Pursuing academic librarianship: Factors affecting job attainment

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to support library and information science (LIS) students and recent graduates considering academic librarianship so they can strategize their career preparation and job search endeavors based on recent graduates' experiences. The authors accomplished this by quantifying the academic and pre-professional experiences, aspects of the job search, and information about first librarian positions of recent graduates in the United States seeking positions as academic librarians. This article focuses on the factors which significantly influence successful and unsuccessful job search outcomes for different population groups represented in the study. For the overall survey population results show that applying early for jobs, gaining pre-professional employment in an academic library, participating in an internship or practicum at an academic library, and applying for positions out of state are significantly associated with successful job search outcomes. Other factors, such as pre-professional employment in a public library, are significantly associated with unsuccessful job search outcomes. Subsequent data analyses focus on respondents who identify as a person of color and on those who identify as Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin. Results for these groups varied in comparison to those for the overall, predominantly white, cisgender female survey population, underscoring the need to obtain robust demographics while seeking study participation in intentional ways to increase representation in the research.