Found an article debating why some libraries are reluctant to change at http://liblogs.albany.edu/library20/2007/03. The title of the article is Don't Blame Tenure by Laurie Cohen. Check it out.
Does anyone else feel like we (people of the world) put the blame on arbitrary things in order not to make ourselves look bad? That's what I feel is happening in blaming tenure for all of the library's problems (we might as well just blame tenure on all of the world's problems too). This is the same debate that educators have in schools. Does "tenure" make bad teachers, or do bad teachers make bad teachers? Tenure is not even a tangible thing. It is a concept. I understand how people believe that this concept could lead to stagnancy and laziness. But, really... don't we all make our own choices? It's just nice to have something to blame it on. People's attitudes need to change, not tenure. We become lazy when we want to become lazy, not because "tenure" says we MUST become lazy.
How do we change people's attitudes? That I don't know. But, I do know (at least I think I know) that we can't keep blaming ideas/concepts for our own problems.
Carol, nice article. Amber, I agree that it's way too easy to blame tenure, but as Cohen said it's not that easy. Another point Cohen made was how there are problems with funding for librarians to attend conferences to learn the latest and greatest. She had a good idea to try to bring in more speakers and do more in-house training. However, as with my school, if you want anything extra, you better learn to write a grant. There are ways to accomplish new ideas, but it's difficult in light of all of the cuts public institutions are facing. I think libraries will have to become very creative to accomplish some of their goals, especially in Michigan.
Cohen rightly points out, "I think most of us would agree that the use of databases and e-journals is an established fact in academic libraries, and a very popular fact at that. The reality is, these formats have changed library culture. Just imagine shutting down your proxy server." It seems like the need for the academic library to maintain a professional and unbiased facade has never been more critical. What with the aforementioned budget cuts, something has to be done to secure our raison d'etre. If tenure is one of the ways we can do that, fine. Tenure doesn't make authority necessarily: authority makes authority. i honestly don't think tenure can be the root of the problem here.
Carol, i'd love to hear your reaction to this essay, since you found it for us.
3 comments:
Does anyone else feel like we (people of the world) put the blame on arbitrary things in order not to make ourselves look bad? That's what I feel is happening in blaming tenure for all of the library's problems (we might as well just blame tenure on all of the world's problems too). This is the same debate that educators have in schools. Does "tenure" make bad teachers, or do bad teachers make bad teachers? Tenure is not even a tangible thing. It is a concept. I understand how people believe that this concept could lead to stagnancy and laziness. But, really... don't we all make our own choices? It's just nice to have something to blame it on. People's attitudes need to change, not tenure. We become lazy when we want to become lazy, not because "tenure" says we MUST become lazy.
How do we change people's attitudes? That I don't know. But, I do know (at least I think I know) that we can't keep blaming ideas/concepts for our own problems.
Great topic!
Amber
Carol, nice article. Amber, I agree that it's way too easy to blame tenure, but as Cohen said it's not that easy.
Another point Cohen made was how there are problems with funding for librarians to attend conferences to learn the latest and greatest. She had a good idea to try to bring in more speakers and do more in-house training. However, as with my school, if you want anything extra, you better learn to write a grant. There are ways to accomplish new ideas, but it's difficult in light of all of the cuts public institutions are facing. I think libraries will have to become very creative to accomplish some of their goals, especially in Michigan.
Cohen rightly points out, "I think most of us would agree that the use of databases and e-journals is an established fact in academic libraries, and a very popular fact at that. The reality is, these formats have changed library culture. Just imagine shutting down your proxy server." It seems like the need for the academic library to maintain a professional and unbiased facade has never been more critical. What with the aforementioned budget cuts, something has to be done to secure our raison d'etre. If tenure is one of the ways we can do that, fine. Tenure doesn't make authority necessarily: authority makes authority. i honestly don't think tenure can be the root of the problem here.
Carol, i'd love to hear your reaction to this essay, since you found it for us.
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