Refereed article Make your own luck: a study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

Introduction
This study was carried out as part of a master's degree course in Information and Library Management and was born out of a personal experience of changing career into librarianship and the ensuing curiosity about the extent to which others have done the same. As a topic for enquiry it proved to be both unique and interesting. More importantly, it paves the way for further study of an area that can practically and usefully inform its professional body that as an organisation it is on the brink of major change in the way its professional activities and educational developments are organised (Institute of Information Scientists and Library Association, 1999).

The authors Claire Deeming is Information Librarian at the University of Bath, Bath, UK. Jacqueline Chelin is IT Development Librarian at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. Keywords Career development, Job satisfaction, Librarians, Education Abstract Studies the reasons why people have changed career in order to become members of the library profession. Focuses on the career change decision process. This includes discussion of drift versus active choice, previous career experiences, context of life as a whole, nature of library work and the influence of other people. Measures the amount and nature of satisfaction to be derived from having made the career change. Offers suggestions for the library profession as a whole in marketing itself in order to recruit and properly remunerate skilled and enthusiastic people. Electronic access The research register for this journal is available at http://www.mcbup.com/research_registers The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www.emerald-library.com/ft

Objectives of the research

Purpose The main purpose of this research was to investigate the central question ``Why do people change career to become professional librarians?'' This question forms the main focus of the research, but in order to construct a well-rounded study, subsidiary areas were also investigated: . the proportion of people who have changed career to become professional librarians; . the level of satisfaction with people's career change to librarianship; . factors influencing satisfaction. The research took the form of a study of a sample of professional librarians, using a survey followed by individual interviews. The approach taken had some elements in common with grounded theory, in that ``rather than basing an investigation upon whether certain theories do or do not work, the researcher embarks on a voyage of discovery'' (Denscombe, 1998). Investigation into why people change career into librarianship has the potential to inform a number of aspects of the library and information profession. Ole Pors (1994) writes about the changing labour market in the library profession and highlights the challenge this represents for the design of curricula for professional qualifications. The design and development of professional education may benefit from 13

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . pp. 1325 # MCB University Press . ISSN 0307-4803

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

knowledge of both the proportions of people entering librarianship after a previous career, and the types of careers that they are leaving. One study of professional career change focused on the role of education in the career change process. That study found that professional career changers had differing requirements of professional education, compared with those entering the same profession as a first career (Miller, 1990). It noted that people changing profession approached education differently because they had a more professional attitude than other students, and possessed a range of transferable skills (Miller, 1990). Similarly, it may be the case that people changing career into librarianship have different needs from those studying librarianship as a first profession. This research investigated the ability to transfer skills as a factor influencing both choice of librarianship as a second career, and the level of satisfaction with that choice. It should enable inferences to be drawn about the educational needs of those changing career into librarianship. The research being related here also gave new insight into the effectiveness of current approaches to recruitment to the profession. Closely allied to this is the way that librarianship is perceived by new entrants, in terms of image and status; these issues indicate how effectively the profession is presented and marketed to the public. Context The research focused on people's careers in librarianship, so was set into the context of trends affecting the job market as a whole and trends taking place within the library profession. The Oxford English Dictionary defines ``career'' as ``a person's course or progress through life; a course of professional life or employment, which affords opportunity for progress or advancement in the world'' (Simpson and Weiner, 1989). A broad review of employment trends indicates that the way in which people progress through life, in terms of work, is changing. Changing labour market There is a general view in the press and in library journals that the labour market is changing and that: ``jobs for life really are a thing of the past'' (White, 1999). The changes in the way that work and careers are viewed 14

are summarised by Ball (1998) as shown in Table I. There are numerous aspects to the changes in the employment market on which this summary is founded, key aspects being: . the market driven nature of the economy means that redundancy as a cost saving exercise is commonplace (Layzell Ward, 1995) as a means of increasing efficiency and becoming more competitive (White, 1999); . hierarchical structures in organisations are being replaced by flatter structures with fewer opportunities for promotion (Layzell Ward, 1995); . a trend towards temporary contracts and flexible working (Wood and Head, 1996), including ``tele-working''; . an increasing desire amongst employees to balance work with other aspects of their lives (Maitland, 1998); . ``the greying of the community'' and increasing proportions of people who are not active in the labour market will mean an increase in demand for leisure and community services (Layzell Ward, 1995). These trends indicate that people can no longer make assumptions about the course that their working lives will take, and that they need to develop a flexible approach to their working lives. The ``learning society'' The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (1997) states that ``over the next 20 years, the UK must create a society committed to learning throughout life''. This assertion is based on an examination of the wider context of higher education, key trends being identified as: . the growing world-wide competition faced by the UK will mean that the acquisition of skills and knowledge will become increasingly important; . the constantly changing world of work will mean that individuals will ``need to develop new capabilities and to manage their own development and learning throughout life''. The Library Association has also recognised this need in its Framework for Continuing Professional Development, which seeks to help individuals within the library profession to plan, record and analyse their personal career

