of the reasons why many of the participants had recently cancelled their memberships, or were apathetic to the causes of the associations. However, the single

Developing Information leaders

most commonly expressed reason for not joining an association was simply, 'I'm not a joiner.' I replied to one of them by saying, 'Join the club!' Library schools and associations face life threatening challenges in the years ahead. The challenges to status, relevance, and vitality are being addressed even as I write this, but these issues should be addressed with the future in mind. The National Centre for Education Statistics tells us that Generation Xers make up the greater number of library school students, and therefore, will become the greater number of association members. This will only happen if Generation Xers find relevance in the training and services associations provide. Remember, Generation Xers tend to take their careers personally. One respondent spoke for many when she said (with tongue in cheek), 'Well, if you're a librarian [as well as with many other jobs nowadays] almost anything you do is job related in some way. Maybe not bicycle riding, but you get my drift. I think managers need to help their employees be good people in some sort of hippie-dippy well-rounded way.' The sentiment is expressed comically, but it is still there. It is a lifestyle choice, and they are much less willing to invest in something that does not provide them with what they need to create a better life for themselves. The participants did not just whine about library schools and associations. They offered concrete suggestions that have come from several years of professional experience. One librarian, who works for a public library system in the Pacific Northwest offered this suggestion for library schools: 'If you're helping people find information using new technology, you're teaching . . . We [here in the library] deal with everything from how to click the mouse on up. It would be great if library schools could include more about learning styles and how to teach, two subjects that people desperately need.' There were several other suggestions: Have distinct tracks for public, academic, and special library work, do not mix them up for the sake of continuity. One respondent put it this way, 'My profs at library school hadn't been librarians in a long time. We were encouraged to write research papers and theses even if we were gonna be public librarians. There should be separate routes for training academics and training technicians and we sort of got both and neither. I think it can confuse people as to what role they have - are we cool like teachers or silly like social workers?' Offer more training on career planning, salary negotiating, and other 'survival skills'. One respondent from the Washington, DC area described her participation as minimal, I only go to events when they have talks about doing something different with your skills and the best strategies for getting a non-librarian job.'

A unique vision

Offer classes on public speaking and marketing. Offer placement services, with nontraditional employers. IT companies and other knowledge service industries need the skills that Generation X information professionals possess and they offer excellent opportunities. Associations were analysed just as critically as library schools. One respondent told me that he was considering joining the Special Libraries Association but was having second thoughts, 'One thing that doesn't interest me is classes on "how to move your library into the information age!" or "Web-wary? After a day with us, you'll be building your own web pages!" When I see those, I get an idea of the folks who make up the SLA. That might not be accurate, but it's the impression I have.' It was clear to many of the Generation Xers I spoke to that the training and services that the associations provided were not geared towards them. The feelings towards associations ranged from lukewarm to fire-breathing animosity. One Washington, DC based librarian said that she wanted to join the local chapter of the American Society for Information Science but thought it was made of men who were 'too old and dorky'. Another librarian from Los Angeles despises the American Library Association so much that she created a work of ascii art (small images created out of typed letters) that consisted of the acronym ALA spelled out using the letters s,u, and x. This was, of course, an extreme case, but it was an acute reflection of the general atmosphere of apathy and indifference. Surprisingly, the issues that inspired indifference and animosity were not great political issues but the sort of personal issues that seem to motivate Generation Xers in other areas of their careers. It was things like the perceived indifference of local chapter leaders to their needs, and the seemingly futile stances on social and political issues that had no direct effect on their lives. 'Copyright?' asked one respondent, 'Is this what my dues pays for?'. The fact of the matter is copyright is an important issue for information professionals. It is one of several important social and political issues. However, Generation Xers want to know how this issue affects them personally. It is up to the associations to communicate the relevance of these issues to their young members in terms that they appreciate. I asked the most adamant participants to provide me with a list of the kinds of training and development services that would interest them. All of the suggestions have one strong characteristic, they are social. They emphasize social aspects of professional groups over the educational aspects. Management surveys have shown that Generation Xers expect their employers to offer them training and development opportunities. It is part of the workplace bargain. It might seem from my small survey, that these Generation Xers expect training and development to come

Developing Information Leaders

from the employer not from the professional association, which they seem to see as providing them opportunities for networking and social interaction. I was given ten unique (and often creative) suggestions for professional associations. As you will see for yourself, not many have anything to do with librarianship. •

