Reflection on: “Professionalism – Does it Count?”

Much has altered in our world since 1990 when Tony Ralli wrote Professionalism – Does it Count? Many of these changes have been profound, others more superficial while some are still nascent. Yet, the Australian library world would still be recognisable to long departed colleagues freed from their cryogenic states of suspension.

Tony was writing at a time when workplace policies and practices, especially in the public service and university environments, were threatened with radical transformation. Australia experienced economic boom times in the early 1980s. Economic downturn towards the end of the decade prompted government policies aimed at strengthening the economy. In an interview on Radio 2GB with John Laws on 14 May 1986, the then federal treasurer, Paul Keating famously predicted that Australia would become a banana republic if his fiscal measures were not adopted.

The resultant economic regime had an unsettling effect. Funding agencies increasingly demanded greater accountability for the use of resources, organisational restructuring developed into an industry and change often metamorphosed into a goal rather than a process. To survive as a manager, it was necessary to adopt and implement a vocabulary peppered with terms such as ‘total quality management’, ‘delayering’ and ‘business process engineering’. Good managers were recognisable by their obtuse terminology!

The effect on libraries was varied but most experienced reduced or stagnant budgets. For many accustomed to an ordered world in which even the smallest change in cataloguing rules meant years of discussion, the new order was intimidating. Change was happening rapidly and was frequently beyond the control of the library. Many library managers found themselves unable to cope. The strategies upon which they had relied effectively throughout their careers were inadequate in an evolving political, financial and technological environment.

Major changes included the amalgamation of Colleges of Advanced Education with universities or with other colleges to form new institutions; closure of government and special libraries and the integration of the Australian Bibliographic Network into library workflows. As Tony Ralli observed, employers and the union movement favoured simplification of the industrial environment. This included reductions in workplace classifications and the amalgamation of pay scales and classifications that covered a mix of occupations. Librarians felt that these changes threatened their professional identity. Yet, their inclusion in classifications that encompassed similarly qualified workers, often meant an increase in their salaries.

Threats to the library status quo came from all sides and some within the library world cultivated a woebegone siege mentality. Others saw the changes as opportunity and encouraged the profession to be proactive. Margaret Trask provided the intellectual and organisational impetus for the establishment of Australian Information Management Association (AIMA) in 1985. She recognised early in the 1980s that senior library managers lacked the management skills necessary to lead rather than follow change within their organisations (Trask, 1993, pp. 167–179).

AIMA conducted a series of institutes that provided middle and upper managers with the skills to comprehend their personal attributes and capacities, understand organisational change, and to develop wider networks within the profession. On the technological front, libraries were automating their processes at an ever increasing rate. This was accompanied by an insatiable appetite by some in the profession for knowledge of technologies that could be used to improve services.

For others, however, the technology was alarming. Copy cataloguing provided through the Australian Bibliographic Network challenged many cataloguers who saw their skill sets being devalued. Automated loan systems similarly threatened jobs in lending services. Automation was regarded by many as an invidious accomplice of workplace restructuring.

The period witnessed the emergence of information technology services as a powerful, but sometimes nefarious, force within many organisations. Based on the premise that libraries used computers, many institutions amalgamated their libraries and IT services. The most successful amalgamations were headed by librarians. Others were dominated by technologists with scant understanding of content or customer service and satisfaction.

It was from within this social and workplace milieu that Tony Ralli courageously questioned the prevailing orthodox view that librarianship was a profession and that once qualified, individuals remained professionals come what may. Tony posited that ‘librarianship means something more than a simple aggregation of skills’ (Ralli, 1990, pp. 171–177) and that continued broad professional development should be essential.

So, what if anything has changed in the past 26 years? Well lots, but much remains the same! Some members of the profession continue to predict the imminent demise of libraries, librarians and reading. Their predicted Armageddon is now cyberspace with the forces of darkness being an evil coalition of multinational search engine conglomerates, software behemoths and rapacious content providers aided by governments in the thrall of big business. How can the various forces of good including libraries and cultural organisations prevail when faced with such opponents? Annihilation must be inevitable even if the actual date is unpredictable.

