Below is a summary from the May 14-15 e-Forum, “Going the Distance: Thriving as a Long-Career Professional”. The conversation will continue synchronously on Friday, June 7 at 10am CT on Zoom. Read the summary from the asynchronous e-forum below, and then register to continue the conversation this Friday!
Summary of the May e-Forum
The forum was co-moderated by Julie Renee Moore, Special Collections Catalog Librarian, California State University, Fresno, and Mary Beth Weber, Head of Central Technical Services, Rutgers University Libraries. Attendees were invited to explore how long-career professional librarians can continue to go the distance and thrive by staying active and engaged in librarianship. The moderators have observed that many opportunities (particularly for grants/travel funds/professional development) are geared to new professionals or early-career librarians. “New Leader Awards” encourage early-career librarians to attend conferences and are designed to propel them into professional volunteerism. What they haven’t seen are opportunities geared to long-career librarians. This is a missed opportunity since many long-career librarians are still quite active in librarianship, at conferences, and with research and scholarship. They also want to stay current with emerging trends and recognize that learning is a continual process that benefits us, our libraries, and our profession. Additionally, we have decades of experience and knowledge to share in these spaces. Unfortunately, there are times when long-career librarians are overlooked and unheard.
Participants were invited to suggest professional development opportunities for the long-career librarians in technical services. Employers want a diverse workforce, which includes multigenerational employees. This forum helped long-career librarians to develop strategies to showcase their knowledge, skills and experience to keep going the distance for those who don’t want to retire or aren’t ready to retire.
On Day 1 of the e-Forum, the moderators posed questions about multi-generational workplaces, challenges that long-term career librarians have faced, and resources and strategies for long-term librarians to remain engaged and relevant, and mentoring.
There was a good discussion about multi-generational workplaces, particularly the benefits of having both employees with institutional knowledge and those with strong technological skills. Since our users are diverse, having a diverse workforce positions us to meet their needs. Recommendations included talking and listening to co-workers, learning their best learning styles, and observing power dynamics. There was a recognition of change in the relationship between generations. Previously, it seemed there was natural deference to those with more experience. There now seems to be less interest in institutional memory or the experience of long-term colleagues.
Participants discussed how the opposite ends of the age spectrum in the workforce can have completely different views on and expectations for how their daily and ongoing work life will look. This includes not just onsite versus remote work, but also how work, ambition, and career achievement are valued. There were recommendations to stay calm, flexible, and relevant. The long-career librarians need not be afraid to learn from their younger colleagues or to share the skills that have been developed during their long careers. The long-career librarians respect the younger generation that is coming into the workforce world, particularly how they have clear boundaries between work and life.
There was a discussion surrounding the fact that as long-career librarians age, their networks shrink with colleagues retiring, with Zoom being less conducive to networking and informal discussion. There’s a need to develop a network of trusted colleagues both internal and external to one’s organization. Joining professional associations and networking with others from several types of libraries with different experiences is a good way to develop these networks.
Challenges for long-career librarians included expressions of unconscious bias against those who have worked all or most of their career in one library. There are many reasons why they may have stayed, including the need to be relatives, loving where they work, and loving the location. Some participants shared that they’ve been asked when they plan to retire (a form of ageism). Some stay because they love their work, and some continue to work because they need to do so to survive financially. In academic settings, teaching faculty are also working longer. Participants who are managers reported feeling isolated, and would welcome the opportunity to get to know their colleagues.
As for strategies to stay engaged and relevant, many participants talked about professional development / continuing education (workshops and webinars and courses), staying active in a variety of professional organizations, being involved with online communities, and conducting research and writing.
There was an engaging discussion about mentoring. Most have served as mentors in various library organizations, and at their own institutions. Attendees discussed the difference between informal and formal mentorship. Formal mentorship could be a structured program where two people are paired as the mentor and the mentee. Informal mentoring can be an interaction between librarians, staff, and students. The discussion included reverse mentoring. There were fewer examples of this, which is notable. Whether informal or formal, the benefits can be the major influence in their decision to become a librarian or to see through becoming a librarian. It can be life-altering. Several people described mentoring as paying it forward.
Day 2’s discussion focused on the experience of reporting to a person who is younger; possible ways to fill the void of resources and opportunities for long-career librarians who want to remain engaged in the profession; considerations of leaving a current position; and resources.
Participants shared their experiences in reporting to a younger person, the ability to recognize differences in opinion, the importance of past experience in making decisions, and how fascinating it can be to report to a younger person because it provides a glimpse of where the profession is headed. The COVID pandemic led to changes that included how to re-engage with the profession. Layoffs led to workflow changes.
In thinking about the void of resources and opportunities for late-career librarians, there was an enthusiastic discussion about forming a Core interest group or an informal group of long-career librarians. In terms of awards for professional development, one participant shared that Core offers the new Lift Award, which is open to anyone. The first award was given in 2023. The ACRL/Core Hugh Atkinson Memorial Award will be reinstated next year. Northwest Archivists offers two opportunities. One is a professional development scholarship that is not skewed toward a particular experience level. NWA also offers funding to support continuing education opportunities so those who are typically further away from where major conferences are held can sponsor a continuing education opportunity that reaches a group of people who would not be able to travel the greater distances.
When discussing the question of staying or leaving, the topic of “buyouts” arose. If there’s a buyout, people reported being able to retire or find another position or do a side gig. For those who stay, many expressed enjoying work because of the relationships within their team and working on interesting new projects. Some reported being in the sandwich generation between caring for a child and a parent, and thus, needing their current income to keep three generations afloat. Others reported that they didn’t want to go through the tenure process again. Reasons for leaving were as varied for long-career librarians as it would be for early-career librarians. Difficult culture and an unhappy workplace; burnout; severe budget cuts and impending layoffs were cited.
Resources:
- Birrell, Lori and Marcy A. Strong. “Supporting the Intersections of Life and Work: Retaining and Motivating Academic Librarians Throughout Their Careers.” Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 17, no. 1 (2021). https://doi.org/10.18438/eblip29971.
- Holder, Sara and Amber Lannon. (2018). Chapter 6 – Late-Career Librarians. In Managing the Multigenerational Librarian Workforce (pp. 63–75). Elsevier Ltd. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102072-2.00006-5.
- Jaffe, Sarah Work. Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone (Bold Type Books, 2021).
- Neville, T.M. & Henry, D.B. (2017). Career plateauing among senior librarians. Journal of Library Administration, 57, no. 6. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102072-2.00006-5
- Stolzoff, Simone. The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work (Portfolio, 2023).
- Williams, Caitlin. Be Opportunity-Minded: Start Growing Your Career Now. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2019.
Other Thoughts:
There were a number of participants who wish to continue the conversation. They floated the idea of a meet-up at ALA, meeting at Core Happy Hour, organizing a Core Zoom meeting, organizing a Core Interest Group.
Finally, the moderators threw out a bonus question: What advice would you give to an early or mid-career librarian as to how to deal with long-career librarians? Participants noted that someday, you, too, will be a long timer! … Just as we were new librarians at one time! The most common word that was written was “respect” … treat us (and every colleague) with respect. Be patient with our stories. We can make meaningful contributions with their encouragement and maybe even surprise them! Treat them as you would want to be treated when you are a long timer!
Aretha Franklin’s “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” was mentioned. R-E-S-P-E-C-T was to everyone a guiding principle and a wonderful note to end the e-Forum.
