The Nextgen Librarian's Survival Guide

Citation

Freeman, M. (2007), "The Nextgen Librarian's Survival Guide", New Library World, Vol. 108 No. 3/4, pp. 193-194. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074800710735429

This is a relentlessly trendy and earnest Guide for “GenXers and Millenials” (Eh?!) starting out in the LIS world. It is, of course, American, and is replete with many of the flaws and strengths in microcosm of that great nation. As the blurb says “the book will appeal most directly to the 12% of librarians aged 25‐34 who closely identify with the ‘NextGen’ designation”. There are difficulties ahead for our profession – the “greying” of the profession for one, retention and recruitment for another – and this book attempts to cover some of these issues and address and help its young and ambitious potential audience of “movers and shakers”.

The Guide starts out with a natural professional progression; entering library school, then job seeking and first professional years, culminating in progression to senior management. On the way to Library Nirvana other aspects are covered in an interesting manner, such as work/life balance, networking and equal opportunities. Defining the NextGen librarian is attempted and there are one or two amusing views given in a Survey the author made, e.g. one well matured librarian observes “By your standards I am not NextGen but I have all their qualities (except for grey hair and larger collection of Grateful Dead) and I've been using computers since before the NextGen librarians were born”. Whether it is good practice to put everyone into age boxes nowadays is debatable, particularly given recent age discrimination legislation and the ageing demographics of most Western nations.

Whilst not denying that this could be a useful book for young professionals or aspiring entrants to the LIS profession, events and demographic changes have rather overtaken this book's raison d'être. So, a mildly interesting and, at times, amusing read but not terribly helpful or groundbreaking for UK readers. It is well printed and produced, with a good index and a comprehensive list of relevant websites – heavily American based.