LIFE IN THE BABY BOOMER LIBRARY WORLD: A SURVIVALGUIDE

Zaana Howard

Lovell ChenLevel 1, 35 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000zhoward@lovellchen.com.au

ABSTRACT

According to Australian Job Search (2006), just 14% of librarians are under the age of 35. As a Generation Y librarian, flexibility is a key factor to ensuring survival in theBaby Boomer library and overcoming employment, promotion and in particular stereotype barriers. This paper draws upon generational and library workforce research,coupled with industry experience to provide practical advice and strategies to break through both personal and professional barriers for the Generation Y librarian in theBaby Boomer library world.As a Generation Y librarian, my journey since graduation in 2005 coupled with industryunderstanding drawn from personal experiences of working in public, education andspecial libraries, is used to discuss barriers faced and methods for breaking through. Inmy previous position as Teaching and Learning Librarian at Northern MelbourneInstitute of TAFE from 35 library staff I was the sole member under 30. In addition Iwas the youngest member of the Library Management Team by 20 years, providing a perfect example of the Generation Y librarian within a Baby Boomer environment. Thisexperience provides the platform for exploring strategies for understanding andovercoming ageist ideas, generational stereotypes, and employment barriers. Discussionregarding the need to develop sound industry knowledge for survival within the libraryworld will also be raised.

INTRODUCTION

Today people are staying in the workforce longer with up to four generations workingtogether in the one organisation. In addition, hierarchical structures are flatter andgenerations are no longer separated by chains of command instead working in teams of diverse ages (McCrindle, 2008b). As a result there has never been a greater need tounderstand generational differences, foster an appreciation for generational diversityand develop strategies for effectively creating a unified workplace working towardscommon goals (Whitmell & Associates, 2004).In recent years, there has been a proliferation of literature written for supervisors and

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– Australian Library and Information Association Biennial Conference5-6 December 2008 CQ Function, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Z. Howard

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– Australian Library and Information Association Biennial Conference5-6 December 2008 CQ Function, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

managers in regard to Generation Y employees, including attracting, recruiting andretaining strategies. The primary focus has been on providing insight and understandinginto this complex generation to allow Baby Boomer and Generation X managers anopportunity to adapt their organisation for the habits of the upcoming cohort (Sheahan,2005; Huntley, 2006; McCrindle Research, 2006; Manpower, 2007; McCrindle, 2008b;McCrindle, 2008c).In comparison there has been little written for Generation Y, to prepare them and provide advice for the realities of the workplace which often do not meet the cohort’swants, needs, or expectations. This frequently leaves the young generation, aged between 14 and 28, disillusioned. The library and information services industry is noexception where realities of the librarian role commonly do not meet romanticisednotions and workplaces are dominated by ageing Baby Boomers of 45 plus, offeringfew peers.This paper aims to provide a foundation for Generation Y employees, a kind of survivalguide, for understanding and engaging with complex workplaces and managementstructures. The focus is on generational relationships between Generation Y and theBaby Boomers within libraries. Minimal consideration is given to the cohort born between 1965 and 1979, known as Generation X, due to the proliferation of BabyBoomers within the industry, who comprise in excess of 65% of the librarian population(ALIA, 2008). In addition it is the latter generation, rather than Generation X, whocurrently hold the majority of senior management positions with the responsibility for supervising and leading Gen Y employees.

My personal experience as a Generation Y librarian across the education, public andspecial library sectors, provides the case study for analysing the Baby Boomer libraryworld. Analysis of generational theory, the library work force and case study events provide the background for introducing workplace survival advice for overcominggenerational stereotypes, management styles, and employment barriers and exploringthe responsibilities of Generation Y in shaping the future organisational standards.

LITERATURE REVIEWBaby Boomers

The Baby Boomer cohort was a result of increased births following World War II. Thisgeneration, born 1946-1964, are currently between 44 and 62 years of age (McCrindleResearch, 2008). This generation’s social markers included the advent of television,rock and roll music, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the threat of nuclear war andintroduction of decimal currency (McCrindle, 2008d). To Boomers life is sequential,moving from one level to the next, having experienced a mostly linear lifestyle – fromchildhood, to secondary education, moving onto work or tertiary education (and thenwork), marrying, having a family and are now moving toward retirement (Salt, 2006).

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Baby Boomers are presented in a number of different ways highlighting key aspects of the cohort. To Salt (2006) Baby Boomers are ‘idealists’, always striving for a better way of living, being the first generation in an era of almost seamless prosperity andeconomic growth. In contrast McKay (1997, p.82) presents an image of the Boomers ascontinually stressed due to this generation living through one of the most ‘profound periods of redefinition and reorientation in Australia’s social, cultural, and economichistory’. He notes that the Boomers are now nostalgic, reluctant to part with their youth, associating it with the promise of their early years when the future appeared rosy.As a result Boomers have invented what McKay (1997, p.66) terms ‘elasticadolescence’, stretching all the way to middle age. McCrindle (2006, p.8-9) also takes adifferent perspective describing Boomers as a ‘very adaptive and flexible generation’and providing examples of their embracing of technology and collaborativemanagement styles.In the workplace, Boomers ‘live to work’, and created the 60 hour working week (McKay, 1997). As a result many are workaholics with an overwhelming need tosucceed at any cost, sacrificing personal life for professional goals (McKay, 1997).Boomers have a strong work ethic, are optimistic, loyal and committed employees.They have started at the bottom and worked their way to the top believing promotionsare achieved through hard work, merit and seniority (Sheahan, 2005). Their focus in theworkplace is on process and outputs, concerned with policy and productivity rather thanquality products, outcomes and development of best practices (McKay 1997).

Generation Y

Generation Y, sometimes referred to as Generation Why?, Millenials, Echo-Boomers, Net generation, or the Dotcoms, were born between 1980 and 1994 (Sheahan, 2005;Huntley, 2006; McCrindle Research, 2008). This cohort ranges in age from 14 to 28years, encompassing those still in high school to new graduates establishing themselvesin the work force. The social markers that define this generation include the advent of the internet, the new millennium, September 11, iPods (and now iPhones), and climatechange. They are sometimes referred to as ‘zigzaggers’ as in comparison with thesequential lifestyle of Boomers, Gen Y’s are likely to explore their job options, travel,and delay tertiary education, partnerships and parenthood (Grose, 2005). McKay (inGrose, 2005) terms Gen Y the ‘options’ generation as they tend to keep their optionsopen rather than commit to career, marriage or having children. However options comewith the downside of greater expectations and feelings of the need to achieve quickly(McCrindle, 2008d).Gen Y are the children of the Baby Boomers, often described as over parented, over indulged and ‘me’ centred (McRae et. al., 2006). Generation Y have been described asstreet smart, mature, resilient, practical, optimistic, ambitious, confident andmanipulative (Sheahan, 2005; Huntley, 2006). They are an aware generation, culturally,socially, environmentally and emotionally in an age of uncertainty (Sheahan, 2005). Asa result they are lifestyle centred in search of meaningful experiences, motivated bymore than money, are materialistic, success driven and image conscious (Sheahan,