Public Librarianship as a Career: Challenges and Prospects

Over twenty-five years of research has shown that in spite of low salaries, few opportunities for advancement, and challenging work environments, most public librarians are satisfied overall with their jobs and careers, primarily because of the intrinsic rewards of the profession. In this article we present results from the Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 1 (WILIS 1) project1 that are related to public librarianship. We give an overview of the careers and perspectives of current and former public librarians with respect to their experience of the challenges and rewards of public library service, and compare their views with those found in previous research. Introduction The mission of public libraries in the United States is to serve the unique needs of their local communities. Library services are often constrained by the availability of resources and the support and backing of local government and community leaders. Library administrators must advocate not only for their organizational needs, but for the needs of a diverse and increasingly multilingual citizenry. Child and adult literacy programs, informational and recreational reading, cultural programming, computer and Internet access and training, audiovisual resources and equipment, local history and genealogy, meeting facilities, small business support, and information referral are just a few of the services offered by the public library and the librarians who work there. Although few could argue against the benefits of a literate, connected, and well-informed community, no public agency is exempt from having Public Librarianship as a Career: Challenges and Prospects Susan Rathbun-Grubb and Joanne Gard Marshall LIBRARY TRENDS, Vol. 58, No. 2, Fall 2009 (“Workforce Issues in LIS.” edited by Joanne Gard Marshall, Paul Solomon, and Susan Rathbun-Grubb), pp. 263–275 © 2010 The Board of Trustees, University of Illinois 264 library trends/fall 2009 to demonstrate its worth and its stewardship of the tax dollars it receives. As veteran public librarians continue to retire from the workforce, it will be important for them to pass on their experience and strategies for effective advocacy. During this time of increasing retirements, recruitment of new librarians who can continue the library’s service mission and take on the difficult job of illustrating its value will become increasingly important. A concern about the aging public library workforce prompted the Public Library Association’s Recruitment of Public Librarians Committee (PLA-RPLC) (Jordan et al., 2006) to conduct a survey of librarians and administrators in U.S. public libraries to “obtain a better statistical picture” and inform workforce planning over the next decade. Their findings are in line with other research (see Landry, 2000; Houdyshell, Robles, & Yi, 1999) and point to several issues that may impact recruitment and retention of public librarians, including poor compensation, bureaucratic organizations, and inadequate budgets. A recent job satisfaction survey conducted by Library Journal (LJ) confirms these results, suggesting that these challenges and few advancement opportunities are the most troubling to those currently working in public librarianship (Kuzyk, 2008). In spite of these issues, which tend to drive down levels of job and career satisfaction and influence turnover, the LJ survey found that 70 percent of public librarians are satisfied with their jobs and 87 percent would recommend the career to others. Many respondents said the drawbacks are often offset by the intrinsic rewards that public librarianship offers such as the satisfaction derived from helping library users and making a positive impact on the local community. In this article we present results from the Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 1 (WILIS 1) project that are related to public librarianship, and we give an overview of the careers and perspectives of current and former public librarians with respect to their experience of these challenges and rewards of public library service. Background The experience of stress and burnout among public librarians is not a new phenomenon. Twenty-five years ago research confirmed that many public reference librarians were experiencing burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low sense of personal accomplishment) on the job because of conflicting or ambiguous work roles (Birch, Marchant, & Smith, 1986; Smith, Birch, & Marchant, 1986). The researchers found that burnout was highest among younger, unmarried librarians who were working full time in larger libraries. In open-ended responses to the survey questions, individuals mentioned hierarchical management structures, inadequate compensation, and the lack of opportunities for advancement or career development as primary sources of their distress.