This document summarizes a presentation about communities of young Japanese librarians using social networking. It discusses how these communities formed due to limitations of traditional organizations and workplaces. Interviews found that participation expanded networks and transferred knowledge. Participants were motivated by sharing experiences with peers facing similar situations. While outcomes for individuals were identified, organizational impacts were not measured. The communities provide opportunities for librarians, and could transform the field by changing attitudes.

1. Young Librarians Unite
Possibilities for Professional Transformation in
Japanese Librarianship
Eriko Amano
Course of Technology and Innovative Management
Graduate School of Management
Doshisha University
2011/6/22 a-liep 2011 Malaysia 1

2. Contents of this presentation
• Aims of the study
• Research questions
• Theoretical background
• Background
• Research method
• Findings
• Conclusion
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3. Aims of the study
• Many interorganizational networking
communities have spontaneously
emerged among young Japanese
librarians in recent years.
• This study explores:
– the role of the communities from the
perspectives of professional knowledge
management, social networks
– the possibilities of those communities for
transformation in the Japanese librarianship
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4. Research questions
• What outcomes did young librarians who
had participated in the interorganizational
social networking communities obtain
especially in terms of knowledge
acquisition and affections?
• What possibilities do the young librarians
communities have to transform Japanese
librarianship?
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5. Theoretical background
• Social network theory
– Interorganizational knowledge transfer
– Emotional aspects
– Getting a job …
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6. Background (1)
• Emerging communities of young librarians
– In different places throughout Japan
– Voluntary
– Optimal use of the web-based social
networking tools
– Relatively young librarians
– No membership systems
– Loose management style
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7. Background (2)
• The new communities emerged
because of:
–Dysfunction of traditional
professional organizations
–Shrinkage of workplace
• the limited opportunity for learning
further at work
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8. U40 Future Librarian
• Organized in 2009
• A loose community of librarians under 40
• Events:
– Nationwide gathering party
2009 (12 venues, 330 people), 2010 (10
venues, 314 people)
• It encourages young librarians:
– to expand their networks
– “to chat to open a future full of hope, rather
than dwell on the problems we currently face”
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9. Lifo
• Created by several young librarians
around 2008 working in rather small
academic libraries who had difficulty
finding hands-on learning opportunities
• 200 members on Google Group
• Events:
– study tours, collaborative activities with other
groups
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10. Code4Lib Japan
• An overseas branch of Code4Lib (USA)
• Funded by Japan’s Library Advancement
Foundation
• Training programs (for a fee):
– ICT-related training programs
• 5 times (How to create a digital archive using flickr,
Reading access log of a website, etc.)
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11. Research method
• Semi-structured in-depth interviews
• 5 librarians
– Participants and organizers of events and
training programs
– Full-time; 2, part-time;3
– Male; 2, Female; 3
– University libraries; 4, public library; 1
• Skype text chatting
• 50-60 minutes
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12. Interview questions
1. Which events organized by the new networking
communities did you attend? What triggered your
interest in the events?
2. Did you get anything from the experience (e.g.,
practical knowledge, emotional change, network, job
information)?
3. Do you belong to any traditional library associations
or groups, such as the Japan Library Association?
Does being a member of such a group differ from
participation in the events organized by the new
communities?
4. What do you see in the future of Japanese
librarianship if the new communities keep growing?
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13. Findings (1)
Expansion of interorganizational networks
•Web-based
–Low cost, casual
•Face-to-face networking
– Worth while spending their weekends
Knowledge transfer
•Opportunity of exchanging tacit knowledge
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14. Findings (2)
Motivation
•Sharing their feelings with people under the
same situation
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15. Findings (3)
Getting a job
•Some interviewees got job information
Reputation (evaluation inside a library)
•Not yet evaluated properly
•One librarian got promoted
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16. Findings (4)
Difference from traditional librarian organization
•Value for money
•Less hierarchical
Expectation
•Possibilities for changing the atmosphere of
libraries and librarianship
•Essential to all information professionals
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17. Conclusion (1)
Intraorganizational Limited learning
Shrinking workplace
circumstances opportunities
Motivated young
New technologies
librarians
Job
The role of the interorganizational communities
mobility?
To help build social networks
To provide opportunities for the transfer of knowledge
Vital source of motivationa-liep 2011 Malaysia
2011/6/22
for the participants 17

18. Conclusion (2)
• Limitation
– Only personal outcomes => Measurement of
organizational outcomes
• Further study
– Quantitative survey
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19. • Wiki website for information of rescue and support for
the Museums, Libraries, Archives and Kominkans
(MLAK) damaged by the Great Earthquake in Japan
• Collaborative online reference service
• Professional volunteer matching
• English and Chinese information available
Terima kasih.
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