Read this Post When You're Finally Not Too Busy

Jane continues the excellent commentary about a paper that has recently stirred some buzz, "Librarianship and the Culture of Busy." In two pages that you can probably find time to read even though you're extremely busy, authors Pam Ryan and Denise Koufogiannakis lament the competition among librarians to prove that they are busier than their colleagues. It's a jockeying for martyrdom, library style.

But as Jane points out, this is a human tendency, not just something that librarians do.   Scott has made a similar observation when young librarians lament the slow rate at which senior administrators adopt new technologies; resistance to change is everywhere, not just in library administrative suites.

Given that it's human nature, is it even possible to combat the "culture of busy" in libraries? I think so.

Here's a very rough approach, which anyone who is not too busy is welcome to comment about:

1. First, acknowledge that it's right for people to feel busy and stretched thin. This is the easy step.
2. Second, point out that much of what we do is because it's how we've always done it, and because it's easy to measure things like the number of classes taught; number of volumes owned, etc. (Jane makes this point about measurement). Here, expect some indignation...of course we should measure these things! How else can we complete the AAHSL stats every year?!
3. Third, soothe the hard feelings caused by step 2.
4. Fourth,  ask the big question: What can we let go of that we've always done, while still furthering the overall mission of our institutions? This is the "soul searching" step, and it might take a long time.
5. Fifth, actually try to let go of whatever is making us busy without making us any more productive.
6. Sixth, really let it go.
7. I meant really...let it go.  Doesn't it feel great to be less busy but still just as effective?
8. Now that we're only doing things that have a deep impact on our institution, how can we add new projects or services without merely becoming too busy again? What's our method for determining how best to spend our newly found time?
9. Repeat steps 1-8.

Comments

[Helen]

Wouldn't it be better to think of what are the things we want to do before letting go of the things that are not mission-critical? Having new mission-critical things to do might facilitate the letting go process.

[MarkD]

Marcus, I would take the time to comment on this, but I am too busy.

[Helen]

MarkD, you are too funny =)