Desperately Seeking the Adaptive Librarian: On the 2.0 Job Description (Part 3)

One theme I've been happy to write about and use as a talking point in my classes this past year is that of the newer types of jobs and job descriptions we've seen posted in Libraryland. In fact, more than a few bibliobloggers linked to and discussed various job descriptions that included a 2.0 slant. I wrote about those jobs here and then again here, with an eye toward LIS education.

Now I wind up the year with one more look at how some library jobs have morphed via the impact of technology, social networks, and the shift to our culture of participation.

Jeff Trzeciak, author of the Wayne State University library job, commented on the original post. He outlined his thinking, noting it wasn't only about technology but also about skills for creating instructional environments. “More than the technology itself I'm concerned that librarians develop instructional design skills so that they are able to design resources and services that are effective AND that they are able to evaluate those resources and services," he stated.

I followed up with him a while later, after he had changed jobs and moved to McMaster University Library in Ontario, Canada, to ask about his goal for the 2.0 job description. Trzeciak replied:

Trendspotting and training, then, are both useful skills for this type of position. I'm reminded of a trend exercise I did with one of my classes this fall: I distributed copies of Wired, Fast Company, and Business 2.0 and asked my students to choose articles and ads and then discuss the impact they would have on libraries. You can do this too in your staff meetings or emerging technology sessions. Try it!

Trzeciak recently posted at the university library blog his plea for "a gaming librarian," who would gain the learner's attention, inform learners of objectives, stimulate recall of prior learning, present the content, and provide learning guidance. As Jenny Levine's issue of Library Technology Reports, "Gaming and Libraries: Intersection of Services," demonstrates, libraries that embrace gaming and that utilize and encourage librarians who game and reach out to gamers on their own turf are building useful, engaging services for the future. I like Trzeciak's thinking ("Are librarians paying attention to that?" he asks about the popularity of the World of Warcraft game). I encourage you to read his gaming post as well as his recent "Getting Out of the Cataloging Business," in which he details some more changes to job titles at McMaster:

• Digital Strategies Librarian
• E-Resource Librarian
• Training and Development Librarian
• User Experience Librarian

Read the comments as well for lively debate and commentary.

What about some of the other job descriptions we've covered?

I decided to pose the same question to Christopher Harris as well, who wrote a similar job description for his system in New York State, and who recently facilitated the School Library 2.0 panel at the School Library Journal Leadership Summit. Chris answered:

Social tools are just that—tools. And again we see the need for instruction and for training. But not the trainer I grew up with in my library career, but big picture, learning to learn training. Those keywords you hear attached to these discussions—play, experience, immersion—describe how instructors and learners should go about interacting with new tools and new environments. Again, I'm reminded of the gamer's sensibility!

I also spoke with Barbara Love, Manager of Adult Services at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library in Kingston, Ontario, who offered an intriguing bit of information about the Librarian 2.0 job the library posted this spring:

Fascinating! When we spoke a few months ago, Love was still in the process of interviewing, but she also noted that LIS education needs to shift a bit of focus as well: "the most valuable concept a library school education could impart would be the idea of staying current, being creative, adaptable, and connected."

Finally, I wanted to hear from someone on the other side—someone who had applied for a 2.0 job and how it had played out. Remember that job at Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library? David Lee King, blog author, video-blogger, and conference speaker, interviewed and got the job this summer! The job description included these duties that really excited King:

• bringing ideas to the table with a high "wow, cool, nobody else is doing this!" factor
• will lead...staff in using new technologies to translate traditional library services into a virtual, Library 2.0 format
• a sense of humor and a positive and enthusiastic approach to public service

"During my interview, I found out that they were serious about that job ad wording I was originally attracted to," King told me via e-mail. "They said 'physically, we can't grow anymore but we CAN expand digitally.'"

King also noted that it was a good fit for the skills and duties listed. He had the experience. He's played with the technology.

So what does this mean for us? It reinforces some ideas in my mind that I hope many TechSource readers take to heart. In the 21st century, library professionals will encounter a world where playing around with a new tool (toy?), experiencing new things without fear of failure (or success!), and spending time trendspotting, dreaming, and keeping an eye on emergent technologies will be built into our jobs. We'll be expected to play. We'll be expected to be connected. We'll be expected to collaborate with each other and our users. To be successful, we'll need to understand how social networks and gaming impact our libraries and our profession.

If you haven't re-evaluated your library job descriptions, maybe it's time... for a 2.0 librarian... for a videoblogger librarian... for a gaming librarian. Well, really for a librarian that can adapt and use whatever new methods—for reaching out to users—come along. On the 2.0 Job Description:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

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