Librarian Status at US Research Universities: Extending the Typology (original) (raw)
Related papers
2007
Chapter 1: Introduction American libraries, librarians, and universities have a shared history. The field of library science and the profession of librarianship emerged in the United States in the late 19 th century, in the years following the Civil War. The creation of the profession and its practices were part of the environment that produced the research university and the PhD, and were, in part, a response to the information explosion that resulted from a new model of higher education and scholarship. Academic libraries have a long association with the university's academic program, and with both teaching and research. Librarians as a profession are part of the specialization that occurred as new fields and disciplines emerged, as students began to study in specialized programs and take elective courses, as scholarly communication flourished, and as scholars needed a body of literature for teaching and research. Shiflett (1981) traces this history and describes the relationship of the emerging library profession and the emerging American university. Problem Statement Libraries have two primary groups of employees, professional librarians and clerical or paraprofessional staff. Librarians at colleges and universities have sought a role and recognition that is based on their expertise and qualifications and their participation in the teaching and research mission of the institution. In today's academic libraries, the librarians frequently have faculty status, and the nature of that status is the subject of this dissertation. The nature and desirability of faculty status is still a question for debate in some circles, and some academic librarians feel ambivalent about being faculty. The reasons for this ambivalence include the idea that librarianship is a profession that needs no validation from the outside; the belief that the work of librarians is not the same and not even similar to that of teaching faculty; and the notion None All Associate Bachelor Master Doctoral Librarians are assigned professional responsibilities 24.7% 19.7% 30.7% 18.4% 25.5% Governance structure similar to other faculties on campus 21.5% 19.2% 23.1% 16.6% 26.0% Eligible for faculty governing body 30.4% 18.0% 36.5% 26.7% 28.3% Salary scales equivalent to other academic faculty 43.3% 24.2% 51.6% 32.8% 47.2% Covered by same tenure policies as other faculty 35.5% 31.8% 52.0% 27.5% 27.4% Peer review system for promotion 35.2% 19.9% 46.0% 27.0% 33.1% Eligible for leaves of absence or sabbaticals 21.1% 11.2% 23.5% 18.0% 18.8% Access to research funding 13.0% 8.0% 18.3% 10.3% 10.7% Protections of academic freedom like other faculty 0.3% 0.6% 0.3% 0.3% 0.4% Partial All Associate Bachelor Master Doctoral Librarians are assigned professional responsibilities 29.2% 24.3% 33.2% 27.5% 26.4% Governance structure similar to other faculties on campus 25.7% 14.3% 32.8% 23.0% 20.9% Eligible for faculty governing body 39.1% 23.1% 38.5% 36.0% 43.9% Salary scales equivalent to other academic faculty 18.1% 9.2% 16.7% 19.3% 18.0% Covered by same tenure policies as other faculty 19.4% 14.7% 18.4% 18.8% 26.6% Peer review system for promotion 19.4% 10.6% 16.5% 20.3% 21.4% Eligible for leaves of absence or sabbaticals 40.0% 18.4% 34.7% 27.0% 35.1% Access to research funding 15.6% 7.3% 15.2% 15.7% 15.8% Protections of academic freedom like other faculty 91.6% 85.4% 93.8% 90.5% 90.4% Fully All Associate Bachelor Master Doctoral Librarians are assigned professional responsibilities 46.1% 38.8% 36.1% 54.1% 48.1% Governance structure similar to other faculties on campus 52.8% 68.5% 44.1% 60.4% 53.1% Eligible for faculty governing body 30.5% 58.8% 25.0% 37.3% 27.8% Salary scales equivalent to other academic faculty 38.6% 66.5% 31.7% 47.9% 34.8% Covered by same tenure policies as other faculty 45.4% 53.5% 29.6% 53.7% 46.0% Peer review system for promotion 45.4% 69.5% 37.4% 52.7% 45.6% Eligible for leaves of absence or sabbaticals 47.9% 70.4% 41.8% 55.0% 46.0% Access to research funding 71.4% 84.7% 66.5% 74.0% 73.5% Protections of academic freedom like other faculty 8.1% 14.0% 5.9% 9.2% 9.2% Krompart and DiFelice (1987) reviewed faculty status surveys from 1971 (when the ACRL standards were first adopted) until the mid-1980s. The 36 surveys examined included The paragraph Theme moves from "Participation" to "Professional activities" to "For these reasons, etc."
The Faculty Status of Academic Librarians in Ohio
College & Research Libraries, 1980
This article summarizes a survey conducted among academic library directors in Ohio to determine the extent to which librarians in institutions of higher education in Ohio have achieved faculty status as defined by the ACRL Standards. The survey revealed: (1) very few academic librarians in Ohio have full faculty status as defined in the ACRL Standards; (2) of the nine standards mandated by the ACRL only four are met by more than half of the institutions in Ohio; and (3) the degree to which academic librarians in Ohio have the "rights and responsibilities" of faculty status varies by certain demographic characteristics of the respondents.
Tenured Librarians in Large University Libraries
College & Research Libraries, 1984
The article is based on a 1979 suroey of 530 tenured librarians in thirty-three large academic libraries. The professional productivity of the librarians pre-and post-tenure is examined as well as the tenure criteria and evaluation process applied at the time the suroeyed librarians received tenure. Comparisons to the situation in 1979 are drawn. The mobility pattern of tenured librarians is also explored.
Seeking Full Citizenship: A Defense of Tenure Faculty Status for Librarians
College & Research Libraries, 2010
Tenure status for library faculty in the academic environment is coming under increasing attack from administration, faculty members in other departments, and non-academics. This is due to incorrect perceptions about what academic librarians do and how they serve their profession. This paper describes the many challenges faculty librarians face in balancing their work load with service and scholarship; justifies why academic librarians need tenure; and ultimately proves that tenure and faculty status for academic librarians are an absolute necessity.
Librarian Faculty Status: What Does It Mean in Academia?
Library Philosophy and Practice
Although much has been written over the years about whether or not professional academic librarians should have faculty status, there has been far less in the literature concerning the ambiguity of faculty status. In this paper, faculty status is defined according to the American College and Research Libraries' "Standards for faculty status for college and university librarians". Various studies and situations are examined in order to cover the spectrum of faculty status that exists in academic libraries in the United States, however this is not meant to be conclusive, but point out that there is no definition consistently applied. Faculty status is more of a continuum for librarians rather than a dichotomy, a matter of degree rather than a simple yes or no. Ramifications for the different "flavors" of faculty status are discussed as well as for nonfaculty professional statuses, when appropriate. This paper is intended to assist new academic librarians in making appropriate choices in their careers as professionals as well as clarify the definition of faculty status for the profession at large.