On Friday I was at the LJ/Temple Library Future Symposium. I was on a panel with some great folks about bridging the culture gaps in our libraries. Courtney Young, our moderator framed the panel in terms of misunderstandings, and I found this to be really enlightening. Many of the problems we face when groups interact with one another, whether it’s the library vs. IT, change agents vs. resistors, or librarians vs. students, stem from these groups having different perspectives and a lack of mutual understanding of those perspectives.

Let’s take change agents vs. resistors as an example. For this example we’ll use changing the food policy as the conflict (though any change could be substituted here). On one side, you think that the food policy is outdated and that food and drink should be allowed in the library. On the other side there is a group resistant to this change who believe that it shouldn’t change. In order to get past this, there needs to be clear understanding on both sides.

You should first try to understand the other person’s perspective. And don’t just pretend to listen while dismissing what they say in your head. Pay attention and genuinely understand their concerns. Are they concerned about damage to the books or computers? Are they concerned with messes? Are they concerned with the smell? These are all genuine concerns and should be (and can be) addressed. Get to the bottom of why they are resisting the change. When you understand concerns you can then address them.

Then you need to communicate clearly to them why you think the policy should change and make sure that they understand your concerns. Do you think it will create a more welcoming environment? Do you see it happening other places (bookstores, etc.)? Are your users asking for it? Make a clear case for why you think the change is necessary. In discussing the change and coming up with solutions together make sure that their concerns are addressed. You can say something like, “I understand you are concerned with damage to our collection. I don’t want anything to get ruined either. Do we think that will happen a lot though? It seems like Barnes and Noble is not concerned with food or coffee ruining their merchandise. And at home I drink coffee and read books all the time. Does the benefit of making the library more comfortable and welcoming outweighs the risk of a few damaged books? Is there a way that we can limit damage while still allowing food and drink?”

Too often we assume that something is obvious or that someone is just obtuse when in reality we just have differing perspectives. The above approach might work and it might not, but it will be a lot more effective when we try to understand others and address them in terms of their concerns instead of only ours.

Change starts with you

Sitting around and waiting for inspiration to strike or the perfect moment is not going to bring about change. These are outside circumstances that you have no control over. What you can can control is yourself and your own decisions. This is the starting place, and having this mindset is the most important part of being an agent for positive change. One of the biggest mistakes that librarians can make is getting discouraged or giving up because of colleagues who actively resist change, an administration or board that is stuck in the past, or an institution that is seemingly calcified. You cannot control these things (but you can influence them). What you can control is your response. If you direct your anger and energy at the board or your “backwards” colleague or your inflexible institution, you will only reap frustration.

In chatting with librarians who are frustrated, I hear a lot people say things like “we can’t have drinks in the library because x,” or “if only x would retire, then we could enact change.” But this is giving up control. You still can respond. Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (I’m getting hooked on this book) talks about using proactive language instead of using reactive language. Instead of using phrases like “I can’t” you can say “I choose.” Instead of saying “there’s nothing I can do,” say “let’s look at our alternatives.” By understanding that you have the control over your choices and the decisions you make, you empower yourself.

I’ve seen other librarians talking about this same idea. There was recently a great post by the folks at In the Library with the Lead Pipe on the theme of the Occupy Movement. One of the sections was about occupying yourself and they discussed this idea of owning your own power and not giving it away to others. In the post they give a great model for a positive communication technique to bring about change without sounding like you’re attacking.

Know what change you want to see

In bringing about change it’s also necessary to be strategic. One person can’t change everything; they just don’t have the time. So you have to clearly understand what it is you want to change. You also need to be able to prioritize and recognize when a service or resource needs to be dropped. We can’t be everything to everyone in libraries, so we have to play to our strengths. Jenica Rogers talks a lot about this and she recently did a presentation for the LIANZA conference entitled Reality-based Librarianship for Passionate Librarians. In it she discusses identifying goals, but also this idea of picking your battles. Not everything can be changed, or it may not be worth the time, effort, and effects on your sanity to change something. Change doesn’t come easily, but have a road map for how to get there makes things simpler.

You’re not alone

My favorite part about library conferences is meeting with other librarians and hearing what they are working on and what they are passionate about. It’s easy to get caught up in the very narrow view from your own institution, but when you talk with others, you realize there are a lot of different ways to bring about change. By talking with others outside of your own institution you can begin to see other perspectives and different approaches to problems you are trying to solve. It is also a way to invigorate yourself and gain new energy. If you feel that no one at your institution wants change or has the same interests as you, find others who share your passion and collaborate with them.

