Managing the Multigenerational Librarian Workforce

Sara Holder is Associate Professor and Head of Research and Information Services at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library. She has edited and contributed to monographs and has authored journal articles on subjects including: librarian training and development, library assessment strategies, academic library management, information literacy, and collection development. She is active in ALA, ACRL, and LLAMA, and she is a frequent reviewer for Library Journal. Sara received her MLIS from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois and her BA from Vassar College. Amber Lannon is the Associate University Librarian for Academic Services at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada). Previously she was Head of the Humanities and Social Sciences Library at McGill University. She has coauthored several articles and book chapters on a variety of topics including e-book usage, library closures, library management, and dog therapy in libraries and co-edited a monograph for ACRL. She was the founding editor of Ticker: The Academic Business Librarianship Review (http://ticker.mcgill.ca/about). In addition to her MLIS from Dalhousie University, she has an MBA from the University of British Columbia.

• 1. Discussion on the evolving workforce of libraries2. Debunking the librarian stereotype – What does experience and the research tell us about librarian communication styles, conflict modes, leadership styles, etc.3. Baby-librarians – Working with and managing your newest librarians (communication, expectations, misconceptions, mentoring)4. Specialist librarians – Working with and managing specialists on your team (support, expectations, considerations of expertise, retaining, providing challenges)5. Mid-career librarians – Working with and managing your mid-career librarians (parenthood, tenure, long term career goals, providing opportunities and challenges in flat organizations)6. Late-career librarians- Managing and working with the late-career librarians (considerations of expertise, succession planning, retirement planning)7. Managing through high turnover (maternity leaves, sabbaticals, retirements, the 7 year itch, attracting and retaining librarians)8. Managing conflict among your cross-generational librarian workforce9. Equity and diversity in your librarian workforce10. Mature manager vs. young manager – challenges of being either, or….11. Conclusion – Final thoughts and advice on the cross generational librarian workforce, looking towards the future and implications for our organizations