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

Table I Changing assumptions about work and careers in the 1990s Traditional assumptions Full employment is sustainable Most people follow a stable, straight-line career path to retirement Career development means upward mobility Only new or young employees can be developed Career development relates primarily to work experience and can take place only in one's job Emerging assumptions Full employment is likely to return in the foreseeable future Career paths are increasingly going to be diverted and interrupted Career development can be facilitated by lateral and downward moves Learning and change can occur at any age and career stage Career development is influenced by family, personal and community roles, and can be facilitated by work outside paid employment

development (Library Association, 1992). Again, the emphasis is on individuals to take responsibility for their development in conjunction with employers. This need for lifelong learning and continual development is generally acknowledged as a way of remaining employable: ``everyone needs to think about maintaining their employability [. . .] keeping skills up-to-date and learning new ones should never be neglected'' (White, 1999). Trends within the library and information profession The Library Association (1992) notes the pace of change within the profession, in areas such as: . changes in funding and administrative structures; . the introduction and development of technology; . the increasing expectations of library users. The first point means that libraries will have more competition for public funding, and will hence become more accountable for how they use resources (Ole Pors, 1994). These factors place a demand upon library and information professionals to keep pace with change; it is against this background of continual change in the world at large and within librarianship that this study was set. Change in the world at large may trigger career change, but those moving into librarianship continue to face the challenge of change. This research looked at how people who have made the move to librarianship view their career and professional development in relation to their levels of career satisfaction. The move towards a ``learning society'' combined with the rapid growth in availability 15

of, and interest in, information technology, particularly the Internet, has brought the library and information profession into a new era (Infield, 1997). This study looked at the extent to which this was an influencing factor in changing career into the profession, and looks at how influential this factor may be in the future. In terms of the labour market in the library profession, librarianship is subject to the same pressures as the rest of the labour market in the UK. These pressures are creating ``emerging information markets'' (Miller, 1990). Others refer to the growth of ``knowledge management'' as one of the new fields into which librarians can move (Infield, 1997). However, the fact that librarians may increasingly have to compete with people from other professions is also noted (Ole Pors, 1994). In summary, changes are occurring in the labour market at large and within society, which together form the new arena in which people must play out their careers. Clearly, the emphasis will be on the individual to find ways of responding to such changes. This research looked at the extent to which individuals have chosen to formulate this response in terms of a change of career into librarianship, and their reasons for doing so.

Previous research
One study, carried out in Nigeria by Bello, examined factors which prompted people to choose librarianship as a career. The study found that external and professional factors had a significant influence on the decision (Bello, 1996). The study was based on the premise that many people do not actively

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

choose librarianship as a career, but that various influences or experiences lead them to it, sometimes as a last option. Career change was listed by Bello as one factor influencing choice of librarianship as a career. The factors identified by Bello as influencing choice of librarianship as a career were found to be useful when designing the methodology for the 1999 study. These factors are summarised in Table II. These factors and the way in which they are categorised were also useful in the analysis of the results of this study. McClenney (1989) reviews research on reasons for students' choice of librarianship as a course of study, which was carried out mainly in America, between 1938 and 1988. She notes that these studies record ``a consistent minority of students who indicate that they chose the library and information science profession because they were dissatisfied with their own profession or because they simply wanted to change careers''. The phenomenon of career change into librarianship is recognised but not examined in detail. Loughridge (1990) examines a number of surveys on the job destinations and career patterns of former students of librarianship courses, which were carried out in the 1970s and 1980s. Van House (1988) notes the lack of recent studies on the choice of librarianship as a profession and suggests that ``more research is needed on career choice generally, on environmental and personal influencing factors, and on the processes of people's decisions to enter librarianship''. She reports on a Californian study of library students' reasons for choosing librarianship as a

profession. The study was in the form of a postal questionnaire, which found that students rate the intrinsic nature of the profession, and potential career prospects, more highly than salary when choosing librarianship as a profession. One study looked at the effect of first careers on the reference philosophies and backgrounds of ``second career academic reference librarians'' in Nevada. The definition of a ``second career academic reference librarian'' included people moving from other types of professional and paraprofessional work to reference librarianship (Whitten and Nozero, 1997). A survey of school-leaver attitudes to librarianship, carried out in Australia, found that negative attitudes towards the image and remuneration of the profession were very strong in this age group, which confirmed the findings of earlier surveys (Genoni and Greeve, 1997). The authors conclude that this negative image needs to be countered by the professional associations in librarianship, in order to ensure that sufficient school leavers are recruited to the profession. The key points raised in this review of the literature therefore are: . no research on topics comparable to the research question of ``why people change career to librarianship'' has been carried out within the last ten to 12 years; . the methodologies of studies in related areas are based on the use of questionnaires; . the related studies could inform the design of the present study, and contribute to the analysis of the results. The 1999 research therefore had the potential to address a deficit in what is known about

