A Case Analysis: For This, We Get a Master's Degree?

by: Jolo Van Clyde S. Abatayo, RL 

I.                    Summary of the Decision Situation

Handgrove College Library has five librarians (the director, head of the reference department, and three reference librarians) and nonprofessionals (circulation staff and catalogers). The library, I think, has enough number of library personnel to cater to the information needs of the students, since there are already four reference librarians. However, in the Philippine setting, all accrediting agencies require all academic libraries to have a sufficient number of library personnel to render effective and efficient services to their users. With that, a very effective planning should be considered in order for the Handgrove College Library to really determine if it will be compulsory to hire additional librarians or other library staff.

It is very critical because librarians nowadays should be expected to be knowledgeable about Information Technology and other computer-related matters but we can’t deny the fact that there are some who can’t cope up with the trends because there are also who can’t handle it intellectually and there are also librarians who want to practice the conventional aspects because they think that it is better to stay inside their comfort zones. However, we should also look into the fact that Information Technology professionals or computer experts are badly needed currently because they are more adept in that field, and, as librarians, we can’t just rely on our own knowledge and expertise. I strongly believe that it is really necessary to work with them so that in this digital age, our libraries can reach their goals in providing the right information at the right time and in the right place.

II.               Problem Identification

The problem is actually very complex. The library director, Joan Cloud, is really in the middle of a labyrinth where it is really hard to devise a plan and formulate a solution. The problem here is that her subordinates confessed to her that why is it that they always do the tasks that are not on their job descriptions since they are reference librarians. Why is it that they have to be the ones to look after the technology when it malfunctions? It is really a pain to them why they should be the ones to work when there’s a failure with technology and when other related glitches occur. The concern of the reference librarians also is that why not assign another person to do the job? They are really firm to their belief that they should not be the ones to handle those unnecessary (as what they think) tasks.

Another problem also is that the director of the library is very grumpy and it seems that she is not open-minded. Joan is very bossy and what she wants should be followed. With that, her subordinates are likely not happy with her attitude. She’s an autocratic leader and that I think is what her subordinates think of her.

When it comes to Joan’s side, she was so disappointed it’s because her subordinates team up to raise their concern so Joan misinterprets it and consider it as mutiny. I think she’s a bit anxious because her underlings are in consensus and Joan, as the director, consider it as insubordination.

III.            Identification of Alternatives, Analysis, and Recommendations

In this millennium, libraries and information centers play a very important role in providing effective and efficient library and information services to the clientele. The technology and automation are rising and their demands to the libraries are also increasing. Libraries should now embrace the power and goodness offered by these instruments in order to have fruitful and successful library operations. With these, librarians or information professionals should also strive and do their very best to cope up with the trends.

Moreover, according to the Florida State University Library, the ultimate roles of librarians and information scientists is to help people locate, use, and understand information. Also, Library and information professionals work in some of the most diverse and fascinating professional fields available today. Our graduates are employed in a wide variety of disciplines involving the design, implementation, and use of online information systems. They are engaged in the business of helping other people locate, use and understand the information they need for daily living and decision making. The current emphasis on the information sector of our economy makes this an exciting field of study.

The solution to the problem is easy. They should organize their human resources in the library and establish a more structured organizational tree. According to PAARL, one approach is to provide titles that recognize the diversity of positions such as Information Assistants, Media Technicians, Cataloging Technicians, Readers Assistants, Encoders, Indexers, etc. Another approach is to provide categories such as Library Aide, Library Assistant, Librarian I, II, and so on. All positions in the library should be established and organized as part of a career service. Every library should have a written workforces’ policy with position descriptions, as well as the educational requirements for each position. The only concern for this solution is that, will it be necessary to do this? Doing this would touch other apprehensions like financial aspects, hiring new employees, and other related factors. It will be very risky.

Since the total population of students is not mentioned, it is not appropriate for me to emphasize what should be the standard number of librarians and library staff to be hired. However, according to the PAARL’s requirements for academic libraries, the library shall have an adequate number and variety of staff to develop, organize and maintain the collection and provide information and reference service to meet the needs of its clientele. The size and qualifications of staff shall be determined by several factors, including size and scope of the collection, number of hours, the rate of acquisition, the rate of circulation, nature of processing and nature of service demand.

The ratio of licensed librarians and other staff vary depending upon the range of operations and services provided by the library and upon its total workload requirements.

For the first 1,000 students or a fraction thereof:	One (1) full-time librarian and one (1) full-time clerical staff
For every additional 2,000 or a fraction thereof:	One (1) additional full-time librarian and one (1) full time clerical or support staff

            American Library Association (ALA) accentuates that the library personnel should be professionally competent, diverse, and empowered, and responsible for enhancing and maintaining the library’s IT set-up keep current with library technology applications and participate in ongoing training and seminars. In that matter, the reference librarians can also play the roles of the IT professionals since the Library and Information Science program comprises IT subjects as well. The librarians should be expert at least about the basic IT functions and processes in the library like turning and off of computer units, printing, handling minor computer glitches, encoding, inputting records in the database, word processing, and other basic IT tasks.

