We should recognize that we’re always librarians
By Courtney L. Young, University Librarian, Colgate University, ALA President 2014-2015.
What should we — any member of the higher ed community — do now to ensure a healthy future for academic librarianship?
Support for professional development must be normalized. Academic librarians at all types of institutions are met with barriers when it comes to participating in this important component of our professional practice and development:
minimal, if any, funding for conference attendance or professional membership
not enough time to attend conferences or online learning opportunities
not enough time or encouragement for scholarly engagement that results in poster sessions, presentations, or publications
and the library/institution not recognizing the need for such participation and how it has the potential to positively impact not only the students and faculty but also library colleagues.
Librarians must continually further their learning and develop skills applicable to the ways students are being asked to work.
Courtney L. Young, University Librarian, Colgate University, ALA President 2014-2015.
It will be more important than ever to recruit a workforce that is interested in working with people just as much, if not more, in working with information in its various containers. It remains important for us to have the relevant academic training that remains foundational to our work. While the courses I took in my LIS program included classes that surprised my early-to-mid career and veteran librarian colleagues, those who have recently joined the profession are graduating having taken courses that reflect the evolving needs of higher education. But a degree is not enough. The ability to work with people — departmental colleagues, supervisors, supervisees, colleagues beyond the department, faculty, staff, and of course students — is paramount. In particular, we need to build relationships to advance the goals of the institution, the library, and our students.
We need to think about how this extends beyond the institution. Publishers and vendors are also part of the “ecosystem of libraries,” as noted by former ALA President Jim Rettig. When I started my career, I was taught that the vendors from whom we subscribed and purchased were the enemy. We needed to do everything possible to get from them what we deserved. Then I learned that some of these actually employed librarians. Those librarians, and their colleagues with other expertise, wanted to support us in our collaborations with faculty and students. They are also in the information business, working on creative ways to provide users with the information they seek. Stronger partnerships with those vendor and publisher colleagues who support our work can go a long way.
Our ability to build relationships allows us to continually improve the profession and the user experience. There is no one way to do this, but we must be open and willing to take an active role in this work. In fact, we need to see this as the work. If there is one thing I’ve learned thus far in my career, it is that I am never not a librarian to others. Serving on a committee completely unrelated to libraries, my campus colleagues will take the opportunity to ask me a library-related question. Issues they see on television about libraries, such as book banning legislation and drag queen story hour, become an opportunity for them to ask how this affects my profession. Even when I’m at a store or an airport, strangers will ask me where something is located or how to find a particular item (and usually I can). For whatever reason, they think I am approachable and possibly helpful, and I take those opportunities to connect, assist, and support. This is a special ability --a talent -- that all librarians need to keep us relevant as higher education continues to evolve.
“… people will never forget how you made them feel.”
About
Courtney L. Young is University Librarian and co-director for the Hancock Commons at Colgate University. She graduated with a BA from The College of Wooster and earned a MS in Library Science from Simmons College (now University). Courtney has served in a variety of leadership roles in the American Library Association (ALA), including being elected the 2014-2015 ALA President. She is a recipient of the Simmons Alumni Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement and Excellence in Library and Information Professional Endeavors. Courtney frequently presents and publishes on issues related to advocacy, academic librarianship, diversity, leadership, and professional development.
Related posts
This blog post is part of a series from librarian thought leaders sharing personal insights into the challenges and opportunities their profession faces. Read more.