Table II Research hypotheses and career choice factors used by Bello Hypothesis The choice of librarianship is externally influenced directly or indirectly Career choice factors relating to hypothesis Librarians Teachers Parents Friends Stability Secure future Social status Prestige of the profession Satisfactory earnings Use of one's special ability Aptitude Creativity Mass media/library publicity Employer Counselling Intellectual stimulation Acquisition of knowledge Higher degree Career change Last option Opportunity to work with people Be of service to others

The choice of librarianship is professionally influenced

The choice of librarianship is influenced by self-expressed values

16

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

careers in librarianship, both in terms of the research question under investigation, and the use of the interview as a new methodology in this area.

Structure of the research

The research question was investigated using two research instruments: a survey in the form of a postal questionnaire, followed by individual interviews with a small number of survey respondents. This two-pronged approach was chosen for several reasons: . To identify the target sub-group of staff within AULIC who had changed career to become professional librarians. The Avon University Libraries in Co-operation Scheme comprises the libraries of the University of Bath, the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England. The library at Bath Spa University College was also included in the research, due to its close involvement with the staff development activities of AULIC. . To provide a context for analysis of how this target sub-group fitted into the overall sample of professional librarians within AULIC, by comparison with the sub-group of first career librarians. . The use of two research instruments allowed for some degree of triangulation of results. It is both valuable as a way of reducing the risk of bias, and beneficial when studying more complex aspects of human behaviour (Cohen and Manion, 1994). The examination of the target subgroup in two ways allowed for the crosschecking of responses and the detailed exploration of respondents' attitudes, feelings and views. For the purposes of this study, a ``professional librarian'' was defined as: . anyone currently working in a post which now requires a professional qualification; and/or . anyone in possession of a professional qualification, as recognised by the Library Association, regardless of whether or not they are currently working in a post that requires such a qualification. This definition ensured that no individual was excluded from the sample through 17

circumstances outside their control. For example, some staff may have obtained a professional qualification but may not have yet secured a professionally graded post; others may have been promoted on the basis of experience to posts which have since been designated as requiring a professional qualification. This definition allowed for changes over time, both in the way the AULIC libraries appoint staff, and in what is recognised by the Library Association as a professional qualification. This study was primarily concerned with the lives of people and why they had made particular choices. For this research, an appropriate definition of what is a ``professional librarian'' must take into account the many ways in which people have achieved professional status. The definition was chosen purely for the purposes of this research; any discussion of what constitutes a ``professional librarian'' in a wider sense falls outside the confines of this study.

The results
There was a response rate of 82.4 per cent of valid surveys, which represents 21 people. The proportion of career changers All results from the first section of the survey were broken down by whether or not respondents had changed career. This was for the purposes of comparison of the two groups under study: people for whom librarianship is a first career and people who have changed career to become professional librarians. The survey found that 20.4 per cent of the sample had changed career to become professional librarians. The following discussion focuses on these ``career change librarians'' as opposed to those who have not changed career, i.e. the ``first career librarians''. This is because, overall, the comparison between first career and career change librarians illustrates the fact that, apart from career changers having inevitably shorter careers in librarianship than first career librarians, there are essentially no major differences between the two groups in the variables measured. These variables included information about gender, qualifications (both librarianship and other), mode of study (i.e. full or part time),

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

employer support for study and types of library work that had been experienced. The occupation of career change librarians prior to changing career Table III indicates the most recent occupation of career change librarians prior to changing career and shows the wide range of careers previously followed by this relatively small group of people, with one-third of the group being previously teachers. The career change decision process The majority of respondents did not make use of careers advice when making the career change decision, with only 14.3 per cent consulting a careers advisor. Respondents cited other means by which their career change decisions were made, and key issues which were part of the decision making process. Five broad key issues were derived from examination of the survey responses, and these provide a framework for analysis. These key issues are shown in Table IV, with a ranking according to how often they were cited by respondents. The ranking shows that ``drift versus active choice'' and ``previous career'' are the two key issues most frequently commented on by respondents. Examples of comments on each key issue follow.
Table III Most recent occupation of career change librarians Occupation Teaching Civil service Administration Book selling Computing Dentistry Insurance Research Total Number of respondents 7 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 21