            We all know that in today’s era, librarians are expected to be information savvy and they should learn to apply information technology to their profession. However, not all librarians are capable of learning quickly and not all are eager to learn, so it is very necessary to empower all librarians and educate them how important to marry information technology for the betterment of their profession.

            Furthermore, Joan should really call the attention of her subordinates and they must come up to a possible solution to their problem. For me, it would be better if they will hire an Information Technology (IT) Specialist/Technicians because:

a.      As reference librarians, they have a lot of tasks and responsibilities to handle like reference interviews, answer queries (personal, online, email, through phone calls, or real-time), handling current awareness services, reference roving, library instruction and orientation, maintaining reference materials, reprographic services, and many more.

b.      Now if they will handle technology-related bugs, there will be a big possibility that most of their important tasks will be affected or compromised.

c.      Not all librarians are very skillful when it comes to IT and some of them know only the basics. When it comes to the advanced functions, it will be very impossible for the librarians to handle those because their knowledge is only limited when it comes to IT.

d.      IT specialists/technicians are more skilled in their field and the librarians should only work harmoniously with them.

Even though librarians are expected to be skilled in all areas and must have diverse talents, doing tasks like reprographic services, printing, and other simple tasks can be done by paraprofessionals or non-librarians, that’s why the title of this case study is “for this we get a master’s degree?” because it only manifests that librarians should handle what are the things they are expert of and not on the things they are not familiar with. Though these tasks are simple, it will be a slap to the librarians if they will do it, because they went to school for how many years and earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree, not for these tasks. It is somewhat shameful to them if they do these tasks.

According to Kotter (1995), “transformation is impossible unless people are willing to help, often to the point of making short-term sacrifices. Employees will not make sacrifices if they are happy with the status quo unless they believe that useful change is possible.”

In an organization, not all of its people will embrace changes. When changes occur, some of them resist accepting those because for them, it will serve as a threat and they think it would be better to be in their comfort zones. Joan is very resistant to change that’s why she wants to retain the current status that the library has now. If she’s a fruitful leader, she would see to it that it is really necessary to hire additional employee/s since it is the nature of an academic library to be diversified. Unlike school libraries, academic libraries deal with various services and processes and it is very relevant to have human resources who have the expertise to handle those specialties.

In my previous workplace, Southern Christian College, they have different positions there like Director of Libraries, Elementary School and Media Center Librarian, Junior High School Librarian, Senior High School Librarian, Information and Readers Services Librarian, Circulations Librarian, Periodical Services Librarian, Cataloger, Research Services Librarian, Information Technology Specialist. All are expert to their designated area. They handle specialized responsibilities. There are also student library assistants who do the basic tasks in the library like assisting the librarians, housekeeping, assisting the patrons, shelving, shelf-reading, and many more. I can notice that the flow of services in the library is going so smooth because all of them are doing their part by performing what is required to them. I strongly believe that if the Handgrove College Library will follow and apply this structure, it will be easier for them to solve the problem.

Moreover, planning is the best remedy to ease their burden. A good decision-making would be very effective.  Joan together with her pack should really see to it if there’s really a need to hire another library personnel because according to their situation, I think that it is really necessary. I really believe that in this modern era, information technology is badly needed and the processes of every library are now influenced by IT, that’s why librarians should work well with IT professionals. All of them must agree and must come to a consensus because the success of the organization relies on everybody’s hands. However, they should also consider the financial constraints because if they hire another person to do the job, they will now prepare a budget for that.

 Indeed, librarians should be knowledgeable about IT and other things related to reprographic services but there are more important responsibilities than doing these highly technical and critical kinds of stuff. Their main tasks are information storage and retrieval, knowledge management and organization, and not executing advanced IT related tasks and doing simple responsibilities like photocopying, printing, and repairing machines. For this, we get a master's degree?

My recommendations are the following:

·      Effective planning and decision making are really needed if there’s really a need to hire another staff. Everyone’s suggestions and participation are needed.

·        Hire additional personnel like IT specialist or computer technician.

·        Consider hiring student library assistants.

·        Write a letter to the administration expressing your concern about that matter.

·        Explain to them how necessary to hire an additional workforce.

·        If there’s no budget for hiring another employee, it would be better to send your librarians to series of training and seminars for them to be more equipped with the vital knowledge and skills on Information Technology and aspects which are related to the services of the library.

·        Since the library is providing reprographic services such as photocopying, printing, lamination, and others, it is also good to send her colleagues to series of training and seminars about these services so that if problems occur like paper jams, they can initially and basically find ways to solve them.

·        Joan can also encourage her subordinates to earn a degree or units in Library and Information Technology or Master in Information Technology. If they want to work happily with technology in the library, she should consider enrolling her colleagues in the Library and Information Technology (LIT) program at Central Carolina College or any college or university that offers LIT courses or programs.

·        For Joan, she needs to open up her mind to her colleagues because not all the time she’s correct. She also needs to ask the opinions and hear the sides of her subordinates so that everything will go smoothly without conflict and complications.