Overcoming the them and us syndrome in libraries

Purpose – This paper seeks to explore attitudes of staff librarians who see themselves separate and apart from their supervisors in terms of their agendas and their roles. The paper offers why this may be occurring, and what library managers can do to effectively bridge the relational gap between management and staff. Design/methodology/approach – This paper used the author's personal experience as an observer of library organizations from his perspective of a consultant and a workshop presenter. Findings – This paper focuses on the importance of open communication, the willingness of a staff member to participate in decision making, and the importance of a library manager to encourage discussion and idea creation among the staff. Originality/value – The paper helps the library director, the department manager, and the staff librarian to better appreciate the role that each person plays in the overall library organization.