Drift versus active choice The extent to which librarianship was actively considered as a potential career varied considerably, from ``my plan was to move into a pharmaceutical information career'' to ``I had not considered librarianship as a career previously'' and ``serendipity''. One person deferred the move: ``I had originally wanted to train as a librarian after university but it was a longer term commitment than I wanted to make''. The interview results reflect the survey findings, with respondents occupying the extremes of the scale between ``drift'' and ``active choice''. Only one respondent specifically identified librarianship as a career to move into. Of the other three, one ``had to get a job'' after being made redundant, another ``actually wanted to go into [. . .] museum work'' and the third was simply looking for an acceptable route out of her existing profession. Previous career For some, how they felt about their previous career was a major factor in the decision to change such as ``I was stuck in a rut [. . .] and wanted a change'' and ``intense dislike'' of their career. Others found that ``uncertainty and difficulties'' in their previous career prompted a re-think. Again, in the interviews, a wide spectrum of views was expressed, from one previous career being ``the best job in the world'', to the previous career being the main reason for change: ``it was all job related''. Two of the interviewees felt, however, that they could have had a ``job for life'' in what they were doing, had they wished. Job insecurity was a factor for the other two. Context of life as a whole This key issue included areas such as the desire to use existing skills, practical life considerations such as family and location and attitudes to life in general: ``I was able to study librarianship [. . .] where I was based at the time'' for example. Age was a factor for some respondents: ``being young enough to make a change, before it was too late''. Others felt they had made poor first career choices: ``choosing teaching as a career was a mistake''. This was an important consideration for all interviewees, and a factor which influenced how they went about changing career, and how they felt about the process. One found 18

Table IV Summary of how often key issues were raised Key issue Drift versus active choice Previous career Context of life as a whole Nature of library work Influence of other people Number of respondents 15 15 13 13 5 Rank 1= 1= 2= 2= 3

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

that ``it coincided with other changes in my life and actually the career change was a very positive thing''. Others assessed their situation before taking action: ``I did an analysis of my skills and came up with librarianship as something I thought I could probably do''; ``my husband and I worked it all out quite carefully how much cut in income we could take''. Nature of library work Some respondents were well-informed about the profession before opting for it: ``I read just about every article I could find on academic librarianship so I went in with my eyes open!'' and ``I had a good perception of this career from my use of libraries [. . .] and from working in the school library for a time''. Three of the interviewees used their knowledge of the nature of library work to assist in the decision making process, for example: ``I've had loads of library experience'' and ``the two jobs that I'd done previously [. . .] a lot of it was fairly standard transferable skills that would be relevant to librarianship''. The third said ``the Internet was part of the way that scientists exchanged information, so I was aware of all these things then, and was interested''. Influence of other people This was the least cited factor influencing choice of librarianship as a career. Some did find contact with librarians positive however: ``I was influenced by the librarian [. . .] I was very impressed with her information retrieval skills''. Some discussed librarianship with friends or family. In common with the survey results, the interview results show that the influence of other people was a minor factor in the process of deciding to move into librarianship. Although, once people had got jobs as library assistants, other librarians did have a positive influence: ``a senior librarian [. . .] who'd been involved in actually recruiting me [. . .] suggested to me that in the long run I wouldn't find being a library assistant enough''. Satisfaction with change of career to librarianship The majority of respondents (85.8 per cent) were ``very satisfied'' or ``satisfied'' with their career change to librarianship, as shown in Figure 1. 19

Figure 1 Bar chart showing levels of satisfaction with the career change to librarianship

The reasons for these levels of satisfaction can be broadly described under six headings, which are shown in Table V, along with rankings as to how often they were cited by respondents. Clearly, how respondents felt about the work itself and their career prospects were the factors cited most often as affecting satisfaction levels. Examples of comments on each factor are given below. Feelings about the nature of the work One respondent who had come from a computing background was pleasantly surprised by the nature of the work: ``I discovered that being involved with a library system is quite different from having to program one''. Personal challenge was cited as one reason for satisfaction: ``I feel I am in a job that challenges me'' and ``I am my own boss for most of the time [. . .] there is always enough to do''. Respondents also gained satisfaction from doing a good job and using their skills: ``I think I can perform at least some of my job

Table V Summary of frequency of occurrence of satisfaction factors Satisfaction factor Feeling about the nature of the work Career progression, job role and professional development Context of life as a whole, practicalities and quality of life Pay Environment and culture Views on the profession Number of respondents 15 Rank 1

