Library and Information Studies Faculty in Canada: A Sex Ratio Study

Abstract

This study looks at the sex ratio of women to men and related factors among library and information studies faculty in Canada by profiling 1971/72 and 1991/92 for comparison. The twenty-year span is intended to reflect the impact of feminism, the advent of automation, two-year master's programs, LIS doctoral programs, the 1972 accreditation standards, and faculty turnover. Primary sources of information are the 1971/72 directory issue of Journal of Education for Librarianship and the 1991/92 directory issue of Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, as well as library school catalogs. The sample comprises the entire population of full-time faculty in the seven currently accredited programs. Academic rank, doctorates held, and areas of teaching specialization are explored to identify differences between women and men. The findings indicate that the Canadian sex ratio, which is the reverse of the figures for North America in general, was the same in 1991/92 as in 1971/72. However, women and men have become more evenly distributed by rank and by area of teaching specialization. Recommendations for future research include a qualitative look at what influence sex ratio of LIS faculty has on students.