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Fostering a Culture of Research and Publication in Academic Libraries

Catherine Sassen and Diane Wahl University of North Texas Libraries

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Why is research support needed?

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MLS Program Requirements

• Only 54 percent of 48 ALA-accredited MLS programs required a research methods course

• Only 10 percent required a thesis or project

Tysick, Cynthia, and Nancy Babb. 2006. “Writing support for junior faculty librarians: A case study.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 32 (1): 94-100.

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Graduate Education Disparities

Faculty members in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Emory University's graduation ceremony, May 12, 2008By Uri Rosenheck [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]

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New Librarians’ Perceptions

“The new librarians did not appear to know what to make of tenure …”“The general attitude towards publication was one of ambivalence.”

Sare, Laura, Stephen Bales and Bruce Neville. 2012. “New academic librarians and their perceptions of the profession.” Portal: Libraries & the Academy 12 (2):179-203.

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Time Constraints

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Daily Responsibilities

“Library school faculty members were in agreement that academic librarians with faculty status are at a disadvantage in producing research because of the daily responsibilities related to their positions.”

Wyss, Paul Alan. 2010. “Library school faculty member perceptions regarding faculty status for academic librarians.” College & Research Libraries 71 (4): 375-388.

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Other faculty are supported.

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10

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Points to Remember

• Disparities exist between librarians and teaching faculty– preparation for research and publication– time allocation for research and publication

• Support initiatives exist for teaching faculty.

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Previous Study

• Cosgriff, John, Donald Kenney, and Gail McMillan. 1990. “Support for publishing at academic libraries: How much exists?” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 16 (2): 94-97

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Online Survey

• Population: 115 ARL academic library deans and directors

• Respondents: 73 (63%)

College football would be more interesting if the faculty played instead of the students – there would be a great increase in broken arms, legs and necks.

H.L. Mencken

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Librarian Classification 2011

55%

25%

21%Faculty

Professional staff

Other

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Public vs. Private 2011

Private

Public

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

7%

48%

33%

67%

All libraries

Faculty status libraries

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Faculty Status Over Time

1980 1987 20110%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

35%39%

55%

• 16% increase since 1987• 20% increase since 1980

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Points to Remember

• Faculty status is growing.• Faculty status is primarily a public institution

practice.

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Never fear the want of business. A man who qualifies himself well for his calling, never fails of employment. Thomas Jefferson

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Promotion• 92 % offer promotion to a higher rank• Promotion criteria:

Job Performance97%

Research85% Service

97%Other28%

__Superior__Excellent__Highly Effective__Effective __Deficient__Unsatisfactory

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Who’s the decider?

Responses from the 92% that offer promotion

Library dean/director

Library committee

Institution admin. (President, Provost)

Library supervisor

Other

Institution-wide committee

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

82%

78%

63%

39%

39%

27%

Promotion

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Employment Agreements

Other responses:• Both tenure and continuing contract• Tenure-like arrangement• At will

43%

15%

42%

Tenure

Continuing contract

Other

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Who’s the decider?

Responses from the 58% offering tenure or continuing contract

Library dean/director

Institution admin. (President, Provost)

Other

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

88%75%

65%40%

30%30%

Tenure/Continuing Contract

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To publish or not to publish, that is the question.With apologies to W. Shakespeare

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Publication Requirement

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Should not be/is not required

For continuing appointment

For promotion

For continuing appointment and promotion

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

28%

0%

5%

68%

40%

0%

12%

48%

30%

1%

13%

56%Should publication be required? All respondents

Is publication re-quired? All re-spondents

Is publication required? Fac-ulty status li-braries

Publication Requirement Over Time

• Total: 26% increase since 1987; 35% since 1980• Faculty status libraries: 24% increase since 1987; 30% since 1980

1980 1987 20110%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

13%22%

48%38% 44%

68%

Required for Tenure/Continuing Contract

All libraries

Faculty sta-tus libraries

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Publication Requirement Over Time

• Total: 29% increase since 1987; 45% since 1980• Faculty status libraries: 1920% increase since 1987; 31% since 1980

1980 1987 20110%

20%

40%

60%

80%

15%

31%

60%

42%53%

73%Required for Promotion

All libraries

Faculty sta-tus libraries

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Points to Remember

• The requirement for research and publication is growing.