11

8 7 6 4

3 4 5 6

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

better than other people''; ``I am valued for the skills and knowledge I have''. Contact with other people and the service aspect of the work were cited as being important factors in satisfaction levels: ``I enjoy the contact with students and academic staff''; another found ``meeting and helping people and contributing to the educational process'' rewarding. Others were frustrated at not having enough contact with people: ``I would like to do a job that has longer periods of interaction with people [. . .] most of my contact with customers is very transient''. Numerous aspects of work were cited by interviewees as contributing to their satisfaction with their career change, such as: ``I felt I could really be helpful and encouraging to students'' and ``I actually enjoy the subject area that I'm working in''. An important factor was the ability to use existing skills. Career progression, job role and professional development Respondents expressed widely differing views on the aspect of career prospects; one described prospects as ``reasonable'', whilst another was more positive, quoting ``the opportunity the career offers for constant personal development'' as a source of satisfaction. Some were taking advantage of opportunities: ``I am writing my Professional Development Report and studying an MA in order to progress''; ``I am now studying for my chartership''. Others were less happy with their career prospects and position and found that ``there are few opportunities for promotion within my organisation [. . .] and few vacancies in the area for promotion outside it''. Others experienced frustration at not being promoted because ``they're appointing people in their late twenties [. . .] I believe I have the skills, but not as much confidence [. . .] as I need to get promotion''. Of the three interviewees who were in professional posts, two were very happy with their career progression within librarianship: ``since I've been in libraries my career has really gone very well''. The third was happy in her post but had experienced difficulty obtaining a suitable professional post after qualifying. The respondent who was not in a professional post felt that her specific career aims were unlikely to be met: ``I would still like to be a subject librarian, but I think I may 20

well have gone too far down the technical route to make that practical''. Context of life as a whole, practicalities and quality of life One respondent felt that ``personal lack of job mobility [. . .] tarnished'' the overall job satisfaction levels of librarianship as a career, another echoed this with ``I am tied to the area by family commitments''. Practical considerations were also important for more positive reasons, such as ``I can walk to work''. In terms of how respondents fitted their careers into their lives, one person had reduced the hours they worked, saying that ``this allows me more time for my outside [. . .] interests and is another reason why I am `very satisfied' at the moment''. The interviewees all considered the integration of their careers with the other aspects of their lives to be important in satisfaction levels. One was looking to the future: ``information technology [. . .] will be important in doing things like shopping, paying the bills, and when I'm completely housebound I shall know how to do it''. Another had moved to job-sharing: ``I actually want more time to do other things outside of work''. The effect on the quality of life was important: when talking about how she would need to travel further to get a better job, one respondent said, ``I don't look at that as being a thing that would enhance the quality of my life''. Pay Overall, where pay was mentioned, it was a source of dissatisfaction apart from one respondent who felt they had ``made a good move in terms of pay and conditions''. This is evidenced in comments such as ``poorly paid'' and ``I am still about 3-4K a year below what I would have been on''. The interviewees' comments on this factor mirrored those made in the survey, in that even where people indicated that they were satisfied with their career change, pay was still seen as a source of dissatisfaction. Comments ranged from ``I'm appalled at some of the salaries offered [in job advertisements]'', to ``I actually turned down a couple of offers that I'd had because they just weren't paying enough''. The respondents also made the point that they did not live ``extravagantly''. Environment and culture The environment was generally seen as making a positive contribution to satisfaction

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

levels and people were an important part of this: ``I like the people, including other librarians and the library users''. Factors relating to the culture of the profession were noted: ``I don't get moved around according to someone else's whim''; ``I have always found like-minded people and values I can believe in and work towards''. Others mentioned culture change ``not just a job change a massive cultural change from the commercial world''. There were wide ranging feelings about the contribution of environment and culture to career satisfaction. One interviewee found the environment very positive: ``I think the people are generally very friendly, positive, pleasant colleagues. I like the environment very much''. Others had found the culture change more difficult when moving into initial posts as library assistants: ``it was a social cultural change [. . .] I felt very different and there was a lot of awkwardness''. Views on the profession Where views on the profession were expressed, they differed widely, though there was general consensus about the image of librarians: ``librarianship has poor status as a profession and you do have to put up with the `dowdy librarian' image''. One respondent found it ``hard to admit that I am a librarian a reflection on the public perception of the profession, I guess''. The interviews brought out similar views on the image of librarianship to those expressed in the surveys: ``I think it's got a terrible image''. However, these views tended to be qualified by a feeling that the image was changing: ``with it becoming increasingly technological, that appeals to people''. There was a generally negative feeling about the situation within public libraries: ``there's enormous opportunity, not only in academic libraries, but in special libraries [. . .] I don't perceive there to be much of a career opportunity in public libraries''. Comment was also made on the nature of the library profession itself: ``sometimes I think librarians have a sort of inflated view of their own importance'' and ``I wouldn't say that it is strictly speaking a `profession', but then [. . .] I have an old-fashioned attitude in many ways''. Effect of career change on income Changing career to librarianship had financial implications for many respondents, with 21

52.4 per cent experiencing a drop in income when first moving into libraries. Of these, at the time the survey was carried out, the incomes of 45.6 per cent of those whose income had dropped reported that it had not yet recovered to its former level. When asked if they expected their income to recover to at least its former level the majority thought that it would not. Those who thought their incomes would recover were not sure how long it would take; one, for example, estimated three to four years, another thought it would be ``possibly two job changes away''. One of the questions was directed only at respondents whose income had dropped after their career change, and who did not expect it to recover to its former level; and asked respondents to comment on how they felt about this. Comments in response to this question varied from ``fed up'', to ``the drop in income is a small price to pay for the improvement in my quality of life''. Comment was also made about the general levels of pay within the profession: ``if librarianship is to have true professional status, its practitioners should be paid at a rate commensurate with other professions''.

