| Convocation on Providing Public Library Service to California’s 21st Century Population | [Back] [Contents] [Next] |
The 1996 Benton Foundation report, Buildings, Books, and Bytes: Libraries and Communities in the Digital Age, is a wake-up call for librarians about how the public perception of the role of libraries in the future and the perceptions of librarians often differ. According to the public opinion research conducted by the Benton Foundation, there is a critical need for libraries to define their relative and collective roles in an expanding marketplace of information. In a community-driven political environment, organizations that do not recognize or share local community values will be in jeopardy, or risk being marginalized as other institutions compete for limited public monies. A diversified work force is essential to our efforts to better understand and connect with our communities.
The population of the 21st century will be more diverse than at any time in history. In spite of legislation, complaints or denial, diversity is a reality in California that will continue and grow. The diversity in our communities and work force goes beyond ethnicity. Class, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, and religious and physical differences are reflected in the work force and in the the communities we serve.
Economic changes such as a major shift from jobs that require basic skills to those which require specialized training will continue to have a major impact upon society, as we move from an economy based upon services to one based upon the provision of information. Computer technology has had a major impact on libraries throughout the state. Staff often do not feel they have the training or time necessary to adequately respond to the questions of library users who expect technical assistance or those who question the need for technology rather than books. Jobs are less secure, loyalty to institutions is diminishing, and lifelong learning and flexibility are critical.
The changes taking place in our society are played out in the workplace. The needs of the work force mirror the needs of our communities. Staff want more training, job security and recognition within the organization. Attitudes regarding the haves and the have not, and the competition for limited resources are reflected in our policies and services. Library workers who find a link between their personal values and those of the organization are more enthusiastic, creative and effective. Our response to staff needs will provide us with the clues we need to more effectively meet community needs.
In the 21st century there will be increased interaction between those who are different within communities and within the work force. Even those communities that are geographically and economically removed from diverse populations will begin to experience change as the population increases and space becomes more limited.
California libraries have made significant advances in the acquisition and application of technology to improve efficiency and access to information and collections so as to meet special population needs. They have also developed excellent programs to meet critical community needs such as homework assistance and adult literacy, which serve as models in spite of initial resistance by some librarians. Despite some progress, however, we continue to struggle in our efforts to connect effectively with diverse populations and staff.
So where do we go from here? Change is risky, often messy and usually uncomfortable, but strategic change is necessary as we enter the next century. Given the diminishing resources and increased demands and complexity of the political, technological and social environment, the organizational structure of libraries must become less rigid in order for us to respond quickly and effectively to changing needs.
Such a shift will not be easy given the historical culture of most libraries, which is based upon a class structure where formal education is often the primary measure of ability and intelligence. We need to take a hard look at our structures and at the skills needed to most effectively serve our constituents. Changes may include learning to work effectively with partners, organizing work remotely, examining power relationships within the society and our institutions, involving more library support staff in management, and developing working relations with other agencies and groups who work with special populations, thus building the skill level of our staff and identifying shared values.
We need to train, retain and recruit staff who are willing and able to work effectively in a diverse environment, and who have the technical skills or cross-cultural knowledge necessary to move the library forward. Support staff must be included in the recreation of our organizations. Ironically, support staff are often more in tune with the leadership, values and perceptions of local residents because they often represent our customers' diversity and the skills needed.
We must find a nexus between our high professional standards and the messy reality in which we work. Training by itself is not sufficient to make a change. We must reject the perspective that refuses to acknowledge the existence of inequity. The refusal to recognize the issue perverts any efforts by the organization. There must be a change in attitude and in behavior.
Library administrators should encourage and recognize professional growth and community involvement as well as the creation of an environment that encourages and supports diversity, lifelong learning, and broad participation from all levels of staff. Staff development should be part of each supervisor's work plan and each library's policies and procedures. We must provide library staff with the knowledge and skills needed to remain effective and competitive in a rapidly changing environment and take advantage of the resources available from other departments or agencies.
The State Library should provide incentives and tools for training, evaluating, identifying, recognizing and distributing information about programs that work, functioning as a link between statewide goals and staff development and recruitment. Efforts by the State Library and systems to provide and support training are critically needed.
One of the most effective ways to encourage diversity within the profession is to provide support for library school students at the local and state level.
As librarians, we are well aware of the power that ideas and information
have and how they determine who has the power in this world. The
knowledge-based society now evolving presents challenges and opportunities.
As a result of technology such as the Internet, for the first time in history,
the possibility of leadership is open to all regardless of differences.
We must work strategically to take advantage of the ideas, information
and human resources available to us to create institutions in which more
people may be successful - institutions that will attract and develop
the staff who will lead us triumphantly into the 21st century.