Encouraging Research and Publication among Academic...

Encouraging Research and Publication

among Academic Librarians

Catherine Sassen, M.L.S., Ph.D. University of North Texas Libraries

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Outline

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Why Support is Needed

Survey Methodology

Respondents

Library Research

Committees

Why is administrative support for research and publication needed?

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Why does career development matter for academic librarians?

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=books&ex=1#ai:MP900178353|mt:2|

Evaluation Criteria

“Publication can account for up to 80 percent of a tenure evaluation, and an insufficient publication record is the most frequent reason for librarians being denied tenure.”

Hoggan, Danielle Bodrero. 2003. "Faculty Status for Librarians in Higher Education." Portal 3 (3): 437.

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http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=report+card&ex=1#ai:MP900174976|

Publication Requirements Over Time – For Promotion in ARL Libraries

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14.7%

30.9%

60.3%

41.7%

53.1%

72.5%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1980 1987 2011

All libraries [1980 (n= 68), 1987 (n = 81), 2011 (n = 73)]

Faculty status libraries [1980 (n = 24), 1987 (n = 32), 2011 (n = 40)]

Sassen, Catherine, and Diane Wahl. 2013. “Fostering research and publication in academic libraries.” Manuscript accepted for publication in College & Research Libraries.

Graduate Library Education

“Among the 49 American Library Association (ALA)-accredited LIS degree programs with online information about degree requirements as of February 2010, 61% list research methods as a required course in the curriculum.”

Luo, Lili. 2011. "Fusing research into practice: The role of research methods education." Library & Information Science Research 33 (3): 191-201.

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Holding books and mortarboard, http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=book&ex=1#ai:MP900442442|mt:2|

Graduate Library Education

Only 26 percent of 815 respondents believed that their master’s degree programs in library and information science “adequately prepared them to conduct original research,” according to a 2010 study of academic librarians.

Kennedy, Marie R. and Kristine R. Brancolini. 2012. "Academic librarian research: A survey of attitudes, involvement, and perceived capabilities." College & Research Libraries 73 (5): 437.

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Time Management “… Most library faculty work a

relatively inflexible daily schedule. Using the terms of faculty in other departments, this might be stated as “Library faculty carry a heavy class and advising load every term, including summers.”

Hill, Janet Swan. 1994. “Wearing our own clothes: Librarians as faculty. The Journal of Academic Librarianship 20 (2): 74.

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Teaching Faculty are Supported

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Professor taking a question from a student, http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=professors&ex=1#ai:MP900422591|mt:2|

Support for Teaching Faculty

• Bland, Carole J., et al. 2009. Faculty success through mentoring: A guide for mentors, mentees, and leaders. American Council on Education Series in Higher Education. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2009.

• Rankin, Elizabeth. 2001. The work of writing: Insights and strategies for academics and professionals. Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

• The Journal of faculty development. 2001- Stillwater, Oklahoma: New Forums Press.

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Justification for Support

• Publication expectations

• Lack of adequate preparation for research and publication in many cases

• Time management concerns

• Precedent of support for teaching faculty

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Survey “USA Today has come out with a new survey - apparently, three out of every four people make up 75% of the population.” – David Letterman

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Image: Group of people smiling, waving and celebrating, http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=people&ex=1#ai:MP900422879|mt:2| Quotation: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/davidlette102678.html

Survey of Academic Library Research Committees

• Academic Writing Group

• Career Development Group

• Peer Mentoring Group

• Professional Advancement Group

• Research Work Group

• Tenure Support Group

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Literature review

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Methodology

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• Online survey

• Fall 2012

• 68 usable responses

Limitations

• Exploratory study

• Nature of the sample

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Academic library respondents

“A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library.” –Shelby Foote.

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Image: Willis Library, http://www.library.unt.edu/willis-library Quote: http://www.searchquotes.com/quotation/A_university_is_just_a_group_of_buildings_gathered_around_a_library. /335669/

Public or Private Institution?

19

88%

12%

Public

Private

N=59

Location?

20

4%

11%

11%

11%

23%

40%

Pacific Northwest

Canada

New Southwest

North Central

Northeast Atlantic

Southern States

N=47

How are your librarians classified?

21

N=59

5%

10%

17%

68%

Other

Mix of faculty and professionalstaff

Professional/academic staff

Faculty

How many full-time librarians are employed in your library?

22 N =52

13%

37%

27%

23%

1-19 librarians

20-39 librarians

40-59 librarians

60 or more

What are your employment agreements?

23

N=59

10%

17%

29%

44%

Other

Continuing contract (defined as acontract that is reviewedperiodically for renewal)

Mix of tenure and continuingcontract

Tenure (defined as a permanentemployment contract)

Publication

"I think I did pretty well, considering I started out

with nothing but a bunch of blank paper." --Steve Martin

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Is publication required at your library?

25

5%

9%

12%

21%

53%

For promotion

Not required

For tenure or continuing contract

Not required but stronglyencouraged

For promotion and tenure orcontinuing contract

What counts as a publication?

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69%

71%

72%

72%

74%

86%

88%

91%

Book review

Book chapter in any discipline

Book in any discipline

Article in any refereed pub.

Article in any library pub.

Book in LIS

Book chapter in LIS

Article in a refereed pub. in LIS

N=58

Which conference activities count?