The analysis
Changing career into librarianship: key themes Because the research examined a human life process, the analysis is presented under headings that reflect the experiences and views of those who changed career to become professional librarians. These themes also represent areas in which theories on the process of career change can be developed; some possibilities are proposed. The process of identifying themes was assisted by the four career management competencies identified by Ball (1998): (1) the ability to optimise a given career situation; (2) the ability to engage in personal development; (3) the ability to use career planning skills; (4) the ability to balance work and non-work. These four competencies were developed as a framework to help business organisations in guiding their employees in their career development. They are equally applicable to this research, and closely reflect the themes identified here.

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

Follow your nose In terms of the effect of previous career, the economic situation did have an impact on some respondents, with job insecurity prompting some to change career. The majority of respondents did not report this, however. Overall, the level of active choice of librarianship as a profession was low; more respondents reported drifting into the profession than reported actively choosing it: ``it just happened because I found a job [as a library assistant]'' and ``I was looking for something that could pay me enough money to keep my bills going''. For the majority of the respondents, the decision to obtain a professional qualification was driven by the desire to maximise the benefits of their career change, rather than as a goal in itself. A few respondents did cite obtaining professional status as an influencing factor, but they were in the minority: ``I felt that [the MA] would give me a certain amount of status, it is tragic to admit it, but I think I was just fed up with people thinking that I was a bit of a bimbo''. The broad answer to the question of ``why do people change career to become professional librarians'' cannot be formulated as a list of reasons for choosing librarianship. Rather, respondents were affected by factors which led to them needing or wanting to make a career change, and found that librarianship offered a suitable solution. These factors were both internal to the individuals, and external in that they related to the balance of life as a whole. The respondents in this study became librarians because they found, either by chance or design, that this option best met their overall life requirements. Make your own luck Whatever the level of active choice of librarianship as a career, a common theme emerging from the research is that of opportunism. Career changers generally tried to make the most of available opportunities, and in some cases, worked to create their own opportunities. This philosophy is illustrated by comments such as: ``this was the opportunity to do something else'' and ``I believe in making your own luck really [. . .] it's to do with how you make sure you're in the right place at the right time, not just pot luck, you know, you can influence these things''. One interviewee was made 22

redundant, and having failed to find work in her previous career ``thought fine, I'll go as far as I can in libraries''. This highlights the ability of the career changers to make the best of their situation, whether it is one they planned to be in or not. Respondents often cited ``luck'' as a factor in the career change process: ``I've been lucky, the timing of things has been very good for me''. However, the positive, pro-active approach of these respondents indicates that success is more to do with personal input than ``luck'': ``there's all sorts of things that you can do, that I wouldn't think particularly about doing deliberately, but perhaps I just do them''. Taking a chance was also an element: ``it was quite a risk giving up my job'' and ``the logistics of doing it, it was quite risky really''. In summary, the career changers in this study were able to maximise available career opportunities and behave in ways that created opportunities for themselves. Define your goals The career changers in this study were very good at setting personal career and life goals, and analysing their skills. They also monitored progress towards these goals. One respondent who did this said: ``I had two criteria in my job hunting, which were: that I should find what I was going to do was fun, and that I should consider it to be worthwhile''. Later, referring to the point when she was offered a post as a library assistant, this respondent said ``it sounded like good fun and it was worthwhile, [. . .] the criteria were all met''. Another found that her previous career involved a lot of physical work, and thought: ``I'm not going to be able to do this all my life, I'm going to get very tired''; having made the career change, she reported: ``I've got a comfortable office, a nice desk, I can sit down''. Physical comfort may seem to be a simplistic goal, but it is a goal nonetheless, and one which this respondent achieved. Not all respondents benefited from goal setting: ``this level of dissatisfaction arises out of being a cataloguer for nearly 20 years [. . .], I drifted into librarianship by accident''. Overall, the ability to plan and review played an important part in the process of deciding to change career, and was a contributing factor in how satisfied respondents were with the change. Setting goals provides a direction and a means of

