Encouraging Research and Publication among Academic Librarians

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

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OutlineWhy

Support is Needed

Survey Methodolog

y

Respondents

Library Research

Committees

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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|

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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.

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

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Publication Requirements Over Time – For Promotion in ARL Libraries

1980 1987 20110%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

14.7%

30.9%

60.3%

41.7%

53.1%

72.5%

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.

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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. Holding books and mortarboard,

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

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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. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/

results.aspx?qu=clock&ex=1#ai:MP900149124|mt:2|

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Teaching Faculty are Supported

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

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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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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

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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.

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

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Public or Private Institution?

88%

12%

Public

Private

N=59

20

Location?

Pacific Northwest

Canada

New Southwest

North Central

Northeast Atlantic

Southern States

4%

11%

11%

11%

23%

40%

N=47

21

How are your librarians classified?

N=59

Other

Mix of faculty and professional staff

Professional/academic staff

Faculty

5%

10%

17%

68%

22

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

N =52

1-19 librarians

20-39 librarians

40-59 librarians

60 or more

13%

37%

27%

23%

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What are your employment agreements?

N=59

Other

Continuing contract (defined as a contract that is reviewed periodically for renewal)

Mix of tenure and continuing contract

Tenure (defined as a permanent employment contract)

10%

17%

29%

44%

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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?

For promotion

Not required

For tenure or continuing contract

Not required but strongly encouraged

For promotion and tenure or continuing contract

5%

9%

12%

21%

53%

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What counts as a publication?

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

69%

71%

72%

72%

74%

86%

88%

91%

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

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What else counts?

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

librarian's specialty: 53%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|

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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?

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

unknown

2010s

2%

3%

5%

20%

30%

41%

N=61

31

What is your intended audience?

N=68

Other

Librarians without tenure or continuing contract

Librarians & paraprofessionals

Librarians

15%

7%

15%

63%

32

How many attend your meetings?

Average: 7.6 Median: 6.3Mode: 5Range: 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|

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How often are your meetings held?

N=67

Other

No set schedule/meet as needed

Once every other month

Once a month

28%

12%

15%

45%

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How do you meet?Face to face: 86%Face to face and videoconferences: 6%Other: 8%

N=66

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

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Leadership

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“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

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Who leads your group?

One librarian: 61%Multiple librarians: 29%Library administrator: 6%Other: 3%

N=62

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How are leaders selected?

Other

Leaders are appointed by the library administration

Volunteers offer their services

Leaders are elected

Volunteers are recruited

8%

10%

13%

21%

48%

N=62

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How long is a leader’s term?

Indefinite: 55%Two years: 19%One year: 13% Other: 13%

N=62

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

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

Assessing the effectiveness of the committee’s activities

Making reports to the library administration

Organizing committee activities

Scheduling meetings

25%

25%

33%

73%

80%

N=60

40

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

N=60

Other

Moderating online discussion list for committee participants

Assessing career development needs of participants

Assisting participants in making career development plans

18%

7%

12%

17%

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Activities

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

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

Discussing how to balance research with other obligations

Brainstorming about research study ideas

Sharing updates on research projects

Sharing information about publication/presentation opportunities

46%

56%

57%

64%

N=61

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

N=61

Sharing info. about continuing education

Rehearsing conference presentations

Discussing readings about research/scholarly writing

Giving feedback on drafts of articles

31%

36%

41%

43%

44

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

N=61

Other

Giving feedback on grant application drafts

Sharing information about grant funding opportunities

Finding collaborators

18%

15%

25%

25%

45

What are your instructional topics? (pt. 1)

Institutional Review Board

Scholarly writing

Research methods

Finding topics for research

Academic publishing

36%

44%

46%

46%

47%

N=59

46

What are your instructional topics? (pt. 2)

Other

Presentation methods

Grants

Statistical analysis

15%

19%

19%

24%

N=59

47

How are group activities chosen?

N=60

52%37%

12% Selected by participants

Selected by library re-search committee leaders

Other

48

What are the challenges?

N=56

Other

No challenges identified

Finding time for activities/research

Getting support from lib. admin.

Finding qualified leaders

Finding times for meetings

Getting participants engaged

27%

5%

9%

18%

18%

55%

66%

49

How are activities assessed?

N=50

Other

Informal assessment

Surveys on committee effectiveness

No assessment

24%

10%

36%

38%

50

What are the benefits? (pt. 1)

N=49

More national/international publi-cations

More collaboration

More peer-reviewed publications

Uncertain

8%

10%

16%

29%

51

What are the benefits? (pt. 2)

N=49

Other

None

Individuals feel supported

Better presentations/papers

33%

6%

6%

6%

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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 goals2. Support from the administration3. Clearly stated administrative structure4. Regular meetings5. 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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