• Librarians with faculty status are more likely to to face this requirement than those that aren’t considered faculty.

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Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing.

Wernher von Braun

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What counts?

Other

Books or articles in any publication, including in-house

Book reviews

Books or articles in any library publication

Books or articles in any refereed publication

Books or articles in a refereed library publication

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

18%

52%

64%

75%

91%

96%

30%

48%

62%

68%

84%

94%

Should count

Do count

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What about these?Should count/Does count

Conference presentation100%/100%

Panel90%/88%

Musical or dramatic performance if relatedto librarian’s specialty

37%/44%

Other10%/16%

Poster86%/91%

Workshop96%/91%

Art exhibit if relatedto librarian’s specialty

45%/49%32

Points to Remember

• The most valued expressions of research and publication:– Books or articles in refereed publications– Conference presentations

• Followed closely by conference– Workshops– Panels– Posters

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So little done—so much to do.Last words of Cecil John Rhodes (founder of the Rhodes Scholarships)

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Annual Work Schedule

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11 months

12 months

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

20%

80%

14%

86%

All libraries

Faculty sta-tus libraries

Work Time for Research and Publication

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Do allow

Should allow

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

100%

100%

98%

90%

All libraries

Faculty sta-tus libraries

Work Hours for Research

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0 hours

1 - 5 hrs

6 - 10 hrs

11 - 15 hrs

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

0%

50%

45%

5%

8%

50%

40%

3%

3%

65%

28%

3%

Should allow: All librariesDo allow: All librariesDo allow: Faculty status libraries

Research Off Campus/At HomeDuring Work Hours

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Do allow

Should allow

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

79%

93%

75%

83%

All libraries

Faculty sta-tus libraries

Sabbaticals in 2011

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Do allow

Should allow

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

100%

100%

84%

90%

All libraries

Faculty sta-tus libraries

Sabbaticals Over Time

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1987 2011 All libraries

2011 Faculty status libraries

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%86% 84%

100%96% 86%100%

82%67%

100%

All

Publication required

Publication not required

Sabbatical Pay

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Without pay

With partial pay

With half pay

With full pay

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

0%

52%

21%

28%

0%

50%

20%

30%

35%

27%

38%

64%1987

2011 All libraries

2011 Faculty status libraries

Points to Remember

• Unlike teaching faculty, most librarians work a 12 month year.

• Most librarians are allowed to use work time for their research activities.

• Many librarians are allowed to take sabbaticals, but they often sacrifice some or all of their pay to do so.

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Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make complete use of the other five.

W. Somerset Maugham

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Internal Research Funding

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Is available

Should be available

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

100%

100%

83%

94%

All libraries

Faculty status libraries

Sources of Internal Funding

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Other

Direct line from library budget

Institutional seed grants

Library discretionary budget funds

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

31%

17%

21%

31%

32%

12%

17%

39%

27%

16%

23%

34%Should use: All libraries

Do use: All libraries

Do use: Faculty status libraries

We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming.

Wernher von Braun

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External Funding Support

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Other

Not available to librarians

Library funded position

Campus wide administration funded position

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

15%

33%

19%

33%

17%

28%

24%

30%

15%

11%

28%

47%

Should have: All libraries

Do have: All libraries

Do have: Faculty sta-tus libraries

Points to Remember

• Internal funding is widely available.• There is little assistance in applying for

external funding.

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Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education. Mark Twain

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Training and Mentoring

No specific guidance should be provided

Other

Formal training program

Help with manuscript submission

Personnel to assist with IRB certification

Library research committee to brainstorm ideas, share expertise, etc.

