LJ Series "Job Satisfaction": Great Work, Genuine Problems

So much for the disgruntled library worker. A whopping 85.6 percent of the 3,095 library staffers who responded to LJ’s Job Satisfaction Survey said they would choose a career in librarianship again if they had to start over. Workers in all types of libraries—and across generations—expressed similar views, except those in elementary and secondary school libraries, who were even more enthusiastic. Fully 94 percent of them would select the same careers again.

While the much-discussed generation gap showed up in some areas of the survey—a warning to some managers—no gap appeared on this fundamental issue. Just over 85 percent of every age group—those under 30, the huge crowd of library workers aged 30–49, and those over 50—agreed that if they were to begin again, they would choose that library career. The same results proved true whether or not they had earned the MLS degree.

There were significant undercurrents of unhappiness, however. Nearly all library workers are deeply dissatisfied with salaries and library funding, the lack of which hampers creativity and innovation. A surprisingly high number expressed disenchantment with the competence of their management. Even those managers declared themselves unprepared to deal with community or campus politics.

While respondents cited “love of books” as the most common reason they chose their careers, an equal number opted for librarianship after trying other professions and careers. They didn’t fail at the other work, they just didn’t like it, and, ultimately, found librarianship.

Sometimes, there were several false starts. “This is my third career,” reported the director of a public library in a medium-sized Pennsylvania city. “Circumstances in the community made it the right job at the right time. I had been on the library board for more than a decade and moved to a paid position in a different library. Once I had the job and had earned my MLS, it has been my best job.”

Across the survey, 72 percent of staffers said they were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their current positions. Another 23 percent were “somewhat satisfied.” This positive response is no surprise; results were similar the last time we checked, in 1994. In that article (“Are You Happy in Your Job? LJ’s Exclusive Report,” LJ 11/1/94, p. 44–49), some 70 percent of public and academic library workers expressed high levels of job satisfaction, with even better results for special librarians and school librarians.

In the current survey, older library workers are happier in their jobs. Among those under 30, 61 percent said they were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their current jobs. The number climbed to 70 percent for those 30–49 and to 75 percent of those 50 or older.

Respondents reported numerous reasons for the high levels of job satisfaction. Those under 30, like the others, clearly enjoy working with the public. “Helping people. That’s the reason I’m here,” said one young public librarian. “In this relatively 'poor’ community, the library provides a lot of resources that people can’t get access to on their own.”

Those 40–49 emphasize making a positive difference in the larger community, along with their love of working with people. “This library really is the heart of the community,” said one 45-year-old public librarian. “I feel like I really know what’s going on around town; I meet so many wonderful people. The library is a place that’s alive with lots of new ideas and energy.”

The same is true in academic libraries. “The chief satisfaction of my job is knowing that I have changed students’ perception of librarians or what the library is for, as well as helping them find information successfully,” said a community college librarian from Mississippi.

Being respected for what they do matters as well. “I love it when students realize that the library has many great resources!” said a librarian from a California state university. “Our library and librarians are respected and visible on campus; I am considered an equal partner with others on the provost’s and president’s councils.”

A “very satisfied” Illinois public librarian said, “I can see the difference my being here makes every day of the week.” An Alabama public librarian in her 40s loves “being a part of an organization that seeks to provide the community with whatever information they need or want.” Library workers in that 40–49 cohort also cited good working conditions in libraries.

Respondents 50–59 like more things about their jobs than their younger colleagues. They mention the variety of tasks. “Every day is different,” said one public librarian, adding, “every day someone stops by my office and says, 'This is a great place, this is a great staff; thanks!’ ”

Despite the high levels of job satisfaction, however, library workers were quick to point out causes for their dissatisfaction, their challenges, and their disappointments—especially, as noted, salaries, funding, and management.

Like all the rest, those under 30 feel underpaid and are frequently annoyed by the politics and clueless managers and administrators for whom they work.

“I am the only full-time librarian in the children’s room, and I am responsible for every aspect of running this department,” said one of them. “My pay does not reflect all of these responsibilities. I am being paid the same hourly amount as when I started here as a part-time librarian trainee.”

“We have a director who nods and smiles but never carries through on changes that would have a definite positive effect on our jobs,” another young librarian complained. “For example, agreeing to install a self-sign-in [software] program for the public computer lab to save us from spending half the day checking computer terminals in and out. He never actually follows through with the purchase, even though the staff has done the research into software and prices.”

As they gain more responsibility, librarians over 40 said they’re also dissatisfied with the lack of library funding, nonexistent advancement opportunities, interaction with mediocre personnel, and the piling on of responsibilities.

“I feel that the most degrading part of my job is the amount of money I get paid for what I do,” said one. “I do not have an MLS, but I have had to train at least six staff members who do have it. Most of them started out being paid more than me. Several have had little or no previous library experience.”

“Those I manage seem unable at times to think for themselves,” commented an older academic library manager. “We live in a gray world, and many people want to think in black and white.”

Even when the staff is self-sufficient, lack of funds hampers the ability to improve service. “There is no money to institute changes,” said another public library manager. “Our budget is only $15,000 higher than it was in 2002, yet the health, pension, equipment, and materials costs have increased over $500,000 in the intervening five years. I have no room to maneuver, so every decision to try something new means cutting something important to us.”

