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October 15, 2004
More on the NextGen librarian hiring freeze
A while back, the Confessions of a Mad Librarian posted the remarks of Mark Wilcox on "Why I am not going to hire you", where Wilcox offered an insider's look to why someone might not get hired to work in an academic library. The gist seemed to be that academic institutions place the blame predominantly on the candidate for, say, not having experience, not explaining why and how their skills are transferrable, not being published, and more. No matter that your program didn't teach you enough, or give you good direction, it was up to you to make your experience work for your career.
Honestly, I think that MLS programs have the world to do with how many new librarians are out there, the calibur of students they accept and turn out, and the kinds of training they offer, including what they tell students about what to expect upon graduation. MLS programs are essential to the process of becoming a librarian, and I think that it comes with a good deal of responsibility to help mold the profession with the best candidates possible, the best education possible, and the truth, especially in such a crucial point of evolution in the profession. Nevermind the fact that we pay a pretty penny for that degree, the knowledge, and the professional standing it affords us. We should get our money's worth, instead of admonishments from prospective employers.
The Mad Librarian posted another bit on the $64,000 question of "why are so many of the young ones unemployed?" with a Library Journal article "What We Really Want". The article definitely hits the soft spot of unemployed new MLS-holders everywhere in pointing out that all we want to do is get out there and use our skills, and it seems that institutions, while they are worried about the "graying" of the profession, are not "putting their money where their mouth is." There is the acknowledgement that hey, if you wanted to go into librarianship, you shouldn't have just bought into the 4-color glossy rhetoric of school brochures and promising statistics of jobs in droves, but at the same time, much of the professional literature was putting out the same hype.
Here's the bit that had the greatest affect on me:
No matter our age or year of graduation, we're all members of an evolving profession that needs the input of all its members to thrive. If NextGens are driven away by lack of job opportunities and advancement, or lack of interest in their ideas and input, then who will lead our institutions and organizations in ten years? In 20?
For those who have been paying attention, NextGens' concerns are laid out, loud and clear. Who is going to step up to the plate and respond?
My question to add to that is: Will there even be a profession without the help (note that I said "help", not "takeover") of NextGens who have the skills in technology and new ideas to really help the profession evolve to meet the needs of the new age of users?
October 15, 2004 2:53 PM