Formal mentoring

Support for external training

Informal mentoring

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

0%

13%

29%

33%

40%

35%

52%

71%

92%

0%

10%

48%

50%

54%

58%

73%

75%

90%

Should be provided

Is provided

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Training and Mentoring

Library research committee

Formal mentoring

Support for external training

Informal mentoring

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

35%

52%

71%

92%

58%

73%

75%

90%

Should be Provided

Is Provided

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Training and Mentoring

No specific guidance

Other

Formal training program

Manuscript submission help

IRB certification help

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

0%

13%

29%

33%

40%

0%

10%

48%

50%

54%

Should be ProvidedIs Provided

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Publishing Assistance Over Time

Library committee or special staff to aid librarians in publishing: 17% in 1987

Library research committee: 35% in 2011Manuscript submission help: 33% in 2011.

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Computers are useless. They can only give you answers. Pablo Picasso

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Project Support

No project specific support should be provided

Other

Student or graduate assistants

Clerical support

Statistical analysis support

Money for buying survey incentives

Equipment other than computers (audio and video recorders, cameras, etc.)

Software and software support

Mailing supplies/postage

Photocopying and office supplies

Computer hardware and hardware support

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

6%

13%

31%

38%

50%

58%

71%

73%

77%

83%

90%

4%

10%

38%

42%

60%

67%

79%

79%

81%

92%

92%

Should be provided

Is provided

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Project Support

Software and software support

Mailing supplies/postage

Photocopying and office supplies

Computer hardware and hardware support

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

73%

77%

83%

90%

79%

81%

92%

92%

Should be provided

Is provided

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Project Support

Clerical support

Statistical analysis support

Money for buying survey incentives

Equipment other than computers (audio and video recorders, cameras, etc.)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

38%

50%

58%

71%

42%

60%

67%

79%

Should be provided

Is provided

58

Project Support

No project specific support

Other

Student or graduate assistants

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

6%

13%

31%

4%

10%

38%

Should be provided

Is provided

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Services and Supplies Over Time

None

Student Help

Computer Time/Stats

Photocopying/Office Supplies

Secretarial

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

7%

40%

87%

83%

40%

6%

30%

88%

80%

36%

22%

33%

59%

67%

68%

19872011 all libraries2011 faculty status libraries

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Services and Supplies Over Time (Where Publication Is Required for Promotion)

None

Student Help

Photocopying/Office Supplies

Computer Time/Stats

Secretarial

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%100%

7%

33%

88%

91%

38%

4%

46%

75%

79%

92%

41%

83%

86%

41%

19872011 all libraries2011 faculty status libraries

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Summary

• Disparities between librarians and teaching faculty– preparation for research and publication– time allocation

• Increases – faculty status– requiring publication for promotion, continuing

contract/tenure – in most types of support provided

• Decline in sabbatical pay• Support is being provided in a variety of ways.

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How to Proceed?

• Survey librarians and ask how the library could support their research and publication activities

Schrader, Alvin, Ali Shiri, and Vicki Williamson. “Assessment of the research learning needs of University of Saskatchewan librarians: A case study.” College & Research Libraries 73:2 (2012): 147-163.

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Further Research: Career Development Groups

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Further Research: Library Schools

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Further Research: Academic Librarians

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Bibliography

• Ladenson, Sharon, Diane Mayers, and Colleen Hyslop. 2011. Socializing new hires. SPEC kit, 323. Washington, DC: Association of Research Libraries.

• Martyniak, Cathleen, and Brian Keith. 2009. Leave and professional development benefits. SPEC kit, 315. Washington, D.C: Association of Research Libraries.

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Recent Case Studies• Edwards, Phillip M., Elaine Z. Jennerich, and Jennifer L. Ward.

2009. Supporting a culture of library research at the University of Washington at Seattle. In An introduction to staff development in academic libraries, edited by Elizabeth Connor. New York: Routledge.

• Fennewald, Joseph. 2008. “Research productivity among librarians: Factors leading to publications at Penn State.” College & Research Libraries 69 (2): 104-116.

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Link to Full Bibliography

http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc86940/

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Questions?

Catherine SassenPrincipal CatalogerUniversity of North Texas LibrariesCatherine.Sassen@unt.edu

Diane WahlUser Experience LibrarianUniversity of North Texas LibrariesDiane.Wahl@unt.edu