Are we deepening or bridging them? or Are there generation gaps between librarians?

Abstract

The author of the article, who has worked both as staff and as a senior librarian, as well as a graduate workplace mentor, examines how the dynamics between staff in libraries, with a special focus on workplace cooperation and conflict, evolve in the light of the insights of the increasingly popular theory of generational theory. Do generational conflicts exist among Hungarian librarians? Do those involved perceive any conflicts related to age groups? If so, are they able to separate them from other, personal conflicts? The questionnaire research, supplemented by mini-interviews, sets up three hypotheses: 1. Librarians do not identify workplace conflicts as generational; 2. For older generations, lack of respect and low work ethic are the main sources of conflict; 3. Younger generations believe that the conservative professional attitude, slow work pace and lack of IT skills of older generations generate most of the conflicts.
The findings outlined in the course of the problem statement and analysis should be used both in professional work and in tertiary LIS education, since conflicts arising from generational differences can significantly reduce the performance of library staff, which strongly affects the success of the given institution and the satisfaction of library users.