Downsizing: Fat reduction or fool's gold?

Abstract

Employment prospects for librarians are being complicated by the spectre of'downsizing', a major managerial fad of the 1990s. Australia continues to embrace it enthusiastically. Yet comprehensive overseas research, together with emerging Australian data, makes dear that downsizing is already a failed policy prescription. More often than not it has negative rather than positive effects, in terms of both equity and efficiency. If Australian organisations can move beyond job-shedding as an instant-coffee solution to all their cost and productivity problems, the future for librarians in this country can be an attractive one. While the current mania with downsizing deflects our gaze, there are some encouraging signs for both long-term job prospects and a better appreciation of the value of the work that librarians do. © 1999, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.