I was shocked. It was late 2010, and I’d just heard that New York’s Westchester County Library System had eliminated its coordinator positions for children’s and young adult services. It was the same sinking feeling I’d experienced one year earlier, when my own position as head of children’s programs at the New York Public Library was axed. At that time, I thought that this reorganization was unique to our system. But it seemed drastic for a large, suburban, county library system, like Westchester’s, to get rid of both of its youth services consultant positions. Was this in response to poor local funding, I wondered, or was it part of a growing trend?

Eliminating children’s coordinator positions seems radical to me because these jobs provide leadership in so many ways. Whether the coordinator works for a library with several branches or a multi-library system, or is a state-level youth consultant, she’s responsible for staying on top of the trends and changes—especially demographic shifts—in the communities she serves and using this information to help shape the library’s strategic direction and budget. She keeps track of grant making and other funding opportunities, matching service goals to the appropriate funder. Guiding collection and program development is another key responsibility. She also works with the other children’s librarians to create professional development opportunities—often to improve existing services or to introduce a new initiative. In addition, coordinators look outward, searching for partnerships that’ll add value to what the library system already offers children.

To find out what was going on, at the beginning of this year I sent out queries on Publib and on the Association for Library Services to Children Listservs, asking readers if they knew of libraries that had eliminated their coordinator of children’s services, or a similar position. I soon received responses from across the country, which didn’t come as a complete surprise, especially since a recent American Library Association survey had found that 19 states cut library funding this year, and 17 states reported library closures. (Urban areas have been hit the hardest, and 9 out of 10 libraries that have more than one million visitors a year cut both their budget and staff.)

The first response to budget cuts is often to combine the children’s and young adult consultant positions into one—a move often prompted by a retirement. A more drastic strategy is to drop the youth services consultant positions altogether. In Illinois, severe budget cuts forced the state’s library systems to eliminate all of their consultant positions. The New York State Library Systems are seeing declining budgets, and many of them have also eliminated or consolidated consultant positions; Westchester County is just the most recent example. The news is not totally bad, however. Matt McLain, the Utah State Library’s new youth services coordinator, was hired after the position was left vacant for a year.

Many single-building libraries reported that they didn’t replace their lead children’s position when that person moved on or retired. Sometimes the position was eliminated, sometimes it was left unfilled. Bonnie Piper, New Jersey’s Princeton Public Library’s human resources manager, wrote that the library had no plans to replace its retiring youth services manager (nor was the adult services manager replaced when he or she retired). Patricia Froehlich, the Colorado State Library’s youth services senior consultant, confirms that these youth services positions are being consolidated or are left unfilled.

Colleagues nationwide also shared similar examples. Jana Fine, the Tuscaloosa (AL) Public Library System’s assistant director for outreach services, commented that when she moved to her current position, hiring for her old position of youth services coordinator was frozen. Laurie Scott, head of children’s services at the main library in Farmington Hills, MI, said her library was one of many in the state that chose to phase out its youth services coordinator position when that person retired. “The cost savings is important to our library at this time,” she wrote.

Models in flux

When consultant or department head positions are wiped out, what effect does it have on our profession? More importantly, what are the consequences for the children in our communities? If we don’t take stock of what’s happening in our libraries—and discuss openly how children’s librarians need to adjust—kids are bound to suffer from inadequate library services. It’s too soon to know the impact on children’s services; figuring how best to provide leadership while working on new models of both management and service is a tricky challenge for librarians. Others are taking a “wait and see” approach, looking to other systems for guidance. The worst-case scenario? Libraries that have eliminated leadership in children’s services and are simply telling staff: “Deal with it. That person isn’t here anymore.”

Utah’s McLain reported that the Salt Lake City Public Library developed a strategic plan that was moving away from age-based services to community outcome-based services, such as programs emphasizing early literacy or lifelong learning. “This is a fantastic model, but it did cause some hiccups,” he says. Library staff found that there was a “stronger need to communicate between people leading each outcome committee, and [a need for] very strong leadership to help staff adopt a new frame of mind.” I agree with McLain that focusing on community outcomes will keep libraries relevant. I suspect, however, that having librarians trained in serving targeted age groups will only strengthen any endeavor to implement strategies based on community outcomes.

