The Rift between Older and Younger Librarians
This month’s American Libraries has a discussion between a Gen X librarian and an older librarian about a survey of leadership traits valued by public and academic library directors that bothered many young librarians. The article covers issues related to the lack of young librarians, how young librarians view library leaders, and what library managers think of younger librarians.
Steve Casburn, the Gen X librarian, suggests that older librarians need to make it easier for young librarians to get involved in the profession and professional development activities. He also suggests there needs to be fresh leadership ideas to combat some of the negative aspects of the profession, like the low prestige and salaries.
The older librarian who coauthored the study, Arthur Young agreed with Steve on many points, including the need to get younger professionals involved and that leadership is often person-specific, not age-specific.
This article is not yet available on the Web.
One Response to “The Rift between Older and Younger Librarians”
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September 5th, 2004 at 9:43 am
That issue is still on my kitchen table waiting to be browsed. I think whether or not you’re encouraged to participate in professional activities depends on who your boss is. My former co-workers and supervisor at the public library and my current set are both very supportive. hmm.