[Publib] as a profession......loyalty?

[mklibrarian at gmail.com]

My apologies for what could be taken as a 'sweeping generalization.'

Maybe I should have started the second full paragraph: 'It seems like
there are, sadly, many administrators...'

> I always swore I would be the kind of administrator I would have wanted
> when I was a line staffer, and I'm pretty darned proud of what I do.

And well you should be. It is a wonderful, simple philosophy and - from
what you describe below - you are doing it well, the caring is appreciated
in your 21 libraries and the community is a much better place for it.

Many in the profession long for such an atmosphere.

-M!


Mimi's full post:
> As I wrote to Fred Librarian offlist, for fear of retaliation, sweeping
> generalizations regarding administrators is as bad as an administrator
> waxing rhapsodic about all self-service libraries.  My schmoozing and
> martini sipping is on my own very limited own time, thank you.
>
> We use self service technology where it makes sense for customer service
> so that we can manage the very significant growth we are currently
> enjoying.  We can't afford to add staff in sufficient numbers to
> compensate for the double digit circ increases we are seeing.  How
> selfish of me to care about our circ staff's carpal tunnel issues!  We
> are in no way decreasing staff, or decreasing public service.  In fact,
> we are trying to free staff to spend more time interacting with patrons
> and promoting our resources.
>
> I manage 21 branches with no assistant or clerical help.  I've just
> completed 6 weeks of 60 hour weeks helping each branch plan and conduct
> strategic planning meetings with community and staff.  I try to visit
> each branch at least once a month--don't always make it but I try. When
> a branch's AC goes out, I show up with popsicles.  When a new manager
> starts, I provide a pizza party for the staff so they can all get to
> know one another on an informal basis.  On my own dime, I might add.  I
> established our staff summer reading club so all of our staff could
> enjoy some of the same little perks given to our patrons.  I started the
> circulation roundtable to give the paraprofessionals who coordinate our
> circ desks a chance to talk together and empower them to find common
> solutions and pathways to better service.  As I wrote to Fred, we try to
> grow our own professionals by paying for most or all of their MLS
> tuition.  We pay dues for everybody to belong to the Ohio Library
> Council, and financially support their attendance at state workshops and
> conferences.
>
> I always swore I would be the kind of administrator I would have wanted
> when I was a line staffer, and I'm pretty darned proud of what I do.
> There may be martini swilling, political hack schmoozing administrators
> out there, but it is unfair of you to make sweeping accusations.  There
> are also line staff who take long lunch hours, clear their own fines and
> sneak their names to the top of bestseller hold lists.  I haven't
> accused you of being one of them.
>
> Mimi Morris, speaking only for myself
> Dayton, Ohio
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
> [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of
> mklibrarian at gmail.com
> Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 1:51 PM
> To: publib at webjunction.org
> Subject: RE: [Publib] as a profession......loyalty?
>
>
> The 'corporate mindset' seems to be creeping in everywhere.
>
> Many of us came to librarianship assuming this was a place where it
> wouldn't happen, where caring and altruism would always prevail. Sure,
> we
> are all about questioning and the late Sam Rothstein (LIS prof at UBC)
> might have been right in saying librarians are 'querulous loners' (I
> sure
> am), but even so, morale seems to be very bad in most public libraries
> these days. I hear it everywhere.
>
> Administrators who entered the biz for the same reasons we did get swept
> up into a world of politics, schmoozing and martini sipping and seem
> much
> more content to call in a consultant with a briefcase to to conduct
> 'team
> building exercises' than to actually walk downstairs and talk with
> staff.
> In the last two places I worked - central libraries in medium-size
> cities
> - I never even met the three directors, neither did most of my ref
> colleagues...and these directors had offices in the same facility. In
> fact, two directors got up on _staff appreciation_ days and waxed
> rhapsodic about their dreams of all self-service libraries. Librarians
> are
> regarded by many in the executive suite as nothing more than an
> overpriced
> nuisance.
>
> We've got problems and I have no idea how we solve them. We know the
> patrons - and a world so in need of repair - still need us. It hurts.
>
> -M!
>
>
>
>
>
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