Pabby Arnold, the children’s services coordinator for Louisiana’s East Baton Rouge Parish Library, reports that her library is adjusting to new civil service rules, which classify her as a coordinator rather than a division head, and she and her colleagues are searching for new ways to keep her library system’s integrity intact. And the Princeton Public Library is considering creating self-directed teams with “team facilitators.”

In Indiana, Kris Springer, St. Joseph County Public Library’s manager of children’s services, reports that she manages children’s services in the main library in addition to ordering most of the system’s juvenile materials, training paraprofessionals in the branches, and coordinating the summer reading program and other systemwide children’s programming. This is an increasingly popular model, in which the head of children’s services in a central library has systemwide responsibilities—sparing the library the expense of a coordinator’s salary. These positions also usually report to their building managers.

Librarian: lead thyself!

As one children’s librarian in a large system wrote me, “We no longer have monthly meetings for training, inspiration, or collegial communication.” What can you do as a children’s librarian in a library or system with no leadership or attention to the need for quality service to children? Happily, I think there’s a lot of help out there for children’s librarians who want to continue their professional development and explore how to best serve their communities.

First, get to know other children’s librarians in your area. When I was first a children’s librarian in Leonia, NJ, the Bergen County Library System didn’t exist. A former youth services librarian stopped by to introduce herself and told me about a storytelling group. I think the group still exists. We met monthly to practice telling stories. The networking, the camaraderie, and the sharing of best practices and friendly advice were invaluable to me, a new children’s librarian trying to figure out what to do and how to do it. If there’s no organized group in your area, consider starting your own that’s based on common interests, such as storytelling or book discussions. Some communities, such as New York’s Suffolk County, have developed very active professional associations; their children’s librarian association (CLASC, Inc.) is an example of an active group of librarians who provide one another with networking and professional development.

Second, find out what’s happening at the state level. When does your state hold conferences or smaller workshops or institutes? I found my current position as an elementary school librarian by attending a workshop sponsored by the New York Library Association and networking with other librarians. Volunteer to be on a committee for your state library association. There’s nothing like “doing” to help you grow in your profession, and you’ll find that acquiring lifelong friends and colleagues is a common added bonus.

Third, consider joining the American Library Association (ALA) and the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of ALA. You don’t have to attend all of the conferences and institutes. Do what you can. When you do go to a conference, get the most out of it. Volunteer to be on a committee. Map out the programs you want to attend. Show up at open committee meetings. Visit the exhibits. Network with colleagues while waiting in line. Find out what other opportunities ALSC offers. Then, when you’re back at your library, take advantage of online courses. Participate in online discussions. Check out the ALSC 2.0 Community on their website.

Fourth, find social media resources that’ll help you network and grow. ALSC has an active blog that includes a group of dedicated professionals organized by Mary Voors, manager of the children’s services department of the Allen County Public Library in Indiana. Librarians, supervisors, and consultants are all regular contributors. Other children’s librarians have also created extensive networks through Twitter—a great resource that can provide opportunities ranging from immediate help to lasting friendships.

Fifth, read and explore. Read SLJ, Booklist, Horn Book, PW, and other professional journals (or their websites). SLJ, Booklist, and other publications also offer professional development webinars, which are often free. Publishers offer chances to preview books at conferences, and some publishers, such as Random House, offer online previews as well. Most of the major publishers, as well as distributors, have enewsletters that will keep you up-to-date about their latest offerings.

Finally, get out into your community. Visit your local bookstore. Introduce yourself to the person who buys the children’s books. Visit your local school and get to know the school librarian, literacy coach, parent coordinator, or whomever else at the school is really interested in children and books. You’re part of a community, and you need to know others in your community who care about children and literacy.

Times are tough. Many of us are unemployed, or face unemployment. If we’re working, it’s likely that we’re doing the jobs of several people. Or we’re working more than one job to make ends meet. But this is no time to give in to the pressures around us. Think positively while taking responsibility for your own professional development. It’s the only way to ensure that children get the wonderful library service that they deserve. As Stephanie Espinoza, the youth services specialist at the Green Valley Library in Henderson, NV, said in a recent post on the ALSC blog, “Be excited. The future is going to be amazing.”