Wednesday, November 18, 2009

We're all in it together!

As much as the library profession (or any profession for that matter) would prefer to be outside of the realm of a faltering economy, the fact remains that every job is affected by the current economic status. However, IF we all are indeed experiencing the same job and budget cuts, what better way for libraries to experience some solidarity than by grouping together for support? In an interview with Dr. Camila Alire, President-Elect of the American Library Association from 2008-2009, she emphasizes the extreme importance of great communication and strong relationships between all different kinds of libraries around the nation. She says There is no better time, with all the challenges we are facing, to promote the concept of collaboration in libraries. We don’t want competition to be stronger than collaboration.” She emphasizes the need for immediate interaction between all libraries, large or small. She also worries about an increase in competition between different libraries as budgets are strained. However, now is not the time to become an isolated and individualized profession, especially within the job itself. With the bad economy comes a requirement for libraries to work together towards a common goal. After all, every library shares goals concerning the preservation and expansion of knowledge, and influences tend to be stronger when there is more than one institution or group standing behind an ideal. We may all be thinking of how to persevere in our individual careers during this difficult time, but lets not forget about all of our colleagues who can offer support and strong ties when we need them the most!
Interview with Dr. Camila Alire: http://www.collaborativelibrarianship.org/index.php/jocl/article/view/5

1 comment:

  1. Go Team Work! This interview is inspiring and raises some good questions.

    (This is not directly related to your blog topic but the interview.)

    Alire’s concern about the generational gap between existing librarians and future librarians was interesting. Her concern of how to accommodate our fast paced generation is warranted. However, I don’t know if her worry of “NetGens” leaving the profession is valid. I believe over time both generations will adjust and accommodate to each other’s needs. I wonder how much of this created by the trend towards I-schools and away from librarianship?

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