We’re going through some growing pains at the Vermont Library Association requiring a lot of email, extended explanations and apologies, and a revisting of what is and is not “normal” for libraries and library associations to do and to know. I’ve been quoting John Blyberg quite a bit.
Some people also just don’t like to step out of their comfort zone. They don’t want to absorb new things. I was on a top technology trends panel at OLA last January when someone asked, “what if we don’t want to learn about all these new technologies?†(paraphrase). I don’t think I was in the mood for hand-holding because my answer was, “it’s your job.†Really. I don’t believe libraries are life support systems for staff. We need to work for our bread. That means that we have so stop bunting and try to knock it out of the park every single time. That takes passion, and too many people in every industry, including libraries, lack it.
It is totally our job. Might part of the issue be, though, that the nature of the field has changed so much in 20 years that our job now is not the same job we (well, not me so much, but maybe more people pre-1995ish) signed up for?
Though come to think of it librarians have always been technological innovators. Microfiche etc.
As long as the technologies are worth learning because the information access and ease of access they give users is significant.