As libraries get smaller, their troubles increase. Rural and small libraries, the majority of facilities in the United States, have special causes for unhappiness. Respondents from such institutions complained that they “get no respect” from their colleagues in larger library systems.

One librarian in a small, rural Louisiana public library had a typical story. “As a rural librarian, I have to do it all, from book selection to cataloging to programming, etc. My peers at larger, better-funded libraries in this state treat me and other rural librarians like clerks,” she wrote. “If you don’t attend and participate in the professional associations, you are treated as if you are just holding your job until your retirement. Even though I have been a director for over ten years, there is no serious chance for advancement to a larger library, because library boards want someone who has experience at a larger library. The state library association doesn’t provide any programming for rural libraries and librarians.”

“Even in this small library, I manage a half-million-dollar budget, deal with security issues, face down 250-pound brutes who curse and call me names over fines for less than a dollar, disgruntled employees, and wild adolescents,” reported a public librarian in a small mid-America town. “I am expected to interface intelligently with lawyers, small-time politicians, the press, state officials, and Presidential candidates. The majority of people I deal with believe my job involves reading popular fiction all day. They say, 'It must be nice to work in such a quiet, calm atmosphere.’ ”

In urban public libraries and larger academic libraries, bureaucracy and red tape are common sources of frustration. This comment from an under-30 urban public librarian in the Northwest was typical: “I get tired of constantly dealing with pointless bureaucracy and organizational fear of change.”

Such frustration with administrative incompetence was echoed even by administrators, who said that budgeting and on-the-job politics were the areas for which they were “most unprepared.”

Many cited these two areas as the major challenges. This is clearly a message of importance to LIS programs and those sponsoring continuing education offerings, as well as to the libraries themselves, which could reexamine procedures bound by bureaucracy.

“I am disturbed by the domination of the bottom line as it affects staffing,” said a public librarian in her mid-40s with an MLS. “Pages are expected to work as library assistants. Library assistants are expected to work at professional tasks, and some positions (children’s services) require no professional training, just experience working in a preschool.”

“The glacial speed at which the higher levels of the library system make decisions and changes” angers one young public librarian. A Minnesota academic library administrator in her mid-40s complained that “the tight reins of tradition are felt everywhere in this university.”

Nearly 850 respondents, more that 25 percent of the total, said they have experienced “discriminatory treatment” in the profession and for a variety of reasons. In this female-dominated field, slightly more men (11.7 percent) than women (10.5 percent) reported gender bias overall. Most often, they were degreed librarians over 30.

A little more than 20 percent who reported discrimination said it was because of their age. Among those who are under 30, age is the most prevalent form of discrimination. Obviously, older librarians must attempt to be more empathetic to this new generation of young library workers.

Of the 850 who said they had been subject to discrimination, 13 percent said it was based on their ethnicity. They were fairly evenly distributed among the regions of the nation. Nonwhites in the survey (only nine percent of total respondents, including 2.3 percent black and 1.8 percent Asian) cite this as their number one source of discrimination. Other forms of discrimination cited were education, particularly among those who don’t have an MLS; religion; sexual orientation; health/disability; and appearance (all fewer than five percent of mentions).

Predictably, nearly all (99.9 percent) of those responding to the survey use email. While 65.2 percent read blogs, academic library workers are more likely to be blog regulars (70.8 percent) than those in public libraries (64.6 percent).

Of course, the biggest differences in the use of digital technology and especially social software correlate with the library worker’s generation. A hefty 86.9 percent of those under 30 read blogs; 69.1 percent IM each other, 56.4 percent post pictures online, and 58.2 percent have a MySpace or similar page. These percentages drop dramatically among older library workers. As the march of digital technology continues, older librarians will have to find new, more effective ways to keep up.

As “A Profile of the Respondents” (above) suggests, librarianship remains a profession dominated by middle-aged women, a significant number of whom are over age 50. While there are areas where the generation gap is pronounced, library workers of all ages share similar satisfactions and frustrations.

Age is causing some tensions in the workplace as younger workers arrive and are sometimes not welcomed by their elders. Most notably, however, libraries would be an even more satisfying place to work if they were well funded and their staff was properly compensated.

While these conclusions are neither new nor surprising, they suggest that an even more concerted effort must be made to promote the value of libraries. Also, both library educators and library managers must recognize that librarians need upgraded administrative skills and ongoing continuing education opportunities. A strong undercurrent of dissatisfaction with library management was expressed by line workers throughout the survey, and many administrators acknowledged feeling unprepared for the challenges of management.

High levels of job satisfaction could end if the profession cannot overcome its chronic underfunding and learn new political and management skills. It will also be crucial that enough young techies enter the field to execute the transformation and repositioning of libraries in the new digital environment recently championed by former American Library Association president Leslie Burger.

This all depends on whether library leaders can be far more effective in articulating the value of librarians and libraries than they have been. Only 14.2 percent of those responding to this survey said the profession has done this very well or extremely well. An overwhelming 85.8 percent said it is currently done “poorly” or only “fairly well.” Above all the profession’s imperatives, communicating the value of libraries and those who work in them to those who need them is job number one for the immediate future.