Wine tasting and other social events

•

Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity

•

Fostering participation in an AIDS Ride

•

Family-friendly social events

•

Discounts to the theatre

•

Discounts on travel

•

Group health insurance benefits

•

Opportunities to network with potential employers

•

Access to web space for individuals to develop professional websites

•

Opportunities to go to the annual conferences

This participant's description of what he would like was echoed by many others, '[I] want to learn about non-work related things like film and wine and travel, and not think all the time about Being A Librarian. An SLA wine tasting - that I might do . . . or an SLA bike trip - meeting people, then talking about what we want as members.' Of all of the challenges facing associations' indifference will probably be the toughest to overcome. Many Generation Xers just do not have the enthusiasm for belonging to something that is larger than themselves. 'I don't really want to be involved,' said one, 'Part of that is just my temperament - I'm not much of a joiner in that sense.' Another said, '. . . I'm a bit of an outsider'. It's perhaps the fear of being homogenized. Their individuality might inform their needs in this case. In the coming years, association leaders will have their work cut out for them. To motivate a generation of professionals who feel no strong loyalty to institutions and who have no strong connection to a single identity will be a great accomplishment indeed.

Conclusion We need more research. I am the first to admit that an informal discussion of two dozen librarians is just not enough to measure the types of

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changes that are going on in the profession. It is not enough to scan technology trends. We have to look at the people who will come to dominate the profession in the coming decade. Generation Xers will be tomorrow's managers, teachers, leaders and association members. They have a unique vision that will come to dominate the profession, but this will not happen if current managers and leaders move blindly into the future without a better understanding of Generation Xers and their unique contribution to the ever-changing role of librarianship in society.

References Bagby, M. (1998) Rational exuberance. New York: Penguin Barnes, J. (1998) What's in a name? preserving the word 'library'. West Virginia Libraries. August, 51 (1) Sager, D. (1999) 'Defining and sustaining values in the library and information science profession' [www.ala.org/congress/sager.html]

Chapter Ten

Recruiting Generation X

The signs are confusing. This could be the end of librarianship, or it could be a new beginning. The same forces that are changing the profession will work to destroy it or provide it with new opportunities. Nowhere is this tension seen more vividly than in professional recruitment. The social and economic factors that have helped maintain a steady flow of librarians through library school and into the workforce have all but disappeared. From the age of graduate school students, to the working habits of young women to the dwindling opportunities for paraprofessionals, there are many facets of librarianship that are changing forever. There is also the spectre of fierce competition. In the Information Age, librarians and information professionals have found new and relevant positions in society; however, that has come with a price. Now that librarians are needed everywhere, they are no longer needed to work in libraries. For the first time in its history in America, libraries need to compete to get the best information professionals. Everything is changing, and nothing is certain. In this environment, information managers need to recruit new employees. Information managers and recruiters face an uphill battle. For one thing, the workforce is shrinking in the most developed countries all over the world - United States, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and China - and it will continue to shrink well into the twenty-first century. Education is also changing how individuals work and plan their careers. Young women, especially in the United States, are graduating with advanced and professional degrees earlier in their lives and in greater numbers than ever before. They are planning their careers more carefully and keeping them even while they raise children. There are fewer women returning to the workforce, because there are fewer women leaving the workforce to rear children. These women are less likely to switch careers in mid-life after investing ten, fifteen, or twenty years. Recruiters also face a devastating social characteristic - indifference. Surveys show that Generation Xers are less likely to trust in social institutions, such as government and organized religion. They are much less

Recruiting Generation X

Five Challenges Facing Library Recruiters The New Students Recruiting children of the information revolution The end of paraprofessionalism Facing institutional indifference Competition Perceived Obsolescence Figure 10.1 Five challenges facing library recruiters likely to be attracted to jobs that demand service to institutions. This is compounded by competition. The information economy has created new information-based careers, and as a result, librarianship no longer holds a monopoly in information services. They face competition from internetbased services, computer software and research services. Among young people there is a widespread image of librarians as obsolete. N o w that they have a choice, they are choosing other careers. These are the challenges facing information managers and recruiters as they plan to attract the next generation. In order to successfully achieve recruitment goals, they need to reassess the skills and expectations of new graduates and young professionals. They need to create new ways of advertising and interviewing for new positions. They also need to create new ways to market and reach out to young people, so that when the time comes for them to choose, they will consider librarianship.

