Returning to the Ranks: Towards an Holistic Career Path in Academic Librarianship

Abstract

Having the policies and procedures for individuals to easily move into and out of term-limited, administrative positions supports a holistic view of an academic career path. While this is normative for our academic colleagues, it is less common for academic librarians. Typically, librarians in administrative positions (chief librarians for example) either stay in those roles, seek other similar roles, or retire from those roles. Returning to the ranks is surprisingly rare and not well-enabled through transparent processes. This paper explores the experiences of four chief librarians who returned to the ranks following term appointments. It examines the resultant issues and makes recommendations on how to improve the situation. The conclusions offer advice for universities, libraries, and librarian administrators. This paper is based on a presentation to the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians, Brock University, May 25-26, 2014.