What the prophets of doom fail to take into account is the extent to which libraries and information services have changed and will continue to transform. Tony Ralli’s admonition of employers and individuals to adopt continued skill and knowledge development has occurred. Application is still patchy with many employers yet to institute staff training and development programmes that are structured, coherent, universal and adequately funded.

Meanwhile, the Australian Library and Information Association has increased its focus on continuing development as an essential criterion of being a professional. From 2020, new associate members will be required to undertake and document continuing professional development in order to retain professional recognition by the Association.

There has also been significant change in the library and information education sphere. Tony Ralli reflected on the tension between library schools and the employers of their graduates. At the time, many employers were frustrated by the quality of graduates who were seemly ill-equipped to cope with the new technologies being implemented by libraries.

There was some veracity in these claims. The majority of library schools were firmly wedded to teaching traditional library skills and knowledge. Teaching staff were seen to have lost contact with contemporary practice in library and information services. This was partially true but the discordance was also due to employers not knowing what they could, or should, expect of new graduates.

Many library managers deflected their own inability to cope by blaming library educators and anyone else that could be held culpable. The increased implementation of library automation made libraries dependent on third parties – software and hardware providers. The language and service ethos of these professions was often at variance with the expectations of their clients. Libraries needed staff with different skills and with the ability to adapt library process to fit the new technology. Many libraries trained existing staff who showed aptitude but many thought that employing new graduates would be the panacea. Ralli’s (1990, p. 172) exhortation that the library employers should stop seeking scapegoats was timely and justified.

To a large degree, employers and individuals have taken responsibility for skill and knowledge development. There are still employers who fail to invest adequately in their staff. Times are tough and will continue to be challenging. Appropriate investment in staff training and development, however, facilitates long-term benefit to service quality, staff satisfaction and organisational ability to cope with change. Many individual staff members have also assumed more responsibility for maintaining and extending their skills and knowledge. Yet many are prepared to participate only if their employers organise activities and cover all costs. These individuals will have no excuses for their future failure to retain employment in the sector or to gain advancement. Undertaking professional development will not guarantee employment but it will improve chances in an environment that will continue not just to change but to transmogrify at unpredictable rates and directions.

If our sector is going to change so unpredictably, will there continue to be an identifiable library profession? Maybe, but it may be recognisable as only a distant relative of the profession currently represented by ALIA, Australian Society of Archivists and similar professional organisations. Future information professionals are likely to require an amalgam of skills and knowledge to allow them to provide a range of content-focused services such as archives, museums, galleries that may be physical, virtual or a mix of both.

There will be a need to ensure that staff in the sector are professionally qualified and trained, and that professional development is accepted as an essential part of employment. It is also imperative that the sector not become precious about its distinctiveness but recognise that a balance of skills and knowledge is required to ensure the continued effectiveness and health of the sector.

There are challenges ahead for ALIA and other professional organisations and the way in which they recognise qualifications. To stay relevant, and maintain members, professional societies will need to reconsider the qualifications that identify a professional member. A broader definition will apply to the requisite qualifications. That definition must include knowledge of the underlying principles, concepts and theory. Failure to ensure this professional content will be detrimental to the future of institutions and staff.

In 1990, Tony Ralli’s argued convincingly for the need to improve professional standards and the status of the library profession. Much of what Tony advocated has come to pass to some extent or other. Staff development is an accepted responsibility by most employers and individuals, library education is more closely attuned to the workplace, and the acquisition of additional postgraduate qualifications is common.

There is, however, no room for self-congratulation or complacency. The library and information profession has great potential but the sector has to fashion its own future, not allow it to be imposed. That future will require staff with a variety of skills and knowledge which they constantly refresh and modify. It will also involve novel alliances within the traditional gallery, library, archive and museum sector as well as with other content creator and provider organisations and services. The library profession will change, transform and morph into the future. It will remain a distinct profession only if its members, both individuals and institutions, take pride in its heritage, foster its well-being and continue to promote its value to the community.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

John Shipp trained as an archivist and worked in the profession for a decade. He segued into library management and held the position of university librarian at Wollongong (1986–1997) and Sydney (1997–2011). He served as president of the Council of Australian University Librarians Council from 1992 to 1996. During his presidency, CAUL undertook a number of government-funded projects aimed at integrating digital information resources into university library collections. In 1998 and again in 2015, John was president of the Australian Library and Information Association.