Abstract
The paper is directed at how diversity management influences the different generations of academic librarians in terms of their work performance and co-worker relationships.
The four generations currently active in the South African work environment, namely Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X
and Generation Y, will be discussed and a view on so-called Cuspers will be provided. The characteristics of these generations will be reviewed to gain an understanding of generational perspectives regarding work performance, work-life balance, retirement, rewards, co-worker relationships and recruitment. Considering the aging workforce it is assumed that generationally constituted libraries will increasingly face challenges related to ineffectual succession planning and inefficiency in co-worker collaboration hampered by generational differences. This paper aims to contribute as to whether or not generational awareness could lead to enhanced co-worker relationships and how this knowledge can
potentially facilitate library management. It also seeks to shed light on generational barriers, conflicts and contradictions in the contemporary interactive information society. In conclusion the paper seeks to understand and eliminate the causes of alienation and domination in co-worker relationships and be of value to library management to consequently act in terms of gained generational awareness.