You have to take care of yourself as a librarian. Burnout is real, and if your passion and creativity continually gets stifled at your institution, try to collaborate with other passionate librarians at different institutions. There is no shortage of passionate librarians. Go to conferences. Go to local meet-ups of librarians. Connect with folks via social networking. And if there aren’t many networking opportunities in your area, start some. There are likely others who want to connect and share ideas and are looking for a venue.

What strategies are most helpful to you in bringing about change at your library?

Taoism is, among other things, a philosophy that originated in China in the 3rd or 4th century BCE. It began with Lao Tzu’s writing of the Tao Te Ching and is still around today. It is a philosophy which values balance, moderation, compassion and being pliant and adaptable. There is a wealth of wisdom from the Taoist philosophy that could be applied in librarianship.

Laws Create Lawbreakers (58) – “Where government stands aloof, the people open up.” Instead of constantly trying to control the behavior of your users, see what they do and create guidelines around that. Instead of setting furniture up a certain way and then moving it back when it gets out of place, see what configurations users like and allow them the freedom to make spaces their own. Instead of having strict mobile phone or food rules, recognize that as humans we need to communicate and eat. Outlining numerous strict library policies makes for a lot of broken policies, shushing, and saying no constantly.

Bend, Don’t Break (76) – “When a plant becomes hard it snaps.” Libraries, especially in academia, have done things certain ways for many years. We continue purchasing print journals. We still have items on microfilm. We still tell people to turn off their mobile phones in the library. In order to not become outdated or obsolete libraries and librarians should cultivate an attitude of softness. We should examine services, collections, and policies constantly to see if they are still meeting user needs and if they are still in touch with reality.

Realize When Enough is Enough (9) – “Instead of pouring in more, better stop while you can.” A key concept in Taoism is that one opposite follows another. Emptiness follows fullness. As librarians, we keep taking on new roles and offering new services without dropping other services. This is a recipe for disaster. Instead of doing a few things really well, we fall into the trap of doing a lot of things poorly. By holding onto legacy services and trying to do everything, we are in fact defeating ourselves. There is only so much energy and so many resources that we can provide. We need to think strategically about what we can drop and what is most important to our community. One way is through a great presentation that I saw at ACRL about Planned Abandonment.

Be Like Water (8) – “The best are like water, bringing help to all.” Water helps all people, that’s it’s nature. Just so, we should constantly be thinking about how we can best serve others. Water also is quite adaptable. It can fit easily into any sort of container and it naturally goes with the flow. Librarians too should be able to change themselves, their services, and their resources to meet their community’s needs. They should be able to adjust along with the changes that are constantly happening in the world both technologically and socially.

The Tao is typically translated as “The Way.” It’s a very nuanced concept, but at it’s core it refers to the true nature of the universe. And the point of Taoism is to live in accord with The Way. Instead of struggling against everything all the time Taoism states that humans should try to see how things actually are and live in harmony with them. This can be a very illuminating idea for libraries.

Librarians need the ability to be in touch with reality and not be blind or naive. The job of a librarian does not have to be a struggle against obsolescence or a constant proving of  their value to stakeholders and administrators. Instead librarians can try to understand what is actually of value to our patrons and be leading the parade instead of fighting against it.

The quotes and numbers above refer to chapters/sections of the Tao Te Ching translated by Red Pine, though there are plenty of free translations available as well. 

Photo from Flickr by Lyndi&Jason

Change can be scary. Moving to a new city, having a kid, getting a dramatically different haircut – we often fear the unknown. What if I can’t make friends? What if I am a bad parent? What if my hair looks stupid? Fear can often hold us back from great experiences and doing great things.

Sometimes in libraries there is also a fear of change. Most readers of this blog are likely embracing change and see it as the only constant, but I am willing to bet they have colleagues or directors who are less than excited about all the rapid change taking place. These co-workers likely have done things the same way for a long time and may not see the value in new technologies.

