"Next generation librarians are those who are going to be around for the next few decades to deal with the aftermath of what we do now, and are those who will oversee the field's transformation in the future. They will be the ones to recognize that our profession is, in a number of ways, fighting for its own survival." This quote, taken from the book "The Nextgen Librarian's Survival Guide" is an excellent point of reference for those of us preparing to embark on a journey through the Library and Information Sciences profession. As students we will learn all of the facets of this particular field and by the end of our graduate career we will be able to make educated decisions about the next step, which is employment. But is there information accessible today that will help better prepare us for what the economy is doing to libraries around the country? And when we retrieve that information, what do we do with it?
The worst situation libraries find themselves concerning the economy involves lack of information about the situation, which ultimately leads to less concern about libraries as a whole. It's a fact that lack of awareness pushes libraries into the foreground of those establishments that experience severe budget cuts. In Michigan alone, library budgets are being cut by nearly half, from 10 million dollars to 6 million dollars. If we are the ones who want to establish careers in libraries and library service, what can we do now that will push for a more stable financial situation in the future? When we became students of the Library and Information Sciences program we took on a responsibility to the field that will be with us for the rest of our lives. In light of that, we are a part of the professional community, and we do have an influence. As "The Nextgen Librarian's Survival Guide" so aptly sums it up, "we have the chance to impact a changing institution and a changing profession, and to build the experiences we need to lead our libraries in the future".