Burnout and Age Discrimination in Young Librarians and Library Workers

Audience Statement

This paper is written with established librarians in the field in mind as its primary audience. It is an open discussion of an issue that exists blatantly and does not get enough attention. So much so that it was difficult to find supportive documents or those in the field willing to address it as a problem. As professionals in the field of Library and Information Science, part of that responsibility is to teach new entrants into the field, to engage with them, and in some cases, guide them. I am well aware how much is asked of librarians and library workers, but without them there would be no libraries, and without new and young people entering the field, there would be no one to work with to solve internal, systemic issues and problems and to help resolve some of the issues that lead to the burnout so prevalent among library workers. While reading this paper, I hope librarians who have been in the field for a time will reflect on the type of library they work in or what they do in the field, and how they and their coworkers treat young staff, fresh out of school or starting their workforce experience, and the part they might play in molding those people’s professional future in the field.

Burnout and Age Discrimination in Young Librarians and Library Workers

Burnout in the library field disproportionately affects young librarians, even as librarians in general are being asked to do more by the public that feeds into adherence to the stereotypes that come with the job as well as dealing with vocational awe, and being young in this field comes with an additional set of obstacles. Young librarians and library workers in the field must work harder to be taken seriously by the public, but also to their coworkers and supervisors, which leads to self-doubt, overworking, faster burnout, and a sense of isolation and in some cases, disillusionment. Not enough support exists for young librarians, especially in smaller public libraries and in academic libraries, where coworkers either feel threatened by younger staff, or are dismissive of them, giving them too many responsibilities and not enough training, and ultimately pushing them away from the field. We need to evaluate age discrimination of staff in libraries and take this opportunity to change and improve how we communicate and work together as librarians and supportive coworkers.

As I have found in my research, not many studies on age discrimination of young librarians exist, most are focused on the opposite end of the spectrum. The field of library science has a growing number of young professionals and Melanie Chu (2009) in her article “Ageism in Librarianship,” documented ageism via an email listserv asking for experiences from young or new librarians and library workers. Examples came back quoting veteran coworkers as being patronizing, dismissive, making disrespectful comments about age, giving precautionary advice, etc.. Combined with expectations placed on young librarians that lead to burnout, this is extremely frustrating and feels isolating, “these factors of actual and perceived discrimination against young librarians culminate in loss of retention for librarianship” (p. 3). When I worked at a public library I experienced everything I’ve read in researching this paper over the five and half years I was there, especially as the interim director. There needs to be more support for young librarians so the feelings of isolation and resentment can be alleviated and the field can be cleared of cynicism and ambivalence. I was so excited when I was hired as a librarian that I didn’t immediately question, or think to question, the unrealistic workload I was given and kept adding to it myself until I was so burnt out all I did was work or think about work. I did the work of three people for years, all the while being perceived as too young to possibly be the reference librarian, as my coworker would point to me constantly from the circulation desk where a patron would have gravitated to, assuming my age made me a nobody, not even someone worth speaking to. Petersen (2022) says in her article, “passion jobs are prime for exploitation” and that questioning or trying to advocate for yourself is seen as a lack of commitment. I find this very accurate and experienced this when asking for a raise, “but I thought you liked what you do?” It is this perceived commitment and expectations that lead to burnout so quickly as Chu (2009) lists in her article, “young librarians are expected to be: technologically savvy; comfortable with change and active change agents; highly motivated and productive; optimistic (e.g. not yet ‘burned out’ or ‘cynical’); energetic and enthusiastic with ‘fresh’ ideas; willing and able to work longer hours; physically healthy; ready to ‘hit the ground running’” (pp. 3-4). I resented these expectations the entire time I worked at my public library, I resented my lack of compensation and that the love of my job was thrown back in my face, and I resented the lack of support from my coworkers.

Age discrimination is more than young librarians incredulously being asked their age, the problem is that asking their age is perceived as questioning their competence. This becomes discouraging, and coupled with older librarians not taking their younger counterparts seriously as coworkers, pushes what Topper (2009) calls, “baby librarians,” new and young professionals, away from the field, “if the ‘baby librarians’ are pushed away, then the profession will not survive. We need to re-examine the way that we work with our younger colleagues” (p. 189). The pandemic was responsible for worsening burnout as libraries became refuges of emotional and physical support for communities, and it also worsened the stereotype of the altruistic, idealized librarian. The “Great Resignation” that describes the mass exodus from jobs was also prompted by the pandemic as people sought out change and fulfillment in their work, and still are. I think this is a huge opportunity for the librarian and library worker community, and I agree with Lara Ewen (2022) in her article “Quitting Time” that this is the time to take advantage of, to change and improve the world of library work, as well as having discussions about issues that Peterson (2022) addressed up as well: credentialism and work experience, realistic work goals with the resources and staff available to avoid burnout and foster work relationships, and creating structural boundaries within the institution so that work life cannot bleed over into the personal lives of those who work in the field. Young librarians already feel self-doubt, experience imposter syndrome, and struggle to find their place in a profession riddled with stereotypes. Librarians with more experience have the opportunity to positively impact the field, make changes, and address long standing issues by starting conversations with new, young librarians entering the workforce instead of missing the opportunity by ostracizing them in favor of the status quo.

References

Chu, M. (2009). Ageism in academic librarianship. E-JASL: The Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship, 10(2), 1-7. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1111&context=ejasljournal

Ewen, L. (2022, June 1). Quitting time: The pandemic is exacerbating attrition among library workers. American Libraries Magazine. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2022/06/01/quitting-time/

Peterson, A. H. (2022, May 1). The librarians are not okay. Culture Study. https://annehelen.substack.com/p/the-librarians-are-not-okay

Topper, E. F. (2009). Reverse age discrimination. New Library World, 110(3/4), 188-190.

https://doi-org.queens.ezproxy.cuny.edu/10.1108/03074800910941374