Through some discussions and reading that I’ve recently done, I have found a few things that are useful to remember when trying to help people get over their fear of change:

• Play and have fun – Don’t take yourself to seriously. Libraries are fun places and the work we do is fun. We’re not brain surgeons. No one will die if we use the wrong subfield in a MARC record. We need to be able to have fun. Failure is going to happen, and that’s good because it leads to learning. Learning a new technology is all about failure and play. Instead of already knowing how a new technology works, you have to just start playing and clicking on things until you understand it, failing multiple times in the process.
• Listen – Listening to people is an important tool in getting people over the fear of change. Instead of talking about how great a technology is or how much it will benefit people, try listening. Often through the simple act of shutting up you can better understand people’s concerns. In fact, sometimes people just want to be heard. You don’t have to do anything, but they want to at least know that they have a voice. As Epicetus said, “We have two ears and one mouth so we may listen more and talk the less.”
• Tell stories – Well reasoned arguments are great, but when trying to change someone’s mind they often fall flat. Stories are much more effective when you’re trying to make an impression on someone. Instead of saying “this widget will increase your productivity 77%,” say “I was using this widget the other day, and boy did it make life easier!” Stories will get you further than facts and figures.
• Make use of a group – People are much more comfortable in a group setting. If some people may be hesitant to learning a certain technology, perhaps try it in a group setting. Groups are powerful. The peer pressure and the idea that “we’re all in this together” can help people get over their fear and improve themselves and gain new skills.

I’d like to thank Margot Price, David Lee King, and my library school bud Becky Canovan for discussing this with me and helping me clarify my thoughts on this. Are there other things that you have found helpful in getting people over their fear of change?

These words were uttered by our new president-elect Barack Obama. Back in 2005 Obama keynoted at the ALA National Conference in Chicago.  An adapted transcript of the speech is available on Obama’s Illinois senator website.

It is really rad to have a new president that is not only against banning books (Palin I am looking at you), but keynoted at an ALA conference and talked at length about the importance of libraries and literacy.  I’ll just leave you with a few quotes that made me smile and realize that our new president-elect is on the side of libraries.

“I want to work with you to ensure that libraries continue to be sanctuaries of learning, where we are free to read and consider what we please without the fear that Big Brother may be peering over our shoulders to find out what we’re up to.”

And this one:

“We should make sure our politicians aren’t closing libraries down because they had to spend a few extra bucks on tax cuts for folks who don’t need them and weren’t even asking for them.”

It was sad leaving things and places and people that I had grown to know and love for something completely different, but I realize that that is going to be the nature of my new job.  I will have to be constantly changing, doing things different ways, and abandoning old comfortable methods of doing things for something that will work better or make more sense.  This is the nature of library work as well as the nature of the world.  You do something some way for a while and start getting comfortable… then everything changes.  You have to do it differently.  A man works in a factory maufacturing SUV’s and suddenly people realize the model of getting cheap gas no longer works.  The job is gone.  The person now has to learn a new skill and reshape who he is.  Things do not stay the same way for long.  A key virtue for this day and age is flexibility.

I have not been posting much on my job search and graduation, mainly because I have been really busy with both.  I graduated on May 18th (that’s me above saying a few words of thanks), and it was a great ceremony.  I only attended the small SLIS ceremony.  The school wide one would have been far too long and boring.  Our professor Stephen Paling was our keynote speaker and he did an amazing job.  I am glad that I went.  The whole thing kind of gave me a feeling of closure.  I am now a full-fledged Master of Arts in Library and Information Science.

In addition, I am now gainfully employed.  I have just accepted a position as the Emerging Technologies Librarian at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.  I am really excited about this position as it is a really good fit for my interests.  I will continue posting during this transition period from student to librarian in the hope of revealing some insights about making that change.

I will also have some advice coming soon for job hunters.  I had a lot of interviews and phone interviews and can impart some of the things that I have learned through the whole process.

The cataloger at work told me about how he almost died on I-90. He was driving along when suddenly traffic was at a standstill (because of other people crashing). He applied the breaks but he almost wasn’t able to stop in time. Trudging through the snow to Lucky’s was horrendous and it took about twice as long as it normally would have. I went to the Badgers hockey game on Saturday night and it was pretty sparse as far as fan attendance (great game though). The worst though, was helping my roommate shovel out her car this morning after the snow had iced over and turned to stone. It probably took fifty minutes.

There are good things about the snow though. Not many good things but at least it made me remember some of the funnier things in life. I also really enjoy how it turns everyone into good Samaritans. I saw multiple people helping others get unstuck. It seems that people are more willing to help others when there is snow on the ground… or at least it is more visible. I don’t know if I would say “it’s the most wonderful time of the year,” but I enjoy the change.

Along with the change in weather I have been listening to Traffic and Weather, the latest Fountains of Wayne album, and just like the previous one, it really grows on you. It is, once again, an amazing disc, and I love FOW’s sound and creative songwriting. My favorite track is “Fire in the Canyon,” but “Strapped for Cash” is really growing on me.