The new students The United States Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has a wonderful chart that counts over time the number of library school graduates from 1970 to 1995. It shows the boom and lean times for the library profession over the last 25 years. That bulge in the middle of the chart is the characteristic slope of the Baby Boomers. The 1980s were clearly a tough time for library schools in the United States. The number of graduates slipped to a debilitating low of 3564 in

Developing Information

1995—96 1994—95 1993—94 1992—93 1991—92 1990—91 1989—90 1988—89 1987—88 1986—87 1985—86 1984—85 1983—84 1980—81 1979—80 1978—79 1977—78 1976—77 1975—76 1974—75 1973—74 1972—73 1971—72 1970—71 1969—70

Leaders

5099 5057 :I 5116 / 4871 \ :

4893 4763 / ;4341 3906 /

3674 \ 3783 / 3564 \ 3870 I: 3782^

3000

4859 \ 5374 6914 7572 \ ; 8037 8091 •I 8134 / .

7696 /

/

"T"

4000

T 5000

7383 / 7001

6511 T "T" 6000 7000

—i— 8000

9000

Number of degrees Some data extracted from Table 8, Chartbook of Degrees Conferred, 1969—70 to 1993—94. National Center for Education Statistics

Figure 10.2 Master's degree in library science conferred, United States: 1969-96

1986. The gradual but substantive bulge upward towards the end of the chart can be interpreted reasonably as a sign of hope for a profession that was in the mid-1980s on the verge of collapse. By 1996, the 1986 number had almost double to 5099, but it was still considerably less than its heights in the mid-1970s. However, this rise inspires many questions: Is it a temporary rise? Who are the students receiving these degrees? What are their skill sets? Why are they choosing the MLS? You can make educated guesses. For instance, this could be a temporary rise. It will even out and possibly drop as schools add other types

Recruiting Generation X

of information-based professional degrees. Or, it could be a sign that the information economy is bringing many people to the profession who would have otherwise passed it up. However, these are only guesses. Anecdotal evidence and a few statistical sources are the only data available on library school students in the United States. Other countries keep similar statistics, but the data collection requirements are not universal and it is often difficult to compare. I discussed the library profession's need for more comprehensive data collection in Chapter Nine, this is one area where it is sorely needed. From this US evidence we can identify a few general characteristics about recent library school graduates. One obvious characteristic is that library school students are increasingly younger. According to the NCES, in 1992, the percentage of students enrolled in library school who were between 25 and 34 was 25.6 per cent. However, by 1996, that number had more than doubled to 57.6 per cent. (See Figure 9 1 ) At first, this sudden jolt might appear to be a part of an overall shift to younger graduate students, but the data shows that the overall enrolment for graduate and first degrees has remained stable since 1992. In 1992, 45 per cent of all students enrolled in graduate and professional schools were between the ages of 25 and 34. Thirty six per cent of the students were over 35 (see Figure 10.3). This was in stark contrast to library school distribution: 25.6 for 25 to 34 and 68.5 for over 35. By 1995-96, that overall number had only increased by 4.5 percentage points to 49 5 per cent. In the three years between 1992-93 and 1995-96, the age distribution inverted. It was decreasing and reflecting the overall enrolment in graduate and professional classrooms. For some reason still unknown, library school students are getting younger. Why the seismic shift towards youth' I guess that this spike was part of a trend I saw in my interview participants. They made a decision to go directly into a graduate programme within a year or two after graduation. NCES researches discovered that 49 per cent of all students enrolled in graduate school made that decision within one year of earning their undergraduate degrees, another 23 per cent enrolled in programmes within two years. The accompanying report, Life after college: a descriptive summary of1992-93 bachelor's degree recipients in 1997, explores the educational patterns of individuals who earned their degrees in 1992. It shows that 30 per cent of 1992-93 graduates had enrolled in a graduate or first professional programme between the time they graduated and the time they were interviewed for the survey in 1997. By 1997, 21 per cent had either attained a degree or were enrolled and working towards a degree (NCES, 1999, pp. v-vi). Twenty-one, twenty-two are very early ages to be deciding on a professional or graduate degree programme. Why were so many young people returning so soon? And will this trend continue? It is an important question for recruiters, because it might signal a change in the expectations of students who are graduating from library

Developing Information Leaders

Enrolment in institutions of higher education, 1992-93 70 60 J 50 H .Û 45

I 40 x> I 30 o