Paper presentation: 86% Poster presentation : 83% Workshop presentation: 83% Panel member/moderator: 76%

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N=58

Meeting room table with a pen and pad set for attendants, http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=conference&ex=1#ai:MP900423018|mt:2|

What else counts?

Music/dramatic performance if related to librarian's specialty: 52%

Exhibition of art if related to librarian's specialty: 53%

28 N=58

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=violin&ex=1#ai:MP900411848|mt:2|

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=artist&ex=1#ai:MP900341622|mt:2|

Library Research Committees

“There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew.”

--Marshall McLuhan

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When did your group begin meeting?

30

2%

3%

5%

20%

30%

41%

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

unknown

2010s

N=61

What is your intended audience?

31 N=68

15%

7%

15%

63%

Other

Librarians without tenure orcontinuing contract

Librarians & paraprofessionals

Librarians

How many attend your meetings?

32

Average: 7.6

Median: 6.3

Mode: 5

Range: 3-20

N=62

People meeting at work engaging in a business discussion, http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=conference&ex=1#ai:MP900422638|mt:2|

How often are your meetings held?

33

N=67

28%

12%

15%

45%

Other

No set schedule/meet as needed

Once every other month

Once a month

How do you meet?

Face to face: 86% Face to face and videoconferences: 6% Other: 8% N=66

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http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=meeting&ex=1#ai:MP900407375|mt:2|

Leadership

35 Image: Hand holding microphone, http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=microphone&ex=1#ai:MP900442505| Quote: http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/42149.html

“The question, 'Who ought to be boss?', is like asking,

'Who ought to be the tenor in the quartet?' Obviously, the man who can sing tenor.”

--Henry Ford

Who leads your group?

One librarian: 61%

Multiple librarians: 29%

Library administrator: 6%

Other: 3%

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N=62

Glass of water on a conference table during a meeting, http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=conference&ex=1#ai:MP900423065|

How are leaders selected?

37

8%

10%

13%

21%

48%

Other

Leaders are appointed by thelibrary administration

Volunteers offer their services

Leaders are elected

Volunteers are recruited

N=62

How long is a leader’s term?

Indefinite: 55%

Two years: 19%

One year: 13%

Other: 13%

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N=62

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What are the leaders’ responsibilities? (pt. 1)

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25%

25%

33%

73%

80%

Maintaining online presence (e.g. wiki) to share information …

Assessing the effectiveness of the committee’s activities

Making reports to the libraryadministration

Organizing committee activities

Scheduling meetings

N=60

What are the leaders’ responsibilities? (pt. 2)

40

N=60

18%

7%

12%

17%

Other

Moderating online discussion listfor committee participants

Assessing career developmentneeds of participants

Assisting participants in makingcareer development plans

Activities

“Like most meaningful activities, campaigns are team games.”

--Alastair Campbell

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What are your group’s activities? (pt. 1)

42

46%

56%

57%

64%

Discussing how to balanceresearch with other obligations

Brainstorming about researchstudy ideas

Sharing updates on researchprojects

Sharing information aboutpublication/presentation

opportunities

N=61

What are your group’s activities? (pt. 2)

43

N=61

31%

36%

41%

43%

Sharing info. about continuingeducation

Rehearsing conferencepresentations

Discussing readings aboutresearch/scholarly writing

Giving feedback on drafts ofarticles

What are your group’s activities? (pt. 3)

44 N=61

18%

15%

25%

25%

Other

Giving feedback on grantapplication drafts

Sharing information about grantfunding opportunities

Finding collaborators

What are your instructional topics? (pt. 1)

45

36%

44%

46%

46%

47%

Institutional Review Board

Scholarly writing

Research methods

Finding topics for research

Academic publishing

N=59

What are your instructional topics? (pt. 2)

46

15%

19%

19%

24%

Other

Presentation methods

Grants

Statistical analysis

N=59

How are group activities chosen?

47 N=60

52% 37%

12%

Selected byparticipants

Selected by libraryresearch committeeleaders

Other

What are the challenges?

48

N=56

27%

5%

9%

18%

18%

55%

66%

Other

No challenges identified

Finding time for activities/research

Getting support from lib. admin.

Finding qualified leaders

Finding times for meetings

Getting participants engaged

How are activities assessed?

49

N=50

24%

10%

36%

38%

Other

Informal assessment

Surveys on committeeeffectiveness

No assessment

What are the benefits? (pt. 1)

50 N=49

8%

10%

16%

29%

More national/internationalpublications

More collaboration

More peer-reviewed publications

Uncertain

What are the benefits? (pt. 2)

51 N=49

33%

6%

6%

6%

Other

None

Individuals feel supported

Better presentations/papers

Characteristics of Effective Peer Mentoring Programs

Carole J. Bland et al. 2009. Faculty success through mentoring: A guide for mentors, mentees, and leaders. American Council on Education Series in Higher Education. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Education, p. 37-44.

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Characteristics of Effective Peer Mentoring Programs (cont.)

1. Clearly stated purpose and goals

2. Support from the administration

3. Clearly stated administrative structure

4. Regular meetings

5. Assessment

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Why Career Development Matters

• Librarians

• Libraries

• Profession

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Topics for Further Research

• Library research committees with longevity

• Different models of library research committees

• Librarians’ involvement in research support groups at the university level

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Bibliography

http://tinyurl.com/bsfm9se

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Questions?

Catherine Sassen, M.L.S., Ph.D.

catherine.sassen@unt.edu

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