Contemporary Recruitment in Traditional Libraries

Abstract

The recruitment of professional librarians into traditional library environments is an increasingly important issue. This research examines professional academic, public, and special librarian job announcements for which a master's in library and information science (MLIS) was required and a contact person was identified. The 87 responses to a job recruitment survey, a 48% response rate, detail the libraries' recruitment issues, challenges, and efforts. Of particular note to library and information science (LIS) educators, respondents stress the importance of a candidate's service orientation, personality/demeanor, post-MLIS work experience and professional/personal appearance yet place far less importance on the recency of the MLIS, graduate courses taken, or the MLIS program attended.