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

measuring progress; those respondents who were able to set goals tended to experience less frustration. Balance your life A significant proportion of respondents applied personal philosophies to the process of changing career, and sought to consider life as a whole throughout the process: ``I was thinking, there are all sorts of things that go on in your life, you know, trying to think about how it's going to figure around a career''. This philosophy mirrors the results of a survey of business graduates, who were found to want ``their home life to be balanced alongside the time they spend at work'' (MacDonald, 1997). Respondents actively set aside time to reflect on their lives and careers: ``I've just gone over to a job share [. . .] to give me time to think about where I go from now''. The general conclusion from the results is that this process of assessing and balancing life was vital to people both in terms of making good career decisions, and in achieving career satisfaction: ``work's got to be enjoyable otherwise there's no point''. The need to consolidate was also mentioned as part of this process. Practical concerns were very important to respondents: ``I'm quite fixed geographically''; ``that wouldn't be practical in family and life terms''. Respondents reported highest levels of satisfaction when the practical aspects of life were in balance with their careers. This philosophy can be summarised in the words of one respondent: ``you've got to have life as a whole, it's not little boxes''. It can thus be inferred that those most satisfied with their career change are those who can effectively integrate the career change process with life as a whole. Make use of the past and look to the future Many respondents exhibited traits that link to the concept of the ``learning society'': they made full use of their existing skills and knowledge, and sought to build on this. Several respondents referred to past experience: ``I feel that my achievements, skills and past achievements are recognised and utilised''. Respondents found that personal development was valued and supported by the libraries they worked for, as evidenced by the fact that the majority of people studying part-time received practical 23

support from their employer. One summarised this attitude: ``they were very willing to support you or even further your career if they thought that would benefit the service''. One person wanted to pursue a new career because: ``I just felt that I was really wasting my `A' levels''. This desire to keep learning is illustrated by comments such as ``I'm anxious to learn all the time''. Respondents were able to bring a wide range of transferable skills with them from their previous careers, such as ``people skills, organisational skills [. . .] communication skills'' and ``general life skills [. . .] and I suppose a general attitude to life as well''. One respondent summed up the importance of transferring and developing skills: ``that's the art of surviving in today's job market''. One implication of the ability of the career changers to transfer existing skills was noted at the outset: that career changers may have different educational needs. The research carried out by Miller (1990) observed that those changing profession had a different attitude to education. Career changers may thus need the emphasis of teaching to be placed on how to apply their existing skills to librarianship, rather than on the teaching of them as first principles. The conclusion that can be drawn from these results is that the career changers studied were, in the main, operating according to the principles of the ``learning society''. They were, indeed, committed to learning throughout life, and recognised the need to learn in order to survive (National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, 1997). They are likely to be people who will continue to thrive and make the best of their careers, whatever the prevailing economic climate. What is the point? The point for the majority (85.8 per cent) of the respondents was that they were ``satisfied'' or ``very satisfied'' with their career change to librarianship. The factors most often cited as contributing to this high level of satisfaction concerned how respondents felt about the nature of library work, and the area of career progression and professional development. Other factors were also important, but where pay and the profession itself were mentioned, comments tended to be more negative. On first inspection, there is a mis-match between

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

the high satisfaction levels reported, and the plethora of negative comment. The availability of opportunities for personal challenge and growth, both in terms of job role and professional development, were the main determinants of career satisfaction. Autonomy and challenge were often cited by respondents: ``I've got a lot of autonomy and there's a lot of interesting things going on in library and information work''; another cited ``new challenges'' as a source of satisfaction. Respondents also felt good when their abilities were respected: ``I take part in policy and decision making that affects the whole organisation'' and ``I feel a lot more valued now''. Overall, for the majority of respondents, how they felt about their career change was more important to them than external reward. The fact that people can hold quite strong negative views whilst feeling satisfied indicates that the areas they feel negative about lie outside of their values system, as evidenced by comments such as: ``the money was very much a second consideration''. Fitting into the profession: stay objective The low level of influence of other people as a reason for changing career indicates that most respondents based their career change decision on other criteria. Indeed, the results show that the most important factors were how respondents felt about their previous careers, and the level of active choice of the profession. It should be noted, however, that no respondents reported negative instances of contact with librarians prior to changing career; in fact most such experiences were very positive. This is counter to the poor image of librarians held by many respondents prior to entering the profession. This thus illustrates an area of weakness in the way librarianship as a profession markets itself. The perception of librarianship as having a poor image did not seem to act as a deterrent to entering the profession for those changing career into it. It was rather cited as a source of dissatisfaction once the career change had been made. One reason for this can be drawn from the research by Genoni and Greeve (1997) who found that negative images of librarians prevailed in younger age groups. The fact that the career changers tended to be in older age groups leads to the possible conclusion that age and experience reduce people's susceptibility to stereotypes. The 24

career changers objected to the stereotypes, and found it hard to accept the imposition of an ill-founded image. This may have been because they already had a strong self-image, which related to their previous profession. One respondent found that the reverse was the case: ``I was going from a [. . .] job which has got similar negative associations with it [. . .], so I don't think going into librarianship was any worse''. There was also a feeling that the image of librarianship is improving and, speaking of the growth in information technology, ``we are actually involved now in something that's sort of quite sexy, you know, popular''. One respondent regretted not choosing a better paid profession but went on to say that ``as we spend 7.5 hours at work each day, the environment and . . . `tolerability' of the job has to be as important as the money you get''. Van House (1998) also found that people were willing to sacrifice material rewards to the wider goals of overall job satisfaction. All respondents, with only one exception, who mentioned pay, did so to make negative comments, which can be summed up by the statement: ``librarianship is not as well paid as other established professions''. This was in spite of the fact that many respondents did not see money as the most important factor in career satisfaction. The concern was more to do with the effect on the public perception of the profession, and the potential effect on recruitment to librarianship: ``I think financially there is certainly room for improvement, and that perhaps we'd attract even more dynamic people and exciting people, into librarianship than we do already''. The image and pay in the public library sector was specifically commented on as being poorer than in other sectors. If these opinions are taken seriously, they indicate that action is needed by the profession to address this imbalance.

