UPS and ALA…..

** Greetings from enchanting New Mexico! I have left Colorado’s winter wonderland for a few days of sunny, but unusually cold, New Mexico. Here’s hoping that all of you have had a wonderful holiday, and I wish you all a very good and prosperous 2008!**

I want to share an observation I had over the holidays. I am sharing this because it has some ALA and library implication. The observation occurred when I was listening to (rarely do I have time to sit down and “watch”) ABC’s Good Morning, America or was it CBS’ Sunday Morning? Anyway, they were doing a story on UPS and how it was working hard to recruit younger drivers because, like many corporate environments, they are experiencing the graying of their workforce. What UPS found was that the training programs that they had been using for years were insufficient. It was not so much the content of the training programs per se that was the issue; it was the methodology. For many of us, training programs usually consisted of the trainers talking and the participants taking notes. If we were lucky, the programs might have some interactive exercises built in.

The young UPS trainees said that this was not enough. They wanted a training program that utilized the benefits of technology; they expected computer simulation exercises et cetera to enhance their training. This was an eye-opener for UPS. And, UPS adjusted accordingly….

As I was listening to this program segment, I immediately thought of what we face in all of our libraries and within ALA– not only the graying of our profession but also, like the UPS trainees, two generations of librarians (GenXers and Millenials) coupled with library users who expect a lot more technology in libraries and a lot more technological-savvy library staff.

I decided to share my thoughts with you all because of two other things that happened — at an ALA-related national meeting, a young ALA leader remarked about the generational differences in attitude of those of us around the table. If I recall correctly, it was about process versus action. Then I recently read about the “rejuvenation” of staff in the Washington D.C. Public Library system. This rejuvenation required retirement financial incentives and some firing of long-time staff because DCPL wanted tech-savvy librarians who come into the system bringing much-needed technology skills sets and who can embrace change demanded by the implementation of technology. The bottomline for DCPL was providing better services to their users using state-of-the-art technology as well as attracting their underserved, but tech-savvy, young adults.

All of this has implications for ALA leaders – not only the ALA president but also division presidents/division boards, ALA Council, and ALA Executive Board. At no other time in my professional career have I witnessed how information technology is driving how people work with others, relate to others, and/or help serve others. Also, more than ever before, we have major generational differences within our profession and within ALA. We can’t ignore this. The new generation of emerging leaders think very differently than we Boomers. We (Boomers) need to embrace these differences and think differently/creatively about how we get and keep them involved in ALA. It can’t be business as usual anymore.

As ALA president, I would bring experience as a change agent. I don’t necessarily have the “how-to-do-it” answers right now. But, I recognize that as an association, we need to work hard to engage the new generation of librarians and library staff. Like UPS, we need to do it using the “methodologies” that resonate with our new generation of librarians. I don’t think it needs to be an “either/or” situation — that is, forsake my fellow ALA Boomers for the newer generation. But we do have to be more inclusive and understand that change is definitely due. I am more than willing to listen to ALA members of all generations to see how we can advance ALA to being a vibrant and relevant association for all of us.

CAMILA

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Tags: generations, leadership

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