pedagogical divisions and the Gordian knot

Zimmerman’s article, published as a CACUL Occasional Paper, describes a modernist and post-modernist tension that may be found in academic libraries. Besides being a fascinating perspective that adds to the dialogue on pedagogical divisions and their corresponding structural divisions within academic libraries, it generated a few thoughts I wanted to muse through.

Academic libraries are undergoing changes. This is inescapable. But not all libraries are necessarily caught in as extreme a change or perhaps are resisting change as strongly as the academic sector. I thought about the special libraries I have worked in as I read through this paper and realized that many special libraries have already crossed into the post-modernist perspective (as have I). I suspect this change has occurred with less resistance in special libraries, because, for example, corporate libraries are under constant demands to prove their worth. As the corporation changes the libraries must pace this change or will be cut from the budget and cease to exist.

Perhaps this is why competencies for special librarians appeared relatively early (May 1996) in comparison to those for other sectors. Personal competencies are listed in Special Libraries Association competency statements (1996 and 2003) that express behaviour such as flexibility, problem-solving, critical thinking, and innovation. All of these lead to the capacity to reorient and restructure according to the needs of your business and reflect what happened and is still happening in companies. Academic libraries are positioned within a slower moving environment with change being pressed upon universities and their libraries by a user population that demands that they (academia) parallel the world the user is emotionally and financially situated within. It is not just a matter of need but comfort.

Which brings me to more thoughts regarding my Gordian knot, as represented by Gone Squirrelly: how to not only express the pedagogical divisions (how many facets are possible in my attempt to understand academic libraries and librarians) but how do we resolve these divisions? Can we resolve these divisions? Is healing possible? Does it have to be one versus the other or is there a way to reduce or end the emotional angst? I’m still thinking…