Hey, New Academic Librarian: You Need To Keep Up, Too | From the Bell Tower

On the first night of an Academic Librarianship course I used to teach at Drexel, I would routinely share some advice with the students. I told them that much of what we discussed about the world of higher education would quickly be of little use to them unless they committed to a regular regimen of current reading about the industry. That led to a discussion about the top resources for keeping up with higher education, with a few academic librarianship resources thrown in for good measure. I figured that instructors of similar courses at other LIS schools do the same. Now I'm not so sure—and if they overlook it they need to give it more attention.

You mean no one here reads the Chronicle?
During a recent meeting with a few LIS graduate students and new-to-the-profession academic librarians, I mentioned a few current events, such as the vast amount of attention being garnered by the book Academically Adrift or the controversial conversation about whether or not everyone should go to college. To my surprise not one of these folks was familiar with either issue. It's not as if these are marginal or rarely mentioned issues; they get plenty of coverage in the Chronicle and Inside Higher Ed—and even the New York Times.

I asked how many of them read the Chronicle or Inside Higher Ed every day? Exactly none. Ok. How many read it once a week or month? One hand went up.

We've got a problem.

Yes, you do have the time
I'm always puzzled when I see academic librarians using discussion lists, or their Facebook or Twitter accounts to point to articles from the Chronicle or Inside Higher Ed. I understand they want to make sure their colleagues read something of value or maybe they have little else to share, but either way I ask if this is a waste of time. It seems to me that reading these publications should be a daily habit for every academic librarian—it's like brushing your teeth or taking a shower before work. Furthermore, it's easy. Both, and many others worthy of the academic librarians' time, offer daily email summaries and RSS options. That's the main reason I never point to Chronicle or Inside Higher Ed articles over at Kept-Up Academic Librarian. Why bother when it should be required reading for academic librarians? I want to invest my time in pointing KUAL readers to the important higher education news they are most likely to miss.

If you're now thinking "Come on Steven, not everyone has the time for this," excuse me, but do you think I have loads of idle time to leisurely peruse two essential resources for academic librarians? You have to make time for it. Maybe you can update Facebook fewer times each day.

Get started now
That's why I'm urging new-to-the-profession academic librarians to start keeping up now. The best time to make this a habit is when you are well positioned to make the most of staying up-to-date with developments in higher education, and recent LIS graduates make better candidates when they are able to demonstrate a familiarity with and knowledge of the higher education industry—and evoke a passion for working in the field. The best way to be aware of the cutting edge of what's happening at colleges and universities, to be alert to the controversies and challenges, is to regularly read the news of the day.

If time allows, do more exploring. Dig into a few faculty blogs, watch a video interview with the author of much discussed new book about academia, or scan some articles in publications such as Change or Academe. It sounds like extra work in an already hectic day, but if you are truly interested in a career in academic librarianship I think you'll have a natural desire to keep up with the world of higher education.

There's more beyond
Chances are I'm making our new-to-the-profession and recent graduate colleagues feel overwhelmed. I know the feeling. These days we are bombarded by so much information in so many formats that even the most organized among us are left thinking we've surely missed something we need to know. Despite that, I want to emphasize the value of reading outside of both libraries and higher education. Whether it's business, technology, design, or innovation, it's reading outside the profession that lets you escape the library echo chamber and gain stimulation for totally new possibilities. This profession needs its next generation to lead the way in innovation - but to get there we have to expose ourselves to a wide swath of ideas.

So if you are a new-to-the-profession academic librarian or a soon-to-be-LIS grad I hope you'll heed my advice. The next time we get together and chat I hope to hear how familiar everyone is with the latest controversy in higher education. I know it takes valuable and increasingly rare time. I guarantee it will be a worthwhile investment.