“The younguns can keep talking as if it is a generational thing and they will lose key allies, while the old guard can keep saying it’s a generational thing and just lose us all.”

Very good points made here. I’m older than this “younger generation,” as are many of the students in my program. I’m the oldest of the ones I associate with, though. My friends don’t get all caught up in the young librarian thing, though… they just do what they need to do. Our student organization has been very active in arranging seminars, panels, and presentations on what it takes to get a job… and if something doesn’t work for them, they move on. That might be the healthiest way to deal with things. If the ALA is not working for some people, maybe it’s time to move on. If enough people move on, maybe it will be a wakeup call. I don’t want the ALA to become irrelevant, but if it doesn’t play a role in the life of new librarians, it will.
The web is great for organizing, but it’s also too good for dwelling. How much of what is going on in the biblioblogosphere is healthy and useful and how much of it is an echo chamber that just makes people more and more upset?