Librarianship and the Culture of Busy

Abstract

There are not enough hours in a day. We’re busy, we’re pulled in many directions, our attention is needed on so many issues by so many people, and we’re worried about losing our life-balance. This is a fact of life for all of us. This is our environment. Realists know that this is not going away any time soon and that the only solution is to take personal responsibility for managing the busyness of our lives. This constant state of “busy” has entered the fabric of our daily work culture in ways that are damaging to our organizations. Busyness is an increasingly acceptable way to (misguidedly) self-promote or seek recognition, and is used as an excuse to deflect important work and impede progress. The results are resentment among peers and damage to professional reputations.