Conclusions
The number of career changers, at 20.4 per cent of the sample, represents a reasonable proportion. The library profession can learn from them and benefit from their views and experiences. Certainly in the case of the image and remuneration of the profession, these results indicate that career changers feel that

A study of people changing career into librarianship

Claire Deeming and Jacqueline Chelin

New Library World Volume 102 . Number 1160/1161 . 2001 . 1325

these issues need to be addressed by the profession as a whole. They cite the potential benefits of making improvements in these areas as being able to recruit better candidates to the profession. Respondents did mention that the proposed merger of the Library Association and the Institute of Information Scientists might have a positive effect on the profile of the profession; a view also expressed by Infield (1997). These findings confirm the conclusions of an earlier study: that marketing programmes need to address these negative images, in order to attract new entrants to librarianship (Genoni and Greeve, 1997). It should be noted that the sample was made up of employees of a group of universities (AULIC) that actively support the library course run by the University of Bristol. This may have had an artificially positive effect on the number of people opting to obtain a professional qualification after starting work in one of the AULIC libraries. Care must therefore be exercised when extrapolating the conclusions to the population of all professional librarians in the UK. What is more important than generalising the proportions of career changers to the population as a whole, is that the key themes identified by the research can be generalised with much more confidence. These themes represent the human element of the research, and were not influenced by local factors, but by the range of views and behaviours expressed by the respondents. The key themes relating to the career change process can thus be generalised to the UK population of professional librarians, if the assumption that people are fundamentally the same, whatever their location, is accepted.

References
Ball, B. (1998), ``Career management competencies the individual perspective'', Librarian Career Development, Vol. 6 No. 7, pp. 3-11. Bello, M.A. (1996), ``Choosing a career: librarian?'', Librarian Career Development, Vol. 4 No. 4, pp. 15-19.

Cohen, L. and Manion, L. (1994), Research Methods in Education, 4th ed., Routledge, London. Denscombe, M. (1998), The Good Research Guide for Small-scale Social Research Projects, Open University, Buckingham. Genoni, P. and Greeve, N. (1997), ``School-leaver attitudes towards careers in librarianship: the results of a survey'', Australian Library Journal, Vol. 46 No. 3, pp. 288-303. Infield, N. (1997), ``A job for the professionals: defining an employee in the information sector'', Information World Review, February, p. 16. Institute of Information Scientists and Library Association (1999), Our Professional Future, IIS/LA, London. Layzell Ward, P. (1995), ``Careers in 2020?'', Librarian Career Development, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 4-7. Library Association (1992), The Framework for Continuing Professional Development: Your Personal Profile, Library Association, London. Loughridge, B. (1990), ``Employment and career surveys: some reflections on their value and relevance'', Journal of Librarianship, Vol. 22 No. 2, pp. 71-90. MacDonald, S. (1997), ``Controlasaurus's days are numbered'', The Times, 30 October, Appointments, p. 2. McClenney, G.E. (1989), Why Students Choose Careers in Information and Library Science: Factors That Affect the Decision-Making Process, MSc thesis, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC. Maitland, A. (1998), ``A balance of work, rest and play'', Financial Times, 1 December, p. 19. Miller, M. (1990), The Role of Education in Professional Career Change, PhD thesis, Nottingham (abstract only). National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (1997), Higher Education in the Learning Society: Summary Report, HMSO, Norwich. Ole Pors, N. (1994), ``The changing labour market of the information professional'', Librarian Career Development, Vol. 2 No. 3, pp. 14-21. Simpson, J.A. and Weiner, E.S.C. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Clarendon Press, Oxford. Van House, N.A. (1988), ``MLS students' choice of a library career'', Library and Information Science Research, Vol. 10, April, pp. 157-76. White, D. (1999), ``Work a way through the problems of being made redundant'', The Telegraph, 11 July, Appointments, p. 3. Whitten, P.A. and Nozero, V.A. (1997), ``The impact of first careers on `second career' academic reference librarians: a pilot study'', Reference Librarian, Vol. 59, pp. 189-201. Wood, L. and Head, M. (1996), ``Employment trends in the LIS sector'', Library Association Record, Vol. 98 No. 10, pp. 528-9.

25