Library School Faculty Member Perceptions Regarding Faculty Status for Academic Librarians

Abstract

The faculties of the library schools listed as ALA-accredited are directly involved in setting the direction of the education provided to academic librarians through curriculum development and teaching. The curricula and teaching at ALA-accredited library schools revolve around aspects of librarianship such as providing research assistance at a reference desk, collection development, and cataloging; but they do not address preparing the recipients of the MLS for the demands of faculty status at a college or university library. Thus, while academic librarians may be well prepared to assume professional duties in an academic setting, they may be less well prepared to perform activities such as research and publication that are required of faculty members seeking tenure and promotion. Until this descriptive study, the faculties of the ALA-accredited library schools had not been surveyed as a population in regard to their perceptions about faculty status for academic librarians, nor had they been surveyed about how education at library schools prepared academic librarians for faculty roles. As a result, it was vital that the faculties of the ALA-accredited library schools were surveyed so that their thoughts on faculty status for academic librarians and the education that prepares librarians for faculty roles could be known.