Self-Conflict in the Academic Reference Librarian: Or Help! We Need a Better Word for What We Do!

Conflict is a natural part of every organization that employs more than a few people and is productive only insofar as it interacts with people. Conflict is thus part of nearly every organization. It arises when the success of a work effort requires cooperation. Often it is abetted by the separation of co-workers by function, department, social standing, skill level, ability to communicate, self-interest and style. If we substitute line of work for function and department, these same separations also generate conflict between workers and clients.