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In the professional school, there are two types of courses:
Skills courses help you to learn how to do things such as create WWW pages using HTML. Knowledge courses help to learn aboutthings such as the history of libraries. IS 552 is a knowledge course. It is designed to give you some background on the nature of academic libraries and the problems they face and are likely to face in the future.
While nearly all libraries have much in common in their public, technical, and administrative services, most libraries have some unique attributes. These may be related to audience and their environmental context. Academic libraries serve students, faculty, and staff. The more research-oriented the library, the more likely that collections and services will focus on faculty, graduate students, and upper division undergraduate students. This contrasts with school library media centers where the focus is on the student.
With the notable exception of the public library, libraries are ancillary institutions. This means that the library does not have a purpose of its own. Instead, its purpose is to support the mission, goals, and objectives of the parent institution. The purpose of the academic library is to help the college or the university to be more successful. Once the college, for example, determines what it needs to do, the library must follow. For example, if the curriculum changes, the library must support that change even if it feels that the change is inappropriate. Most of the differences between the academic library and others relate to the difference between the higher education environment and other environments.
Having said this, there are many similarities between academic libraries and other types. School library media centers also focus on students and support educational goals. In several respects, the community college library may be more like the high school library than a university one, especially if enrollment is open to nearly everyone. The university research library may have much in common with the special library in its support of high level research initiatives.
This course is intended to give you the background needed to understand the important issues facing higher education and academic libraries now and in the near future. In particular, there is some emphasis on how things work in the higher education environment. The more that you understand the environment, the more comfortable you will be. You might also be a more effective librarian. Since we are in a land grant research university, that type of environment will receive more attention. We will try to note differences between research libraries, college libraries, and community college libraries.
This course should also help you to prepare to apply for a position in an academic library. You will gain some experience in
Because there is so much change in higher education today, it is important that you develop a current awareness program. The Chronicle of Higher Education is your best source of information on trends and problems. You should scan current issues on a regular basis. Some of this content is available on their WWW site. As you scan the Chronicle, ask yourself which of these topics might have an impact on academic libraries and services. How might change impact what you do? How might the library prepare for change?
There is little truth to the notion that work in an academic library largely involves quiet, thoughtful activity under stained glass windows while you deal with the brightest and the best as equals. Academic libraries are often underfunded, understaffed, and facing relentless change from information technology. Still, there are many attractions in academic library work.
Remember that academic libraries often organize under
Most students want to be reference librarians and that is where there is the greatest competition for entry level positions. Note that some experienced reference librarians may apply for entry level positions if the library or the community is especially attractive or if they are relocating. Information technology support may fall under technical services or administrative services. With few exceptions, administrators or managers began as either public or technical service librarians.
Technical service work in the academic library will vary with he degree to which the parent institution is substantially involved with research. Academic research libraries will need to acquire materials in foreign languages as well as other materials that are out of the mainstream. More original effort and more challenging problems are likely. Information technology is likely to be more sophisticated and librarians may be more involved in its design or adaptation. Since so much technical service work is done by clerical and paraprofessional staff, librarians usually supervise and train. Management responsibiity comes quickly in the public services.
While public service librarians do not usually work with the public, they will need to work well with faculty from time to time. This is especially true of those in acquisitions work.
Public service work will involve dealing with faculty who are normally subject specialists with somewhat narrow interests. Again, the more research involvement, the narrower and the deeper the faculty interest. Some faculty members are difficult to deal with and do not consider librarians to be "genuine" faculty members. However, this is no different and probably better than being a librarian in a law firm or in a medical center. Lawyers and physicians may be difficult to work with. You should enjoy working with faculty and have some interest in research.
Most public service will be with students. Graduate students are much like faculty in their interests. However, they are usually much more open to suggestions and instruction. You should be comfortable working with undergraduate students who will vary enormously in their interest, industry, and knowledge. Patience and empathy are much needed. Librarianship is a service profession. The public service librarian needs to be customer-driven.
As is true in other types of libraries, public service librarians will need to work some evenings and weekends.
For years, k12 librarians or school library media center specialists have been called teacher-librarians. Teacher-librarian is also a good label for the academic reference librarian. You should enjoy teaching, whether it be one-on-one at the reference desk or in the stacks or developing and delivering bibliographic instruction in the political science class room. Being a comfortable and effective public speaker is increasingly important.
Most colleges and universities do not require tenure for librarians. Some institutions that do have tenure have different standards for librarians. However, some research-oriented academic libraries will require that library faculty be tenured. Usually, this requires some sort of research and publication. Failure to meet tenure standards will mean that you will need to seek another position. Students who enjoy research and who have completed a thesis or a dissertation will be most comfortable in the up or out environment. Still, a thoughtful, energetic librarian should not find it difficult to do enough published research to be tenured.
Those interested in senior administrative positions in leading academic libraries should be enthusiastic about participation in state, regional, and national association activities. The ALA division for academic libraries is the Association of College and Research Libraries. Participation in its activities is often the best step toward gaining the visibility needed to advance professionally. Publication is another way to gain that visibility.
Being an academic librarian does offer some important benefits. The academic environment is usually an interesting one which opportunities for learning and entertainment. Think of all the intellectual and cultural activities that occur on the typical campus. For those interested, there are also sporting events.
Some librarians simply enjoy being on campus and working with students and faculty. This is an environment where there are many challenges and many opportunities to learn new and interesting skills and experiences. For those who really enjoy being a student, an academic library position is right at the heart of things.
Many colleges and universities allow librarians to take courses for credit at no cost. It is often not difficult to take courses and make up the time by working in the evening or on a weekend. Quite a few academic librarians have earned MS and even Ph.D. degrees while working full time in the library.
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